3D Printer Bed Preparation
There are several ways to make 3D prints stick to the print bed, which one you choose largely depends on the printing material and how much money you are willing to spend.
Kapton Tape for PLA
PLA, the plastic we print with almost exclusively, sticks well on a clean and even surface of polyimide ("Kapton") tape. Heating the bed to 60 °C also helps and reduces the warping of large prints.
Cleaning the Tape
We clean the top of the Kapton surface with acetone as dust and fingerprints reduce print adhesion.
- a little dab of acetone on a paper napkin is sufficient
- usually not necessary more than once a day!
Replace the Tape
Even experienced print removers tear the tape now and then so the surface degrades over time. Do not let it get to a point where this causes prints to fail, but please devote a few minutes now and then to make your printing experience (and everyone else's) a lot better.
To change the tape (sometimes one or two strips are already enough), follow these steps:
- find the golden Kapton tape on the sticky stuff shelf
- remove damaged strips from the print bed
- wipe the exposed area with a bit of acetone and let it dry
- carefully apply a new strip of tape, making sure not to trap air bubbles
- fingernails, credit cards or a thin film of soapy water underneath the tape (not tested) can make this easier
