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All beginner guides
Plain-English help, grouped the way you'll need it: choose, set up and print, then fix. New here? Begin with Start here.
Choose
Picking a printer and materials.
Start here: the beginner roadmap
Filament or resin, and what actually matters in a first printer.
Read guide →Best 3D printer for beginners (2026)
Honest picks by budget and use, with dated prices and who each is not for.
Read guide →Resin vs filament for beginners
Detail, size, mess, safety and running costs compared.
Read guide →Bambu Lab A1 vs A1 mini: which should a beginner buy?
Build size, bed temperature, footprint and who each is not for.
Read guide →Best filament for beginners (2026)
PLA, PLA+, matte PLA and PETG picks by use, with dated prices and storage tips.
Read guide →PLA vs PETG for beginners
Which filament to start with, and when to switch.
Read guide →Set up and first prints
From the box to your first good print.
Your first 3D print: a step-by-step checklist
Everything in order, from unboxing to a finished print.
Read guide →How to level a 3D printer bed
The paper test, auto leveling and Z offset, step by step.
Read guide →3D printing tools for beginners: the 10 you actually need
What came in the box, what to add on day one, what can wait and what to skip.
Read guide →First things to 3D print: 15 easy, useful beginner prints
Test prints, quick useful items and fun gifts.
Read guide →Fix
The common problems, solved in plain English.
Why is my first layer not sticking? 8 fixes in order
Dirty plate, nozzle height, temperature, cooling, drafts and damp filament.
Read guide →Bed leveling and the first layer, explained simply
Why prints won't stick, and how to fix the first layer.
Read guide →Why your 3D print corners lift (and how to fix warping)
Clean plate, first layer, drafts, brims and enclosures.
Read guide →How to fix elephant's foot on 3D prints
Bottom edge bulging out? Nozzle height, bed and nozzle temperature, slicer compensation and chamfers.
Read guide →How to fix stringing on 3D prints
Dry filament, temperature, retraction and travel settings.
Read guide →How to fix a clogged 3D printer nozzle
Hot push, cold pull, the needle tool, and when to replace it.
Read guide →How to fix under-extrusion on 3D prints
Gaps, thin walls and weak prints: spool, nozzle height, speed, temperature, clogs and flow.
Read guide →How to fix layer shifting on 3D prints
Print stepped sideways? Obstructions, nozzle crashes, speed, belts and pulleys.
Read guide →How to find the right nozzle temperature (temperature tower)
Print a temperature tower in Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer or Cura, read the blocks and save the best setting.
Read guide →How to dry 3D printer filament (and tell if it's wet)
Signs of damp filament, drying temperatures for PLA, PETG and TPU, and how to store it.
Read guide →Get The First Layer, free every week
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