Why Won't My 3D Print's First Layer Stick to the Bed?
Most first-layer problems come down to a dirty plate, the wrong plate or settings in the slicer, or the nozzle height. Here's what Bambu Lab and Prusa recommend checking, in order.
If your print peels up, drags around or never sticks in the first place, you’re in good company: it’s one of the most common questions on 3D printing forums. The good news is that the usual fixes are simple. Here’s what two of the biggest printer makers, Bambu Lab and Prusa, tell their own customers to check.
1. Clean the plate properly
Both companies start here, and both advise against touching the print surface with your fingers.
- Bambu Lab strongly recommends washing plates with hot water and dish detergent before printing.
- Prusa recommends isopropyl alcohol (90% or stronger) as the everyday degreaser for all its sheets. For residue alcohol won’t remove, use a little dish soap in warm (not hot) water, then dry the sheet well. Prusa warns never to use acetone on its textured or satin sheets, and to watch for acetone in nail polish remover and brake cleaner.
Each maker’s advice is for its own plates, so check your printer’s guide for the surface you have.
2. Make sure the slicer knows which plate you’re using
Bambu Lab says that slicing for one plate type and printing on another is a common cause of poor adhesion, because each plate has its own bed temperature and nozzle height (Z offset). Pick the plate that’s actually on the printer, and one that suits your filament, in the slicer.
3. Use the right temperatures
Start with the temperatures your slicer suggests for your filament and plate. For a material that still won’t stick, Prusa suggests raising the bed temperature by 5–10 °C and slowing the first three layers to about 75% speed.
4. Check the nozzle height and bed leveling
If the nozzle is too high, plastic won’t press into the plate. If it’s too low, little or nothing comes out. Bambu Lab suggests cleaning the nozzle tip and running a bed leveling calibration, and keeping bed leveling switched on when you start a print. Prusa owners can fine-tune the first layer with the printer’s first layer calibration (on the models that have it), but Prusa cautions against lowering the nozzle too far to force adhesion, because it can damage the sheet.
5. Give the part more grip
For small or tall parts, Prusa suggests adding a brim (an extra flat border around the first layer) in the slicer. Prusa also says a basic PVA glue stick usually isn’t needed for PLA, but is a good idea for materials like PETG, ABS, ASA, nylon and flexible filaments.
Still not sticking?
Check that the plate is seated correctly and isn’t bent or damaged, and that the nozzle isn’t partly clogged. Both companies’ full guides (linked below) go into more detail for specific models.