3D Printing Toolkit › Troubleshooting › Warping & adhesion

Warping & adhesion

Corners or edges curl up and lift off the bed — common on ABS and large prints.

Likely causes, most likely first

Bed too cold or uneven
Poor first-layer adhesion / dirty bed
Drafts or no enclosure (ABS/ASA)
Too much part cooling on early layers

Fixes to try

Set the bed to the material's recommended temperature
Clean the bed (IPA) and re-level the first layer
Add a brim or raft
Enclose the printer for ABS/ASA; avoid drafts
Reduce or disable cooling on the first few layers

Where to buy

Bed adhesiveHolds the first layer down while the part cools.Shop ↗Textured PEI sheetA worn or greasy build surface is a common cause of lifting.Shop ↗Printer enclosureThis material warps or splits without a stable, warm chamber.Shop ↗

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Filaments this hits hardest

ABS

Heat-resistant and machinable, but it warps hard and the fumes need extraction.

ASA

ABS reformulated for outdoors — same strength and heat range, but it does not yellow in sun.

PC-ABS blend

A polycarbonate/ABS blend: most of PC's heat and impact resistance, but it prints closer to ABS. An engineering material that needs a hot chamber.

Polycarbonate

Engineering grade: the highest heat resistance and impact strength you will print on a hobby machine.

Other print defects

Stringing & oozing Under-extrusion Layer shifting Elephant's foot Z-banding Blobs & zits Ghosting / ringing Over-extrusion Top pillowing Poor bridging

Every number on this page is in the app too — next to the calculators that use it, working offline at the printer.

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