One of the most important influences on the quality of your 3D print is the height of the nozzle. The nozzle height determines the distance between the nozzle and the print bed. It is important that you have the right height to create a good first print layer. For a good print layer, the filament must be printed on the print bed with light pressure. This light pressure increases the surface where the filament is pressed onto the print bed, while good extrusion remains.
It may happen that the distance between the nozzle and the print bed is not set correctly. This can cause problems during printing. The problems with a too large or too small nozzle height are as follows:
Nozzle is too high. When the print head hangs too high, the filament is printed on the print bed with too little pressure. The filament thus covers a part of the print bed that is too narrow, with the result that the filament starts to come loose during printing.
Nozzle is too low. If your nozzle hangs too close to the print bed, there is not enough room for the filament to be pressed out of the print head. This can result in damage to your nozzle or print bed.
While setting up the 3D printer, you must determine the distance between the nozzle and the print bed. A common method is to place a sheet of paper under the print head and adjust it so that you feel light pressure between the print head and the paper. You can use 80gsm A4 paper for this. If you can remove it from under the print head after adjustment without tearing and with a slight resistance, then you have the correct nozzle height. Remember to re-adjust this distance every few months. The distance may have changed due to the removal of 3D prints and the varying temperatures you use while printing. If you still run into problems, check out our page on printing problems.
