3D print troubleshooting guides
The most common 3D printing problems, what actually causes them, and the specific fixes that resolve each one. Still stuck? ForgePrint can diagnose it for your exact printer and filament.
How to Fix 3D Print Stringing
Thin, hair-like strands of plastic stretched between separate parts of the print, left behind whenever the nozzle travels over open space.
Read the guideHow to Fix 3D Print Warping
Corners or edges of the print curling upward and detaching from the bed as the plastic cools and contracts unevenly.
Read the guideHow to Fix 3D Print Layer Shifting
Everything printed above a certain point is shifted sideways relative to the layers below it, as if the whole top half slid over.
Read the guideHow to Fix Elephant's Foot on 3D Prints
The bottom few layers of the print bulge outward wider than the layers above, like the print is sitting on a slightly squished base.
Read the guideHow to Fix Under-Extrusion in 3D Printing
Visible gaps between extrusion lines, thin or missing walls, and a generally weak or patchy-looking print surface.
Read the guideHow to Fix Over-Extrusion in 3D Printing
Blobby, rough-looking surfaces, dimensionally oversized prints, and visible excess plastic squeezing out along edges and seams.
Read the guideHow to Fix Poor Bed Adhesion in 3D Printing
The print fails to stick to the bed at all, or a corner/section detaches and drags loose partway through the print.
Read the guideHow to Fix Layer Separation (Delamination) in 3D Prints
Individual layers separating or cracking apart from each other, often noticeable after the print cools or when it's put under any physical stress.
Read the guideHow to Fix Zits and Blobs on 3D Print Surfaces
Small raised bumps or scarring on otherwise smooth surfaces, often appearing at the same spot on every layer where the nozzle starts a new loop.
Read the guideHow to Fix Gaps and Pinholes in 3D Prints
Small holes or visible gaps in what should be a solid top surface, sometimes letting you see the infill pattern underneath through tiny openings.
Read the guideHow to Fix a Clogged 3D Printer Nozzle
Extrusion stops or slows dramatically mid-print, often with an audible clicking sound as the extruder gear grinds against filament that isn't moving.
Read the guide