3D Printing Essentials: 3D Printer Bed Surfaces

With the wide variety of bed surfaces available for your 3D printer, it's a good idea to know which bed surface works best for your needs. Considerations include maximum printing temperature, compatible materials, bottom layer surface finish, as well as ease of finished print removal. Learn which bed surface is best for you in our latest 3D Printing Essentials guide.

Read the Bed Surfaces Essentials Guide here:

Shop our entire collection of the bed surfaces mentioned in the video here:

[Dave-gfkd]

That was an excellent overview...just what I currently need! Thanks

[ashidshajaleel]

Nice video. Is there any information you can provide about the vaccum printing bed used in industrial FFF machines? Where to get one?

[winandd]

I've used kapton tape for my ABS prints for years with great succes, WITHOUT any gluestick. I did however sand it lightly with a grid 400 sandpaper which helps with sticking.
Kapton tape will wear and rip, you have to replace it regularly, which is a tedious job.
Last year I've switched to FR4, it's really is a game changer. I heat it to 100 or 110 C. It sticks and self releases when cooling down. Super!
Note; I print ABS/ASA exclusively

[Jaden_Gearhard]

Best surface for petg? Should I use the powder coated pei or just painters tape?

[Mitaku]

Ok, so I have an Anycubic Mega Zero 1.0 (it doesn't have a heated bed), what surface could I use to get the print to stick to the plate and not bend?

[diygranite]

Glass or aluminum or steel bed with Zillagrip coating glue allows you to print the most type of plastics and works with a cold bed. Just heat the bed to release. PLA ABS Nylon PETG PP POM PC with one glue coating adhesive

[Astaroth-cx]

Can I use white masking tape instead of the blue painters tape?

[ritesha]

hello but will any of those do if i need the print to stay put after the bed is cooled down, its during powercuts

[MichaelJHathaway]

The Garolite you sell is fiberglass, but there are many different types available. You do NOT need to use PVA gluestick with Garolite at all. You need to prepare the Garolite surface prior to printing on it. You can dry sand the surface with 200 grit sandpaper, but this is not as even, nor does it work as well as wet sanding the surface. I use a #60 grit sanding sponge from HomeDepot. I use 1 drop of dish soap, with water, sand the surface in one direction, and then in the adjacent direction. After a few prints, you may need to resand the surface again to release the tiny microfibers. The Garolite can be sanded hundreds of times. If you still have adhesion problems, use a brim around the part and set your first layer to be 60% of your nozzle diameter.

[Legitfya]

I want the bottom surface to hide lines for nylon & carbon fiber nylon filaments, any recommendations? Thanks

[ellpiece]

stick is simple...heat up to 80 rub hot melt glue stick on plate then turn off bed print cold ...plastic will bond to hot-glue..when finished heat up bed to release and if you still find edges start to lift hot-glue them down...!

[acasualblenderer]

Like the video.
What about ultrabase?

[MP-pvnj]

I’m having some trouble, I just got a textured PEI flex sheet for my E3v2 and I cannot for the life of me get PLA+ to adhere to the bed! The bed is level, I have a proper amount of “squish” no matter what I do the corners start peeling up. Pretty upset with this when I just spent $30 for this sheet when I’ve been told it’s everyone’s go to

[Magician]

Glass plate wouldn't be practical on a Prusas mk3 though, or would it?

[Ratherkeepanon]

First time I learned about 3D printing was using 3D printers to create parts for a robotics competition in high school #MHEnder3Giveaway

[thibautcornelis]

my first time in 3d printing was at school. when I printed the first part I modeled. i fell in love with 3d printing
#MHEnder3Giveaway

[theguildwarsfanatic]

thats a cool boxer motor behind you....

[evanberrett]

first time i learned about 3d printing was when i hopped on the maker wave in high school #MHEnder3Giveaway

[zommyre]

Layerlock is not the best option for most of these

for smooth PEI use Wham Bam PEX/PEI, buildtak smooth PEI or even the prusa PEI replacement sheets
for Powder coated PEI use Ultistik or the original one (prusa mk3)
most garolites are fine

layerlock, like most of matterhackers products, is a more expensive, often worse version than other options, and has no real use in the market

[lewiwin]

first time i learned about 3d printing was when we visited my fathers friend #MHEnder3Giveaway