3D Printing Newbies Overwhelmed

“I’m new to 3D Printing and recently built my 3D Printing. I’m trying to print the test cube they provided and when it starts printing it gets all messed up on the 3rd layer. Why is it happening? submitted by /u/unknown_person12830 [link] [comments]”

“Picked up an ad5x during the sale and working on printing out an enclosure. Using PETG and it was a stringy mess. Picked up the sunlu s4pro. After 12 hours of drying I started to print directly from the dryer while it's still running. Holy crap... night and day difference. This summer has been especially rough w/ 85 degrees at the crack of dawn and every day with 97% humidity. I didn't really think drying the filament was a big deal but cheese on a cracker... it's coming out absolute”

“I have 3d printer for about a week now and it's amazing. Can't even describe how useful it is. But the best thing about it is the feeling when something you modeled comes to reality. Anyway i just wanted to show you what i made, it's wall mount for RPI5, i know it's simple but it's second thing I printed that i modeled myself. The feeling when something goes from sreen to physical world is undescribable. submitted by /u/Blazej_kb [link] [comments]”

“Found a p2s for $480 online which I thought was a steal alongside 0% financing. So I pulled the trigger. Nearly every post is a failure post haha. I didn’t think 3d printing was going to be inherently plug and play and that I would need to learn and hone skills over time, but I didn’t think so much could go wrong! Kind of exciting. I was wondering if anyone had any tips or resources that helped them understand how to properly take care of their printer. Before the first run, between prints, afte”

“I just recently switched to BBLIFE PLA because I needed to get multiple colors on a budget but just a week ago it was printing fine and now it's printing like this. The rest of the layers are fine but the first layer is always ripply and also makes the brim on small prints lift up. Is it the temperature I'm printing at or Z-offset, flow rate too high for a generic PLA maybe? I'm printing with all OrcaSlicer default parameters except for the first layer the bed is 65* and the nozzle i”

“So I need help. I'm trying to print hammy from toy story.For my kids' birthday, I bought a 3d printer a while ago it's a flash forge creator two pro. I know it's an older model, but it was within budget at the time of the purchase. It seems to be reversed for the extruders While looking directly at the touchscreen, if I click load right, the left side extruder moves and proceeds to extrude. If I click load left, vice versa. I thought that I figured it out and it was just going to”

“1st print with PLA+ & TPU. 😁 Maybe I got lucky but no clogs no issues. submitted by /u/Dear_Ambassador_7480 [link] [comments]”

“Bambu lab a2l just finished a print and now it keeps failing at homing x y axis , loud vibrations , nothing blocking it submitted by /u/ghoulishghastly [link] [comments]”

“I need your help. Since a month I'm getting those white "stains" on almost all my first layer. This test print is a good example. It's not homogenous on the first layer. As you see it seems correlated to the inner infill (here 20% for test, i usually never print at 20%). It does not seem to have the shape of the previous print. I'm suspecting my isopropyl alcohol but..... it should be legit and I used it for already 6 months without problem before. Also I noticed that when”

“Hello! My partner bought a 3D printer and he’s finding it difficult to remove supports or have supports work without failing. The supports he’s using atm are grid/organic/auto supports, he’s finding them difficult to remove around the legs or thinner parts of his models. The supports he was using were the tree supports but they’d fail mid-print. What’s some advice for support use? submitted by /u/rayah001 [link] [comments]”

“Looking to get a 3d printer, but having trouble deciding on one. Looking for one that -is under 600$ -can print TPU (will be using it primarily for TPU) -has automatic bed leveling or requires minimal bed leveling -print size of at least 320mm in height -brand that generally has good/ reliable customer service submitted by /u/Tinnatu [link] [comments]”

“Just got a a1 bambu and want to make cosplays and other mask but dont know what to do to make it fit submitted by /u/PreferenceOk3542 [link] [comments]”

“I live in Memphis and looking for a used 3d printer. I’ve used them at shared spaces but want to get an intro hobby one for the house and see how much it gets used. I’m looking for something that I don’t have to mess around with a lot. Open to discuss what anyone is looking to sell. Thank you in advance. submitted by /u/Fancy-Appeal-6697 [link] [comments]”

“So I think I found the reason whyy prints keep failing even with using different filaments. Is this salvageable or do I need a new print head. Also what tools do I need. I only have an Allen key that fits the screws to remove the outer casing. My printer is a Anycubic Kobra 2 submitted by /u/NationalBarracuda770 [link] [comments]”

“I am new to 3D printing, but I've jumped in head first. I'm currently printing the CC3D HDRY System for my Prusa Core One L using Polymaker Polylite ABS with the 4mm nozzle that comes with the printer. The quality for most pieces has been good. I've printed about 2 dozen pieces for the first model, but the last couple have started to show defects (1st and 3rd pictures). The filament is in a Polydryer and has stayed below 20% humidity. I'm also including filament and various print”

“For a first printer which one of these is the best option for performance , value , durability, quality, etc. The prices are high in my country and availability is bad but that's the best that i could find for my budget here are the prices in dollars: Creality k2 combo : 1040$ on amazon Anycubic Kobra s1 combo: 933$ on amazon Elegoo centauri carbon 2 combo: 773$ ( 10 preorder printers left in the only local website that sells it) In the beginning my budget could only get me the CC2 but i thi”

“Hi everybody, I'm relatively new to 3D printing. Until now I printed some small parts for my children to play. Now I am facing another project. I would like to have a clean mount for my Raspberry Pi 4, my Raspberry Pi 1B and a 2.5 inch drive with a USB connector. Ideally I would find a modular tray system which is stackable in case I want to add other devices or items. Any help appreciated! submitted by /u/d4tm4x [link] [comments]”

“Hi all. I’m at a complete loss. I was recently gifted an Ender3V2. I believe it came with an upgraded extruder as its red and metallic rather than black like ones I’ve seen. A screen was NOT included. I’m running Octoprint headless on a windows 11 laptop and slicing with Cura. I had been using cheap as chips filament that my friend included with the hand over. Horrible stuff, but good to learn with. My first few prints went as expected, pretty bad with lots of work needed. However I’d eventually”

“I’ve been wanting to get into 3D printing for a while, and I was gifted a MakerBot Replicator (5th Generation). Since I’m completely new to the hobby, I’m trying to figure out if it’s still a good machine to learn on or if it’s considered outdated by today’s standards. My main goals are to print: Functional accessories and parts for my Toyota Tacoma Household organizers, repairs, and appliance add-ons Gunpla parts, custom pieces, and eventually full bash kits I’ve been reading about MakerBot, an”

“So my creality ender 3+ magnet plate fused itself to the build plate. I was able to gently pry it off with alchohol in most places but is this printer hosed? I can't imagine it will ever level right again. submitted by /u/shaggy8081 [link] [comments]”

“Hello everyone! I am an italian computer engineering student and a friend of mine who also studies CE has had a 3d printer for the past year or so. Watching him talk about things and build stuff from scratch has really gotten me quite a bit passionate about it and, other than the sector being massively interesting, i do believe 3d printing would be a nice thing for a Computer Engineer to be experienced in. I have of course talked to him about what things I should do before buying a 3d printer my”

submitted by /u/hotwaffleman [link] [comments]

“Ive been having problems since I installed the 2208 stepper drivers that came with my printer. I have at lease one bad one I’ve pulled and left my E2 empty. it shows a print progress bar but it never starts printing. it heats up, homes, then sits. does anyone have any suggestions or an active discord link to the tenlog server? submitted by /u/someguy-117 [link] [comments]”

“Used some paper tape to stick the lifting corner down to the build plate. I'm new to this and forgot to add brim. submitted by /u/TheRealBrokenClock [link] [comments]”

“My first ever TPU print came out really good I think! I would welcome any opinions/adjustments (tbh there is a little stringing you can see it on the right long edge of the photo... printing speed was really slow 30mm/s) submitted by /u/Fit-Breakfast-2266 [link] [comments]”

“İts my first 3d printer And ı wanted to share with you guys ı hope it lasts good amount of time also ı wonder what were yalls experience with cc2 if you bought one submitted by /u/Glass-Locksmith-1814 [link] [comments]”

“So I’ve been a bit of a novice on filament types. I understand my printer fully. I’ve just always bought PLA and didn’t care about other types. I just started to get into different filaments and this print overall looks great. I optimized the best I could according to different forums and Reddit posts. My question is how do I make the PETG easily print as PLA. I understand it’s a lot of adjustments. I keep getting dumb stringing slightly. I can easily clean that up, however I would like it to si”

“I have exactly 4 prints to my name and ZERO expertise so be gentle with me lol I am using a Bambu Labs P2S and Bambu matte PLA at 220 degrees and standard speed. I added 2 lines of text to a bookmark holder via Bambu Studio Labs today and there are weird lines across the text lines. I’m sure I need to adjust a setting or something, but I’d appreciate direction! submitted by /u/mfbombdotcom [link] [comments]”

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“Hi, this would be my first time trying to sand and clean up a print more than just a little. I have Plastic Wood-X, would that work for smoothing /evening everything out? EDIT: I've been told that the print is PLA. submitted by /u/Helpful-Swimming468 [link] [comments]”

“Hi there! Just printed our first ever Benchy and we're ready to dive in on our Bambu P2S combo. We have standard PLA in red, white, blue and black, as well as a shiny gold we'll use once we feel ready. What do you wish you had known when you started out? What tips would you give to a beginner? What should I start out with after Benchy? Where have you found the best free designs? Also . . . do I need to clean anything between prints? Thanks! submitted by /u/AurynW [link]”

“So recently I got a Bambu lab a1 and I’ve just been printing models from the app, are there any great apps to make 3d printing models on iPad for a beginner? submitted by /u/Public_Problem_9136 [link] [comments]”

“Hello, newbie here. I printed a moon lamp and most of it was great but the texture at the bottom is weird. Have I done something wrong? How do I make it nice like the rest of the moon? submitted by /u/msjellyking [link] [comments]”

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“I wanted to create a custom iron-on patch for hats. It dawned on me that maybe my 3d printer could do it with a flexible TPU. I have seen a few videos on the subject, but have a couple more questions. Could someone with experience help me? 1- My logo is either black and white or it could be a single color. What type of TPU would work best? 2 - Ironing on - I have seen people printing on parchment and ironing on the logo directly on to the substrate. It would seem that may distort the logo. Isn&#”

“Hi everyone, I want to start learning 3D modeling for 3D printing. What software would you recommend for a complete beginner? I have a little experience with Blockbench because I used it to make Minecraft models, but I only learned the basics and never got very far. Now I'd like to learn properly and eventually design my own models for 3D printing. Any recommendations for software or a beginner-friendly learning path would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! submitted by /u/JerpanySh”

“Hi, can you recommend a 3D printer that isn't too expensive, isn't too big, and is quiet? I'd like to get started with 3D printing for a few projects using an ESP32, and since the printer will be in my bedroom, I need it to be quiet. submitted by /u/etienne_g_5231 [link] [comments]”

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“Hey guys, I have a question, recently my prints started looking like this, with a few extra hair 😅, well I don't know how to call em, but you get it, right? What parameters should I check? It might be related to the temperature? submitted by /u/Pizza_Engine_8691 [link] [comments]”

“I have an old Anycubic photon M3 with a full vat of resin. I had replaced the Fep film and when the Z axis came down to make my newest print, the Z axis fully broke and it won’t come up anymore. I bought a new M7 since then and I’m thinking to just toss this old M3 since the Z axis is just fully broken. However, the vat is full of resin and I don’t have anything to get it out with. Any helpful Thoughts? Double bag and trash? Market it to some second hand market for free saying it’s ruined? Keep”

“Hey I’m relatively new to printing and got gifted an Neptune 4 from my father Had been printing quite a bit but then had a blob and the whole heater was ruined Long story short I replaced the part and put it back together as it was I started printing but I ran into a problem as I was trying it out after the repair I did some googling but thought you guys could help me out better Now my problem: My prints now no longer look crisp but this wiggly and inaccurate lines are now forming and it’s late”

“Hello! I am new to the world of 3D printing and picked up this bad boy with 12 rolls and other tips and equipment! I have just begun my process in this and I wanted to know what's the best way to clean this up and give it a nice tune up before beginning the setup! I was wondering the best way to get things started and going submitted by /u/SeeMorWeenor [link] [comments]”

“Hi, I’m just about to get my first 3d printer. I like the U1 and there are many many reviews on YouTube/reddit and so on. Those reviews happened almost all at release (end 2025 begin 2026) most of them criticized the software. Since I can’t find any up to date reviews I just wanted to ask - how has it improved? Are you still waiting for features/bug fixes? Or are you just happy with the U1? Thanks! submitted by /u/Salt-Maintenance- [link] [comments]”

“Hey guys, so I'm pretty new to 3d printing and I printed this box recently using the k1c with the 0.6mm nozzle. My profile was set to 0.3 I think, this was with pla. What I am getting at is A) are these layer lines reasonable? B) from my understanding on the light stringing, that is because my filament is slightly wet? I can upload my actual profile settings when I get home but I just wanted to see if this is a good print or should I be seeing better results. submitted by /u/Curz”

“so guys i am using a ender 3 v2 and i am trying to print PLA, but the first layer is with this ugly texture and i do not know why! i tried using a higher nozzle temperature but it did not work. the adhesion its pretty nice, the only problem i am facing is this texture. i printed petg before this pla project and it came out nice and pretty. nozzle temperature: 220°C, i was using 207°C before and chagend to see if it would help bed temperature: 55°C printing speed: 100mm/s fan speed: 0 i used cura”

submitted by /u/RoboSamurai80 [link] [comments]

“This is my first attempt at clear printing. It's my understanding that getting true clean is near impossible with FDM without a lot of post processing. Looking for feedback. What settings to explore to improve if possible. Can it get better? OEM piece in middle. PETG piece bottom. While PLA test on top. submitted by /u/LA2124 [link] [comments]”

“Any troubleshooting ideas would be welcome here, larger models especially are printing with random striations and layer shifts. I've looked at guides, but I'm having trouble narrowing down the issue. submitted by /u/Derrath [link] [comments]”

“Hello! I'm new to the 3D printing universe and this is the first time I'm having trouble with my printer that I can't solve myself by searching online. This is happening to all my filaments, from different brands in one of my A1 Minis. I've already cleaned the nozzle with a coldpull and it seemed fine to me (It doesn't mean much since I'm new lol), the other Mini I have doesn't have this problem at all. The gold filament was before cleaning the hot end, both pictures”

“Since the buying megathread isn't up, I'll try this instead. I'm looking to buy my first printer. I'm planning on using this for things like board game organizers, tabletop terrain, stuff like that. Currently, I'm looking at two different printers. An Ender 5 for $150 from facebook marketplace, which supposedly has an issue with the hot end, but comes with a new hot end. A Flashforge Adventurer 5M, either $200 certified refurbished, or $250 new on ebay right now. Any advice w”

“Hey y'all! Just wanted to share my very first print and ask a few questions. 🙂 I printed the Benchy that came preloaded on the SD card with the printer, so it's possible the file itself is the issue. However, as you can see, there are a few holes in the hull, and from what I've heard, boats dont like those... so any idea what could be causing it? I'm completely new to 3D printing, so I'd really appreciate any tips, tricks, or recommendations for a beginner. Thanks a lot in a”

“In being a complete novice to 3D printing - as in, not done it at all - which programs should I download (open source preferable) and learn to use? I am aware the printer itself dictates the program, but I am looking towards the Creality Ender-5 opposed to Bambu (I am somewhat aware that Bambu doesn't like opensource software use). Are there better programs to use (less buggy etc) or anything i should keep an eye out for? Also, what is a good source of good reliable print patterns? I know ab”

“Hi, I want to take my first 3D printer and wanted to know what you think about the Anycubic Kobra X. Does it really reduce filament waste? submitted by /u/HonestEconomics8476 [link] [comments]”

“If you were starting a 3D printing business for the first time. Would all would you purchase and why? I am wanting to create and build a 3D printing business and already have the printer I want in mind. Now I am just trying to create a realisitic budget on it. submitted by /u/Local-Worldliness793 [link] [comments]”

“Title says it all. I haven't been able to find any posts/trouble shooting advice for this problem. This is my first EVER benchy. Just set up my first printer, Elegoo Centauri Carbon (1). Followed the instructions, and videos online. Let it do its calibration thing, loaded the PLA filament that was sent with the printer, and pressed go. But why is the bottom black? And why is it smooth, and clean with this discoloration? My mat doesn't seem to have any visible damage to it. Otherwise I th”

“I feel like the answer is no for me but I would like a 2nd opinion. I tried sanding the stand but it instead of removing these very tiny print lines it just flattened it, which I don’t want for this project. Wondering if will look fine with just spray painting it? Or priming then spray paint? It’s just display and not for cosplay. I might print a small piece of one of these and spray paint it to see how it looks. Maybe primer then sand to cover them up but not the details? submitted by &#3”

“I have an ender 5 printer that I bought used. It’s been modified with a micro Swiss hot end. Why is it making this line consistently on one side of the print? Also, what can I do to fix the bubbling during the print? Filament is hatch box PLA. submitted by /u/stabkey [link] [comments]”

“Hey there! I'm still pretty new to the 3d printing game, so this might be an obvious one. ^^ I was using the Gridfinity Generator for Fusion to build some nice parts for my tools. For "Bin type" solid, the generator adds this inwards facing chamfer on the lower part of the lip. The thinnest part is still 1.2mm thick. When i slice this, no matter what I do I end up with this single line wall on the top layer (one layer before the lip starts) of the part. On the next layer there is j”

“I'm a bit of a noob at all this at the moment. I generally print things that aren't going to be later painted. I've got a rotary tool with loads of heads, but that is actually quite rough on PLA surfaces. What are some good ways to finish things without it ending up looking a bit patchy? High grit wet sanding sticks? Acetone or other chemicals aren't going to work on PLA so was wondering what the general advice is? submitted by /u/VanillaCandid3466 [link] [comme”