Tools You’ll Need
- A hex key or screwdriver (depending on your printer’s bed screw type)
- A piece of standard printer paper
- Your 3D printer’s control interface (for moving the print head)
Step 1: Preheat Your Printer
Preheating your 3D printer to its typical printing temperature is crucial for accurate bed leveling. Temperature variations can cause the bed to expand or contract, affecting the leveling process. Preheat both the nozzle and the bed to ensure all components are at their working temperature.
Step 2: Home the Print Head
Use your printer’s control interface to home the print head. This positions the print head at its starting point, ensuring that the bed leveling process is consistent from one corner to the other.
Step 3: Disable Stepper Motors
After homing the print head, disable the stepper motors (usually through a menu option on your printer). This allows you to manually move the print head and bed without affecting their positions in the printer’s memory.
Step 4: Adjust the Bed Screws
- Position the nozzle over the first corner of the bed. Manually move the print head so the nozzle is positioned over the first adjustment screw at one corner of the bed.
- Use the paper method. Slide a piece of standard printer paper between the nozzle and the bed. You should feel a slight resistance when moving the paper. If the paper moves too freely, the bed is too low. If you can’t move the paper, the bed is too high.
- Adjust the screw. Using the hex key or screwdriver, turn the adjustment screw to raise or lower the bed. Clockwise turns will lower the bed (if the screw is on top of the bed) or raise it (if the screw is underneath), and counterclockwise turns will do the opposite. Adjust until you feel slight resistance on the paper.
- Repeat for all corners. Move the print head to each corner of the bed, repeating the adjustment process. It may take a few rounds of adjustments to get the level just right, as changing one corner can affect the others.
Step 5: Check the Center of the Bed
Once all corners are adjusted, move the nozzle to the center of the bed and check the resistance with the paper again. The center should also have slight resistance. If not, you may need to adjust the corners again or consider using a glass bed or bed leveling sensor for more uniform leveling.
Step 6: Test with a Print
After leveling, it’s a good idea to run a test print. Choose a design with a large, flat bottom layer to help you see how evenly it adheres across the entire bed.
Final Thoughts
Adjusting the bed screws on your 3D printer is a vital step in achieving the perfect first layer and ensuring successful prints. While it might seem tedious at first, with practice, it will become a quick and routine part of your printing process. Happy printing!