3D Printing Problems and Solutions: Fixes You Need to Know

3D printing is an amazing experience.  You transform your thoughts into something you can hold, touch and use in your everyday life.  3D technology is here to stay, and in-home 3D printers will have a dramatic effect on the world. Unfortunately, as with all technology, we are in for a bumpy ride.  

3D Printing, like any other budding tech, comes with more than a few glitches.  There are a number of problems you must troubleshoot to get high-quality prints.  Don’t worry though, when you master 3D printing these obstacles are quickly and easily overcome. 

If you are new to 3D printing you may find the problems you will run into daunting, and downright frustrating.  Know you are not alone. Seasoned hobbyists have run into, and are running into the same problems.

The problems you will face may seem insurmountable at the moment.  There is really no reason for you to fret for there are solutions to remedying every one of them. First, you have to note causes of these issues are generally; a malfunctioning 3D printer, your printing techniques or the slicing software you use.   

Veterans before you have already solved most of the problems you’ll run into.  All you need to do is follow the tried and true troubleshooting steps.

1. Identify the problem. (Starting with the easiest and cheapest solutions first.)
2. Identify the solution.
3. Apply the solution.
4. Check results, and go back to step 1 if necessary.

This is where we come in. We help identify problems and give real working actionable solutions.  In this guide, the common problems you will face when 3D printing will be outlined and solved using simple steps you can follow. Read on, as we analyze the common 3D printing problems and the solutions to them in the succeeding paragraphs.

An Overview of the Common 3D Printing Problems You could face

When you first encounter a problem, it’s generally a big unknown, and that’s half the problem.  Remember the 3D printing problem you are dealing with already has a name.  Most problems you run into are already common to other hobbyists in the 3D printing community.

Below you’ll find a list of the problems we cover in this article. 

1. No Extrusion
2. Extrusion Problems
3. Elephant Foot
4. Warping
5. First Layer Problems
6. Stuck 3D Prints
7. Layer Misalignment
8. Missing Layers
9. Cracks in Objects
10. Pillowing
11. Stringing
12. Snapped/ Stripped Filament
13. Messy and Incomplete Infill Problems
14. Non-Manifold Edges
15. Messy Overhangs
16. Low Print Quality

Problem 1: No Extrusion

There’s nothing more infuriating than inputting your slicer settings and hitting print only to notice absolutely nothing is coming out of your 3D printers nozzle. Or during the execution of a 3D printing project, your nozzle stops extruding filament. The reasons why this happens include:

Understanding the Causes:

• Your 3D Printer is Out of Filament: This occurs when your filament spool is empty.
• Erroneous Nozzle Distance: The distance between your printer’s nozzle and the print bed is too close.
• A Blocked Nozzle: A blockade at your extruding end means no filament can flow through it.

Troubleshooting: No Extrusion

Now that you have the three major reasons why your 3D printer produces does not extrude, use the following steps to rectify the problem:

• Solution 1: Check Filament Reel—Start by checking the filament reel of the 3D printer to see if any filament is available. If there’s none, then simply refill with a new spool and your 3D printer is ready to go. This sounds silly, but it’s so simple people overlook it.  Don’t skip the simplest solutions. In situations where there is filament available in the reel, then try out the second step.
• Solution 2: Z-Axis Offset— If your nozzle is too close to its print bed, the 3D printer cannot extrude filament, or it will do so in spurts.  If left uncorrected this can lead to a blocked nozzle. Therefore, your next step is to ensure you set the nozzle at the right distance from the hotbed. This means either manually pushing your nozzle upward or using your slicer software to reset the Z-Axis distance.
• Solution 3: Blocked Nozzle—Once you have filled the filament reel or offset the Z-axis and your 3D printer still refuses to print it means your nozzle is blocked and there are two options to dislodging it which are:
  • The first option involves heating up your nozzle to dislodge stuck plastic filaments. This can be done by adjusting your nozzle heat settings on your control panel to either 140 for ABS or 220 degrees for PLA filament.  Next, use a dental pick to clear the nozzles hole which gets your printer extruding again.
  • If the first option does not resolve the problem, your next option is dismantling the nozzle to remove the obstructing piece. The process involves you; manually removing the feeding tube, opening up the nozzle and then scraping out what’s causing the blockade with your dental picks, or similar tool.

Problem 2: Extrusion Problems

There are two major extrusion problems you could face while 3D printing and they are; under-extrusion and over-extrusion. Under-extrusion occurs when your 3D printer extrudes filament in spurts or so thinly it couldn’t 3D print your model.  Over-extrusion is when your 3D printer produces far more materials than your project needs. This also leads to overhanging.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Dimensioning Issues—When the diameter of your chosen filament does not match with what you have on your slicing software you have a dimensioning issue.
2. Faulty Slicer Settings—Controlling your 3D printer with incorrectly calibrated slicer settings—i.e. the flow settings—can cause both under and over-extrusion problems.
3. Faulty Extrusion Multiplier Settings—The extrusion multiplier setting determines the rate and speed at which filament leaves the nozzle. If these settings are incorrect it may lead to under-extrusion if the flow rate is low or over-extrusion if high.
4. A Dirty Nozzle—Dirt and other plastic particles can lead to a semi-blocked nozzle which reduces filament flow, leading to under-extrusion.

Troubleshooting: Extrusion Problems

Troubleshooting these problems involves tweaking your settings and cleaning the nozzle as demonstrated in Problem 1. The solutions you should apply are:

• Solution 1: Correct Filament Dimensions—Start by ascertaining the correct filament diameter your 3D printer uses and ensure it is correct in your slicer.
  • Using your software’s manual or its parent website find where the filament dimension setting is located.
  • Once the dimension is found, ensure its value completely matches the diameter of your filament.
  • If it doesn’t match, reset the diameter value in your slicing software to take care of your under-extrusion problems.
• Solution 2: Reset the Extrusion Multiplier—If your diameters, filament and slicer settings match and the extrusion problem still persists, resetting the extrusion multiplier is definitely your next step. You can do this by:
  • Open the edit settings on your slicing software.
  • Access the extruder tab and ensure you select the right extrusion multiplier.
  • Now if you are dealing with under-extrusion, increase the flow rate in increments of 5% till you get the right flow.
  • If dealing with over-extrusion, reduce the flow rate by 5% till you achieve your aim.
• Solution 3: Cleaning a Dirty Nozzle—When the above solutions have some effect but do not totally clear your problems, then cleaning your nozzle should do the trick.  Simply follow the steps outlined in ‘Problem 1, Solution 3’ which clears a blocked or dirty nozzle.

Problem 3: Elephant Foot

Elephant foot is when you print and discover the base of your model bulges out without any heed to your set dimensions and model structure.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Top Heavy: When your model consists of a small base tasked with holding up a larger body the weight of your 3D object presses on the base and distorts it resulting elephant foot.
2. Inadequate Cooling Rate: Cooling rates are very important. If the lower layers don’t cool fast enough before too many subsequent layers have piled on elephant foot will occur. The added weight distorts the uncooled first layer of your model. Heated print beds are great, but mismanaged they can increase the occurrence of an elephant foot.  
3. An uneven base: A printing platform with the wrong leveling specifications may lead to elephant foot while printing.

Troubleshooting: Elephant Foot

• Solution 1: Add Support— If you are printing a top-heavy model, I recommended adding support materials to help your first layer bear weight efficiently.
• Solution 2: Balanced Temperature—If your 3D model isn’t top-heavy but elephant foot still occurs, then providing the right cooling temperature to ensure its first layer cools quickly should be done. To do this:
  • If you used a heated bed lower your print bed temperature within -5 to -20 degrees of its recommended temperature.
  • Set your cooling fan at the height of your first layer to speed up the cooling process.
• Solution 3: A Level Base— Beginners often struggle with setting up the print platform leading to elephant foot.  Most 3D Printers come with a leveling guide in the user manual specific to your machine. Sometimes your print bed can become unstable over time, so re-leveling may need to be done periodically.

Problem 4: Warping

Warping occurs when the edges of your 3d print bend upwards from the print bend forming a bow-shaped first layer distorting the form of your print.

Understanding the Causes:

1. The Nature of Plastic—When using ABS or PLA as your feed material, it is common to witness warping because as they cool down they contract. While the phenomenon isn’t solely an ABS or PLA phenomenon both materials are susceptible.
2. Quick Cooling— If your print cools too quickly it will cause faster contractions to occur, which is exacerbated as layers depend on one another to help hold form.  A print cooling too quickly doesn’t have the stability necessary to prevent warping.
3. Poor First Layer Adhesion— Your print needs to cling strongly to your print surface.  If it does not stick strongly a number of problems may occur, one such problem is warping.  

Troubleshooting: Warping

• Solution 1: A heated print bed— A heated printing bed gives you control over the rate at which your filament cools down during 3D printing. When using a heated print bed, ensure you follow these rules:
  • Navigate to the temperature settings of your printer or slicing software.
  • Set the temperature of your print bed a few degrees below the melting point of your plastic.  Ensure you aren’t heating too much as that may lead to the previously discussed elephant’s foot.
• Solution 2: Using Glue, Kapton Tape, or other first layer options— There are a lot of DIY options out there for correcting first layer problems which will help with warping.  Some of these are:

1. Glue: Simply apply a thin layer of glue evenly on your print bed and it would hold down all the surfaces and edges of your model.
2. Kapton Tape or  Painter Tape: Just lay a layer of tape down on your print surface.
3. Slurry: ABS slurries work great for ABS prints.  By mixing acetone with some ABS filament you can create a slurry you can paint on your print bed that will create a very strong bond.
4. Other:  There are a ton of ideas in the community, and I won’t go into all of them here, just know if one of the above options doesn’t work there is something out there that will.

• Solution 3: Adjust Temperature Settings— It’s time to take a look at your temperature settings on your 3D printer and the slicing software. Go into your slicer settings and:
  • Increase the heat bed temperature by 5 degrees continuously till your model doesn’t quickly solidify.
  • If your printer is not equipped with a heated bed, adjust your fan settings so it starts cooling your print from a height of 0.75mm.
• Solution 4: Get another Printing Bed— if all else fails, then getting a specialized printing platform is a possibility. Your available options include:
  • A perforated print bed: Your print will stick more strongly to the perforations.
  • An Adhesive-enhanced Print bed: Instead of using glue, printing platforms with adhesives keep the surfaces of your prints attached.
  • A Heated Print Bed:  If you aren’t already using a heated bed it is a very useful tool for a number of problems you will find in this guide.

Problem 5: First Layer Problems

Dealing with first layer problems is something you are likely to encounter throughout your 3D printing career. And these issues manifest as unwanted lines that disfigure the look of your first layer as well as the incorporated designs on its surface.

Understanding the Causes:

• An uneven Print bed: Your printing surface plays a huge role in determining how the first layer ends up looking. If you haven’t leveled it properly, don’t be surprised to see a messy first layer.
• Nozzle Distance: Setting your 3D printers nozzle either too far or too near to the print bed also results in first layer problems. If your nozzle is too far, you will notice unwarranted lines while for latter, your nozzle will produce blobs that disfigure first layer designs.

Troubleshooting: First Layer Problems

• Solution 1: Level The print Bed— leveling your 3D printing bed or platform depends on the type of 3D printer you work with. If your lucky your 3D Printer has an auto-leveling bed.  If not, manual leveling isn’t too complicated, just follow your printers directions. Even if you’ve leveled your 3D Printer before make sure it is still level.  3D Printers do come out of level over time.
• Solution 2: Reduce Print Bed Temperature— You can eliminate blobs and disfigured designs from your first layer by also tweaking the temperature of your print bed. Do this by iteratively subtracting 5 degrees till perfect adhesion between your print bed and filament is achieved.
• Solution 3: Set Nozzle Distance—  If all fails, adjusting your nozzle distance is the way to go. Setting your nozzle distance has been described in some detail under ‘Problem 1: Solution 2’. Either increase the nozzle distance or reduce it till your print adheres perfectly to the print bed.

Problem 6: Stuck 3D Prints

On the flip side of first layer problems, is dealing with the issue of your completed 3D print sticking to the 3D printing platform. Sadly, it is worth noting some of the solutions you applied to ensure your print stays firmly on the print bed can cause stuck prints.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Too Much Adhesion: Applying glue, slurry, or other adhesive to ensure your first layer sticks to the printing platform could backfire if too much is applied.
2. Using a heated Bed: If your 3D printer makes use of a heated bed, the heat it produces can hold the molten filament down thereby causing the first layer to stick.

Troubleshooting: A Stuck 3D Print

• Solution 1: Time to Cool— if the unnecessary fusion is caused by the heat bed you used, simply wait for the entire project—including your 3D printer—to cool down and your print should break free more easily.
• Solution 2: Applying Heat— After waiting for your project to cool down and the 3D print still stays stuck, heat up some water and run your 3D print through it. This reduces the adhesive strength and clears the print.

Problem 7: Layer Misalignment

Layer misalignment occurs when your 3D print looks disjointed either during the printing phase or on completion. Here, you notice lines on the outer surface of your 3D print which erodes its smoothness, as well as the patterns of its internal structure, end up looking out of sync.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Wear and Tear: regular use of your 3D printer leads to the device experiencing signs of wear and tear. As nuts and bolts loosen, layer misalignments become more frequent.

Troubleshooting: Layer Misalignment

• Solution 1: Check the Belts— Ensure any belts are not slack.  To check, pinch both belts together with your fingers. If you feel no resistance, then they are slack. Changing the slack belts with new ones or tightening the belt rectifies the issue.
• Solution 2: Check for Slips— Observe your printer’s pulleys and the timing belts on them for any slips. If a belt has slipped out of its pulley tracks, simply adjust the slipped bed with your hands.
• Solution 3: Clean and Oil Rods— Observe your 3D printers rod for dust and if found, wipe them off and apply a little engine oil to get the system running at its best.
• Solution 4: Check for Misaligned Rods— If these problems still occur, then routine checks on your threaded rods must be conducted. Download Printrun—a control software for 3D printers—and use it to move your print head along the z-axis. Next, look closely at the moving parts to note if the rods are bent. If bent, replace with:
  • New threaded rods or
  • Lead screws.
• Solution 5: Tighten Everything— Look over your entire 3D Printer for loose nuts and bolts, or parts that aren’t fully secured.  It helps if you did an initial inventory of your machine so you have an idea of how everything should feel.

Problem 8: Missing Layers

Viewing the final product from your 3D printer only to see missing parts is an experience that can upset anyone. As a3D Printing enthusiast, you’ll come to recognize and deal with this common problem.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Temporary under-extrusion: When your 3D printer fails to provide the required amount of filament needed to 3D print a model it will continue on without printing unless it has some sort of filament detection.  If the filament gets hung up at all you might end up with skipped layers.
2. Stuck or Misaligned Rods and Bearings: Your 3D printer also experiences friction among its moving parts including the vertical rods that hold up the print bed. When these rods and other bearings are stuck or worn out, it can result in missing layers in your 3D print.

Troubleshooting: Missing Layers

Your 3D printer is a mechanical device, therefore; it is recommended you inspect the rods, bearings, timing belts and pulleys regularly or before executing a printing task. Inspection helps you prevent many of the common 3D Printer problems, but it can also help you find the causes of a problem as it is occurring.  I suggest following Solution 1-3 below all the way through before testing if your fix has worked. These are good maintenance to perform anyway.

• Solution 1: Realign Misaligned Parts— Manually ensure your 3D printer’s rods are well-seated in their bearings, adjust clips and tighten screws.
• Solution 2: Change Worn-out Parts— Take a close look at the 3D printer’s bearings and if worn out or broken, replace them.
  • Start-up your 3D printer and listen for noises that are out of place. If an audible sound is heard, your bearing is most likely broken.
  • Next, unplug it from its power source and move the nozzle horizontally along the X-Y axis till you can identify the broken bearing.
  • Replace bearing using new parts.
• Solution 3: Clean and Lubricate Parts— Lubricate all moving parts of your 3D printer with engine oil. Also, ensure the nozzle isn’t partially blocked as highlighted in ‘Problem 2’
• Solution 4: Identify Filament Issues—Sometimes it’s hard to identify issues with the filament.  If the filament is out, it’s a no-brainer, but if it’s getting hung up it might be harder to figure out.  If you’ve done the above maintenance and you’re problem continues to occur semi-frequently I recommend trying a different filament roll, or even brand.

Problem 9: Cracks in Printed Objects

Cracks do occur in surprising patterns on finished 3D prints even though you may not have noticed anything out of the ordinary during the printing process. Although this phenomenon generally occurs in larger or taller models, smaller/shorter models are not entirely exempt from experiencing cracks.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Quick Cooling: the higher layers of 3D printed objects cool faster than its lower counterparts due to its distance from the print bed. This faster cooling rate leads to adhesion problems which in turn causes cracks.

Troubleshooting: Cracks in Objects

• Solution 1: Increase Extruder Temperature: Access the extruder temperature settings via your slicing software and increase your 3D printer’s set temperature by 10 degrees and try printing again.
• Solution 2: Adjust Fan Direction and Speed: Before starting on larger models, ensure you adjust your fan’s rotating speed, make sure they are working and directed at the top layers of your model. Speeding up your fan can be done in the G-code and you must ensure the speed at higher layers is reduced to slow down cooling.

Problem 10: Pillowing

If bumps, holes and other forms of disfiguration appear on the top layer of your 3d print, note you are dealing with pillowing. It is also important to know pillowing occurs more frequently in 1.75mm PLA and ABS filaments.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Improper Cooling of Top Layer: If the material on the top layer of your 3D print isn’t uniformly cooled, holes and bumps will appear.
2. Top Layer Thickness: If you choose the wrong thickness for your top layer it can lead to pillowing.

Troubleshooting: Pillowing

• Solution 1: Greater Filament Size— If you have the option and you’re running into significant pillowing you can use a larger filament size.  While an option, I don’t expect many people to change filament size, and I know many people don’t have that option.
• Solution 2: Increase Top Layer Thickness— If you can’t change filament size, or choose to stick to using 1.75mm filament option, then increasing the thickness of your top surface via your slicer is recommended. Increase the ‘bottom to top thickness’ specifications by either 0.6mm or 0.88mm to eliminate pillowing.
• Solution 3: Adjust Fan Position and Speed— Dealing with the cooling issues that cause pillowing involves adjusting your fan’s position and its speed.
  • Ensure the fan cooling your hot end remains functional and its flow is high enough to cool the top surface. Select the high mode on your 3D Printer to increase the airflow.
  • Set the fan speed to its maximum through the G-code ensuring enough airflow delivery to cool your top surfaces.]

Problem 11: Stringing

When 3D printing models with spaces between its components and you may notice strings of filaments crisscrossing the spaces that are meant to be empty.

Understanding the Causes:

1. A Dripping Nozzle: You’ve probably seen a similar effect with hot glue.  You are using a hot end to melt plastic. When that plastic is left at the edge of the hot end it melts. Even though it isn’t being pushed out, it is still connected to whatever was previously laid down.  As your print head moves it will draw can draw out a thin string of the already liquified filament, and on solidifying, the dribbled filament ends up becoming stings.

Troubleshooting: Stringing

• Solution 1: Enabling Retraction— The retraction process ensures filament is retracted into the nozzle before it moves from one point to another. You can enable your retraction settings through your slicing software to deal with the issue of stringing. The options available to you are:
  • Activating or deactivating retraction— Stops the flow entirely or
  • Fine-tuning retraction as movement occurs— Does not start the retraction process until the nozzle has moved according to your settings.

Problem 12: Snapped/Stripped Filament

Here, your 3D printer filament spool is full, the nozzle distance is correct but nothing comes out when you print. If you have carried out all the troubleshooting solutions provided in Problem 1, then you might be dealing with either a snapped or stripped filament.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Snapped filament: After observing your filament reel contains a full spool, the next step is looking closely at the entire roll to ascertain if any damage has occurred to individual members/strings in your spool. Snapped filaments occur due to:

1. 1. Making use of substandard filament products.
   2. Storing your filament under sunlight or in heated areas.

1. Stripped Filament: If you notice individual filament strings have slight bumps or notches on its surface, then you are dealing with the issue of a stripped filament. Two causes of this problem are:
   1. A tight ‘idler tensioner’ which puts too much pressure on your spool.
   2. A skewed temperature of your hot end.

Troubleshooting: Stripped/Snapped Filament

• Solution 1: Replace the Filament— Remove the filament spool from its reel and replace it with a new batch.
  • If a new batch of filament fixes your problem you want to examine the filament roll to determine the problem.  You’ll want to know if it was a bad batch of the filament, which might affect your purchase decisions.  It is important to know if you are storing your filament correctly as well. Note how brittle the filament is, and also check the roll. If you find a poor roll you know the filament can cross over itself and pinch itself in place.
• Solution 2: Loosen the Idler Tension— Check the idler tension and if it feels too tight, loosen it a bit till the filament stops snapping.

Problem 13: Messy and Incomplete Infill

When gaps appear between the inner and outer perimeters of your 3D print surface you have an infill problem. The issue of messy infill generally affects the aesthetic look of your printed objects.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Bonding Issues: These gaps are caused by the infill not sticking to the outer walls of your 3D print after cooling has occurred.
2. Infill Overlap Not set: If your ‘infill overlap setting’ is not given an adequate figure or set to zero your slicer has directed the 3D printer not to allow both parts of your 3D prints meet. Thereby leading to infill problems.

Troubleshooting: Messy and Incomplete infill

• Solution 1: Set the Infill Overlap— Navigate to your ‘Edit Process Setting’ and either enable the overlap or increase the parameter already there.
  • Go to ‘Edit Process settings’.
  • Choose ‘Infill’, then ‘Outline Overlap’.
  • Increase the percentage of your overlap settings while ensuring you do not cross the 50% mark.
• Solution 2: Increase Nozzle temperature— To increase bonding between parts of your 3D print, increase the temperature of your hot end by 5 or 10 degrees centigrade.
• Solution 3: Lower Print Speed— Lowering the print speed gives your 3D printer time to execute its functions and aids bonding. I recommend you carry out solution 2 and 3 simultaneously.

Problem 14: Non-manifold Edges

There are certain digital 3D models which cannot be 3D  printed due to non-manifold edges. Non-manifold edges occur when two edges cross into one another’s surface. Although they might look good on your computer, a 3D printer cannot print the super-imposed edges to look like the digital model.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Printing Non-printable models: The major cause of non-manifold edges is feeding your slicer with a digital model that has already been designed to have non-manifold edges. In the computer-aided design community, these files are non-printable models because your 3D printer will struggle to interpret them.

Troubleshooting: Non-Manifold Edges

• Solution 1: Fix with CAD Software— The easiest way to fix this problem is going back to your 3D model and importing it into a CAD application. Once done, simply remove or delete the crisscrossing edges which remove the erroneous edges.
• Solution 2: Use the latest Slicers— Newer slicing software can also detect the possibility of a non-manifold edge occurring. These software applications will actually detect non-manifold edges and attempt to fix them for you.
• Solution 3: Merge Objects— Sometimes you can merge the erroneous edges with the aid of either a slicing software or a CAD software. Merging these edges removes interloping surfaces and creates one complete model which is 3D printable.

Problem 15: Messy Overhangs

Overhangs are one of the most common 3D printing problems.  Messy overhangs occur when parts of the 3D print come out looking good while other parts end-up with drooping strings which distorts the entire model.

Understanding the Causes:

1. The 3D Printing Process: 3D printing is done by building layers over one another. This is why there’s the first layer, and a supporting layer to aid upper layers.  When you place a portion of your print over open areas it is likely to sag if you don’t place supports. What do we expect when we put melted moldable plastic over nothing? The lack of a supporting layer then leaves other layers hanging.
2. Slicer Software Issues: Older slicer software versions do not highlight instability and the lack of a supporting base means you can’t predict messy overhangs before they occur.

Troubleshooting: Messy Overhangs

• Solution 1: Include Supports— Add more supports through your slicer software. To do this:
  • Go to ‘Edit Process Settings’.
  • Select ‘Support’ and ‘Generate Support Materials’.

This provides the necessary support for other layers during the 3D printing process.

• Solution 2: Create Supports with CAD— If the automated support provided by your slicing software causes obstructions to the 3D print, you can consider the alternative of adding support directly to your digital 3D model before feeding it to your slicer.
• Solution 3: Create a Support Platform— When 3D printing a model with hanging features such as an arm, using supports from the print bed to hold these parts in place can help you reduce the overhangs.

Problem 16: Low Print Quality

Printing intricate parts that come with fine details is a tricky task for anyone regardless of your level of experience. If you don’t print detailed models the settings you commonly use won’t be optimum for intricate patterns and delicate parts.

Understanding the Causes:

1. Low Resolution: Printing with a low resolution will definitely produce layers that are not as refined as you want.
2. Print Speed: 3D printing intricate parts at high nozzle speeds affects the quality of your print and makes the end product look rushed.
3. Print Bed Level: An uneven print bed will definitely affect the quality of print your 3d printer produces.

Troubleshooting: Low Print Quality

• Solution 1: Increasing Print Resolution— The obvious solution to this problem is increasing the resolution of your 3d printer. You can do this through the settings available on your slicer.
• Solution 2: Slow things Down— Reduce your print speed to its lowest extrusion settings so it takes time creating the intricate model as well as give printed layers ample time to dry out.
• Solution 3: Check Platform Level— Eliminate unevenness by recalibrating your print bed so it remains even throughout the printing process. To do this, follow the instructions provided in your 3D printer user guide.
• Solution 4: Use Quality Filament— Get the best out of your 3D printer by feeding it with a high-grade filament. The grade of filament you use has an important role to play in determining the quality of a print.

Conclusion

If you’ve come to the conclusion you’ve just learned about the causes and basic solutions for 3D Printing.  I hope you found answers to your problems.

What if your problem wasn’t on the list, or one of my basic solutions didn’t work for you?  In troubleshooting, once you’ve gone past the basic steps it’s a good time to reach out to the community.  Lucky for you the 3D printing community you are joining exhibits extreme dedication and helpfulness. There are facebook groups, Reddit forums, etc.  

Many 3D Printers have dedicated pages on Facebook that will most likely be one of your greatest resources.  Even if you aren’t experiencing a problem I suggest joining one of these groups and actively participating. Your contributions will help other beginners as well.

Feel free to add any troubleshooting tips in the comments below.  I’d appreciate it, and so would your fellow hobbyists.

I look forward to having you in the community.  That’s it. Shows over. Goodbye now.