Printer Calibration Guide

Proper calibration is the cornerstone of reliable, accurate 3D printing. Follow each step methodically.

1. Bed Leveling

• Manual: Use a piece of paper to set an even gap at each corner and center. Adjust leveling screws until slight drag is felt.
• Auto Bed Leveling (ABL): Run your printer's ABL routine (BLTouch, inductive sensor). Verify mesh deviations and compensate in firmware (e.g., Marlin's PROBE_MANUALLY).

2. Z-Offset Calibration

1. Home the printer (G28).
2. Lower nozzle to print bed (G1 Z0).
3. Adjust Z-offset in printer menu or via M851 Z[value].
4. Save settings: M500. Test first-layer squish with a calibration cube.

3. Extruder Steps/mm

1. Mark 120mm on filament above the extruder entry.
2. Command extrusion: G1 E100 F100.
3. Measure remaining filament; calculate new steps: new_steps = current_steps * 100 / actual_extruded.
4. Set with M92 E[new_steps] and save (M500).

4. PID Tuning

Maintain stable nozzle temperature for consistent flow.

1. Preheat to your typical printing temperature (e.g., 2006C).
2. Run PID autotune: M303 E0 S200 C8 (8 cycles at 2006C).
3. Apply results: M301 P##.## I##.## D##.##, save M500.

5. Dimensional Accuracy (XYZ Calibration)

Print a calibration cube (20x20x20mm). Measure with calipers and adjust X/Y/Z steps in firmware or slicer scaling.

6. First Layer Calibration

• Print a first-layer test pattern (e.g., single-layer square).
• Adjust live-Z or initial layer height for squish: aim for smooth, bonded lines without over-squash.
• Fine-tune flow rate (extrusion multiplier) by measuring line width against nozzle diameter.