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How to level a 3D printer bed

Leveling sounds scary, but it's really one idea: get the nozzle the same small distance from the bed everywhere. Here's how to do it on a manual printer, what changes if your printer levels itself, and how to tell when you've got it right.

New to the idea? Our bed leveling and first layer explainer covers the "why" in plain English. This page is the hands-on how-to.

First, which kind of printer do you have?

What you need

Manual leveling, step by step

1. Clean and check the plate

Wipe the plate clean and make sure nothing (a stray blob of plastic, a crumb) is trapped underneath a removable sheet. Debris under the plate makes a high spot no amount of leveling fixes.

2. Heat up

Preheat the nozzle and bed to your usual printing temperatures (for PLA, typically around 200 to 215 °C nozzle and 55 to 60 °C bed; check your spool label). Leveling hot matches real printing conditions. Keep fingers away from the hot nozzle.

3. Home the printer

Use the menu to "Home all" or "Auto home". The nozzle moves to its starting position so the printer knows where zero is.

4. The paper test at each corner

  1. Move the nozzle over the first corner. Many printers have a "Level corners" or "Bed tramming" menu that moves it for you; otherwise disable steppers and move the head by hand.
  2. Slide the paper under the nozzle.
  3. Turn that corner's knob until you feel a slight drag: the paper still moves, but the nozzle just catches it.
  4. Do the same at the other three corners, then check the center.

5. Go round again

Adjusting one corner tilts the bed and nudges the others. Do a second (and sometimes third) pass until every corner has the same feel without needing adjustment.

Tip: if the center is much tighter or looser than the corners, your bed may be slightly bowed. That's common. A brim, a slightly lower Z offset, or a printer with mesh leveling deals with it.

6. Fine-tune with a real first layer

The paper test gets you close. A real print gets you right. Print a single-layer square or the "bed level test" file many printers include, and watch it:

You seeMeaningFix
Round, separate lines that peel upNozzle too highLower the Z offset a little
Flat, touching lines with a smooth topJust rightSave it
Thin, see-through, rough or ridged; nozzle scrapingNozzle too lowRaise the Z offset a little
Good in one area, bad in anotherBed unevenRe-do that corner

7. Save

Some printers save the Z offset automatically, others need "Store settings" or "Save to EEPROM" in the menu. If the setting resets after a power cycle, you missed this step.

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If your printer levels itself

Auto leveling (also called ABL, bed mesh or calibration) probes many points on the bed and builds a map of its shape. The printer then nudges the nozzle up and down as it prints to follow that shape. To use it well:

  1. Keep the plate and the nozzle clean. Many probes are sensitive to filament stuck on the nozzle tip.
  2. Run calibration when you first set up, after moving the printer, and whenever the maker's app suggests it. Many printers (Bambu Lab's A1 series, for example) offer it before each print.
  3. If the first layer is still too squished or too loose everywhere, adjust the Z offset (on Prusa printers this is set by the load cell automatically; on others it may be under "Z offset" or "nozzle height" in the menu).
  4. Follow your manufacturer's calibration guide. Their instructions beat any generic advice, including ours.

When leveling isn't the problem

If the bed is level and the Z offset looks right but prints still won't stick, the cause is usually something else: a greasy plate, the wrong bed temperature, damp filament or a draft. Work through why your first layer isn't sticking. If corners lift halfway through a print, that's warping.

Your next step

Once your test square looks good, print something small and useful from our first things to 3D print list, or follow the full first print checklist. If the bottom edge of your prints bulges out wider than the rest, the first layer may be squished too much: see how to fix elephant's foot.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I level my 3D printer bed?

On a printer with automatic leveling, let it run its routine as the maker recommends (many do it before every print). On a manual printer, check it when you first set up, after moving the printer, after changing the build plate, or when first layers start looking uneven. You do not need to re-level before every print if results are good.

Should I level the bed hot or cold?

Hot. Preheat the nozzle and bed to your usual printing temperatures first, because parts expand slightly when heated and cold leveling can be a little off.

What paper should I use for the paper test?

Ordinary printer paper, roughly 0.1 mm thick. You want a slight drag on the paper as you slide it, not a hard grip and not free movement. Some people use a feeler gauge instead for more consistency.

My printer has auto bed leveling. Why is my first layer still bad?

Auto leveling maps the shape of the bed, but the Z offset (overall nozzle height) may still need adjusting, and a dirty plate will cause poor sticking whatever the leveling says. Clean the plate, then fine-tune the Z offset on a test print.

What is the difference between bed leveling and Z offset?

Leveling makes the nozzle-to-bed distance even across the whole bed. Z offset sets how close that distance is overall. You need both right for a good first layer.

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