Klipper 3D Printer Extruder Calibration | also Marlin, Direct Drive, and Bowden E-Step Calculation

I walk though the steps of calibrating E-Steps for Klipper or Marlin firmware, and Direct Drive or Bowden setups. So this should cover calibration for almost any printer out there.

Stock 3D printer extruder calibration is usually fine for a while with PLA printing, but to start getting great prints or to try new filaments, it can help to have a good E-Step calibration. This is the amount of signals your controller needs to send to the extruder motor to get a millimeter of filament extruded. Both firmware options have their difficulties that make this a little confusing. Klipper has some extra equations needed, while Marlin firmware is a little more difficult to change the configuration values of the printer.

But by the end of this tutorial you will know that any issues you are having with printing won't be coming from a miss-calibrated extruder motor. There are several other issues that can cause over or under extrusion that you will then need to look into.

This calibration is a one and done thing. It isn't like bed leveling where you need to do it between prints. Unless you change hardware on your printer, then this won't need to be redone.

The gear I use:

[JakeMakes]

I was having super splotchy prints on my first layer and realized my extruder was off 30mm. After recalibrating with the equations you gave it ran perfect. Thank you!

[amybaldwin]

Where are you getting the 143.9 value from?

[slvrpltd]

if you have a config with rotation distance, you can also use "rotation_distance = <previous_rotation_distance> * <actual_extrude_distance> / <requested_extrude_distance>", right?

[ArchonLicht]

It would be way clearer if you'd show that you're taking full_steps_per_rotation and microsteps from you printer config, plug in actual numbers and show the calculation. It's hard to understand how you came up with 143.95 without that.

Also it's really super unclear why do you even need to convert from rotation distance to e-steps if in the end you're converting e-steps back to rotation distance. The part will just cancel out on this step, and you end up with a proportion on rotation_distance itself, only reversed (1/rotation_distance).

[printlife]

To anyone wondering in klipper higher rotational distance results in less filament pushing through it basically just is reverse.

[harrisonposting]

Dude thank you so much for this well put together tutorial. My extruder is now perfectly dialed in thanks to you!

[weust]

Thanks for the video.

If you don't want to heat up the hotend, which I don't *think* is needed but not sure with a direct drive, you could add "min_extrude_temp :20" to your [extruder] segment.
Allows you to extrude way below the default 170C. Of course you could adjust 20 to something lower if your room has a lower then 20C temp.

[yellowlighthouse]

Was about to look up calibrating E-Steps and then saw this notification, cheers.

[trucker]

thank you even a year after your vid helped me calibrate the extruder and it was easy to fallow
😁

[tomvedra]

How are you getting the full steps per rotation in Klipper???

[Andurielion]

There is no reason to convert the rotation distance to e-steps and back. Easier/better formula for klipper: rotDisNew = rotDisOld*(120mm - Rest)/100mm.

[GMCLabs]

For the CONFUSED KLIPPER USERS: just take your (original rotational distance) multiply by your (measured extrusion distance) and divide that by the requested distance. That will give you your new rotational distance. Example: Old rotational distance = 30, Measured extrude distance = 47mm, requested extrude distance = 50mm.Then (30 * 47) / 50 = 28.2. So 28.2 would be your new rotational distance.

[firelion]

Thank you helped me understand how to do this, the only issue is that the common calculation does not work for my prusa mini+ since it under extruded more after the changes. I used your math method and the teaching tech website guide calculator.
I ended up doing it manually by changing from rotation_distance:26.2564 to rotation_distance: 24.99

[justaname]

Now already a year old. But used it to calibrate my Micro Swiss NG Direct Drive. Thanks :)

[crazycanucknation]

I used this on a Neptune 4 Pro and it worked very well. Thank you, saved my bacon

[Casalx]

where i get the full steps per rotation ? i don't have that value

[juliusbonacker]

Nice mug! And thank you for this tutorial, really helped a lot.

[odyss]

your full steps per rotation is 200, where did you origionally get 143.94?

[fylith]

Where are you getting the full steps per rotation? I see the rotation distance and micro steps but I am not seeing the full steps per rotation

[whty]

Well damn I got 20 thanks for putting that at the beginning.