Free printable sheet
First-print checklist for any filament 3D printer
A one-page checklist for the first print on a new filament (FDM) printer, with a first-layer guide and a log for the settings that worked. Print it or save it as PDF from your browser.
Before the first print
- Read your printer's quick-start guide once, start to finish, before you plug it in.
- Remove every transport clip, zip tie and foam piece; check the belts are tight and nothing rubs when you move each axis by hand.
- Set the build plate clean: wash it or wipe it as the manual says; fingerprints are a common reason the first layer does not stick.
- Run the printer's own bed leveling routine (automatic or the paper method in the manual).
- Load the filament that came with the printer and note the nozzle and bed temperature ranges printed on its spool label.
In the slicer
- Pick your exact printer model as the printer profile.
- Pick the filament profile that matches your spool (PLA for a first print).
- Set temperatures inside the range on the spool label.
- Start with the default layer height of the profile.
- Print a small test model from the printer maker first, not a large model from the internet.
Watch the first layer
Stay with the printer for the first layer. It decides most prints.
| What you see | What it usually means | First thing to try |
|---|---|---|
| Lines are round and do not touch | Nozzle a little too far from the bed | Re-run bed leveling or lower the Z offset slightly |
| Lines are flat, see-through or scraped | Nozzle too close to the bed | Raise the Z offset slightly |
| Line lifts or drags at a corner | Plate not clean, or bed not level there | Clean the plate, re-level, try again |
| Nothing comes out | Filament not loaded to the nozzle, or a clog | Unload and reload the filament as the manual shows |
My settings that worked
| Filament | Nozzle °C | Bed °C | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Sources
- Your printer's quick-start guide and your filament spool label (the numbers on this sheet are left to them on purpose) (read 2026-10-30)
This sheet is free. It comes from Myhotend, a planned book imprint of Bardach Technologies LLC; the book itself is not written yet. About the planned book