Bed temperature: why a part comes off or sticks too much

Why the bed is heated

Plastic shrinks as it cools, and a cold surface would pull it away. If the bed is warm, the first layer stays soft and sticks to the surface. A heated bed also reduces shrinkage in the lower layers, and with it the risk of warping. You will find further notes on temperatures in the OrcaSlicer wiki.

Guideline values

• PLA: roughly 55 to 65 °C. It softens at low temperatures already, so you do not need more.
• PETG: roughly 70 to 85 °C. At a higher temperature it sticks to the bed very strongly.
• The first layer is usually a little hotter than the rest, see first layer.

When the bed is too cold or too hot

At a low temperature the edges lift and the part can come off in the middle of printing. At a high one the bottom layers smear outwards, elephant foot appears, and with PETG the part can bond to the bed so that it has to be prised off once cool. See also the PEI plate and the heated bed.

Influence on the shape of the part. A heated bed affects the shape of a part too. Large flat parts, such as boards or lids, lift at the corners as they cool if the bed is cold or if the part cools too quickly. Even heating, an enclosed chamber and a sufficient contact area help, see enclosed chamber. Sharp corners on large surfaces are rounded, because they lift first.

Bed temperature in your order

We have the bed temperature set ourselves for PLA and PETG. In the calculator you choose only the material, strength and scale. If your part has a small contact area with the bed, consider enlarging it or turning it, see model orientation.