Dial in your first layer

Bed levelling, Z-offset and temperature — the trifecta behind prints that actually stick. Nail the first layer and 90% of print failures disappear.

Ask any experienced printer where failures come from and they’ll say the same thing: the first layer. Get the nozzle the right distance from the bed, at the right temperature, on a clean surface, and everything above it usually just works. Here’s how to dial it in.

Why the first layer rules everything

The first layer is the foundation the whole print is built on. Too far from the bed and it won’t stick; too close and the nozzle drags and clogs. You’re aiming for beads that are slightly squished and fused side-to-side — like the diagram above.

Level the bed

1. Heat the bed to your material’s temperature (PLA ~60 °C) — metal expands, so level it hot.
2. Home all axes, then disable the steppers so you can move the head by hand.
3. Slide a sheet of paper under the nozzle at each corner; adjust until you feel slight drag.
4. Go around twice — adjusting one corner affects the others.

Z

Set your Z-offset

The Z-offset is the fine gap between the nozzle tip and the bed (shown in the diagram). Adjust it live during the first layer: lower it until the beads flatten and touch, raise it if the nozzle is scraping.

Temperature & surface

• Nozzle: start at the middle of your filament’s range (PLA ~200 °C) and tune from there.
• Bed: PLA 60 °C, PETG 75–85 °C.
• Surface: a clean bed is half the battle. Wipe with isopropyl alcohol — fingerprints are grease, and grease means lifting.

Run a first-layer test

1. Print a single-layer test square (most slicers have one).
2. Watch the beads: they should be flat-topped and fused, with no gaps between lines.
3. Adjust Z-offset on the fly until it looks right, then save it.

A perfect first layer is flat, even, and has no gaps between the lines. If it looks like glossy round spaghetti, lower the nozzle.

Still lifting at the corners? Add a brim in your slicer for extra grip, and double-check the bed is clean. Once your first layer is dialled, share a photo in the forum — first-layer pics are weirdly satisfying.