evergreen · Learn
3D Print Not Sticking to the Bed? Fix It in Order
By Leo · Updated 2026-08-10
The short answer
A print not sticking is almost always one of four things, and the order you check them matters: clean the bed → verify leveling → check first-layer temperature/speed → only then reach for adhesives. Most people start at step four, which masks the problem until it becomes a mid-print failure.
Fix 1: Clean the bed (do this first, every time)
Fingerprints are the number one cause of adhesion loss. Isopropyl alcohol (90%+) and a lint-free cloth on the build plate — 30 seconds, before every important print. PEI sheets especially: they work beautifully when clean and seemingly not at all when they have a week of handling on them. Soap and water periodically for the deep clean (IPA spreads oils around over time).
Fix 2: Verify leveling and Z-offset
Adhesion happens in the first layer, and the first layer is a height problem before it’s anything else:
- Too high: round bead, gaps between lines, corners lifting — the classic “not sticking” presentation
- Too low: scratchy, translucent, elephant’s foot — sticks too well and ruins dimensions
Auto-leveled machines (Bambu, modern Creality) still get this wrong when the plate is swapped or dirty — re-run calibration after changing plates. Manual machines: the paper test at four corners plus center, then a first-layer calibration print.
Fix 3: First-layer temperature and speed
- Bed temp: PLA 55–60 °C, PETG 70–80 °C. Too cold = lifting; too hot (PLA > 65 °C on some plates) can cause its own problems
- Nozzle temp: use the middle of the filament’s range for layer one — slightly hotter first layers help adhesion
- First layer speed: slow it down (20–30 mm/s). Fast first layers outrun adhesion on anything but a perfect plate
Fix 4: Adhesives — the right tool, not the first tool
Glue stick, hairspray, and specialty adhesives have legitimate jobs: PETG on smooth surfaces (glue is a release agent there, preventing damage, not just adhesion) and textured-plate workarounds. But if PLA needs glue on a clean, leveled PEI sheet, something upstream is wrong — glue will hold the first ten layers and then deliver a more spectacular failure at hour two.
Material-specific notes
- PLA: clean PEI, correct Z-offset — rarely needs help
- PETG: clean + glue on smooth plates (release agent!); textured PEI usually bare
- ABS/ASA: wants a hot chamber and often a brim; glue alone won’t save a cold enclosure — see PLA vs PETG vs ABS
- Nylon/polycarbonate: dedicated adhesives or garolite plates; these are materials problems, not adhesion problems
If it still lifts
Corner lifting on larger parts → add a brim (4–6 mm) and check for drafts (open windows kill ABS, bother PETG). Warping mid-print → ambient temperature swings; an enclosure fixes the class of problem.
FAQ
Why is my 3D print not sticking to the bed?
In order of likelihood: a dirty build plate (clean with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol), wrong Z-offset/leveling (first layer too high), first-layer temperature too low, or wrong surface for the material. Adhesives are the last fix, not the first.
Do I need glue stick for PLA?
Usually not — clean PEI with a correct Z-offset holds PLA well. If PLA consistently needs glue, the real issue is plate cleanliness or first-layer height, and glue is masking it.
Should I use glue for PETG?
On smooth glass/PEI surfaces, yes — but for the opposite reason people assume: glue acts as a release agent preventing PETG from bonding too aggressively and damaging the plate. Textured PEI usually needs nothing.
