I’m finally spending a bit more time on my new printer, and want to solve a problem it has had since the start. I feel like it should be simple, but I’m nervous to try too much without consulting all you experts.
See pics for top & bottom layers. It is always this way, though sometimes a little worse.
-I run it on all default settings, with PolyTerra PLA & PLA+.
-I’ve tried with high detail & high speed with the same results.
-It is noticeable during prints between layers as well, when there is a full flat layer.
It also doesn’t meet up nicely at the start/finish of each layer (see pic). I remember reading about it in other posts for different printers but can’t remember what it is called.
A few things:
If you’re running the latest universal firmware, make sure you’ve got the correct toolhead selected in both Cura and through the firmware menu on your printer itself. If you’re not running the latest firmware, update.
I checked a few things, told the printer to reset to factory default, and found one thing change: The Extruder steps/mm went from 415 to 420. Seems like that might help with the bottom layer looking incomplete, but not the top layer looking too full.
I also updated the firmware from 2.0.0.144.6 to 2.0.0.144.7
Cura LE is newly installed 3.6.37 on Win11. (The problem was the same on my old iMac, also using Cura LE)
E-steps are something you should calibrate yourself. The procedure for doing so is simple and documented in many places including this forum, just search for it.
The other major contributor to a good first layer is Z-offset.
As for the top layer: E-steps, flow rate, nozzle temperature, travel speed, and cooling can all contribute to the quality of that layer.
The M175 should have an Estep value of 415mm.
Be sure to select the correct tool head from your printers LCD tool head menu as this is necessary after updating firmware.
Your first layer should not look like a perfectly flat surface with no line distinctions. It should have nice smooth defined lines.
From your initial pictures, it looks like your z-offset is set much too close to the bed.
This will cause the nozzle push filament around and the next layers up will be trying to push through that filament as well.
This will continue on for some time and depending on the thickness of the print, will show through the entire print.
So you would need to adjust your offset higher until that first layer is as smooth as you can make it.
It has been 415mm until I just reset factory settings (with the proper tool head in settings). Not sure why that changed it to 420mm.
Before getting this post, I just ran a 6-hour print at 420, so we’ll see how it looks compared to other prints.
When you factory reset your printer, it likely changed the tool head in the firmware.
That is why you need to go into your tool head menu on your printers LCD and select the correct tool head (M175v2).
