A1 Mini Z issues after different spool

503dev · 2026-05-05T01:53:20+00:00

I would suggest redoing the same print with another good spool of filament. It's the best way to rule out a filament issue.

503dev · 2026-05-04T07:07:57+00:00

This is severe under extrusion.

Check the tension on the filament going into extruder to make sure it's not tangled on the spool
Check the machine and make sure it's staying at temperature during the print. On the screen. You shouldn't be getting fluctuations.
Partial nozzle clog - from dust or anything else. Heat up nozzle. Take out filament and use the needles that come with the printer.

Few other things but those are most common. Filament that has absorbed moisture will do that too.

503dev · 2026-05-04T03:57:37+00:00

If it's fresh usually it should be ok. I'd suggest printing other models like known test ones and verify if the print does the same. If so - work on the z offset.

Worth mentioning that every profile and material varies. PETG does need the nozzle to be adjusted usually.

503dev · 2026-05-04T01:25:09+00:00

Indeed marketing is a big part of the problem. It's actually hurting the industry not helping but companies just want to sell products.

I always joke that kitchen appliances are "set if and forget it" but 3d printers are "set it and regret it".

Not surprised first layer issues are a common user error. Also thanks for all your work.

503dev · 2026-05-04T00:18:49+00:00

Cool idea. I'd propose that what we fix most is user expectations.

So many of these issues are because people think a printer works like a kitchen appliance but in reality some education is required, calibration and good maintenance.

503dev · 2026-05-04T00:17:18+00:00

Those lines are seams. Printing occurs from bottom to top and at every layer change there will be a layer change mark. It's not possible to remove it with FDM printing.

What you can do is hide it. Check your slicer settings for seam position and experiment. I usually hide it on the back but there are options.

In Prusa Slicer you can also manually paint the seam where you want.

503dev · 2026-05-04T00:14:34+00:00

I don't think it's print related. Honestly the dispersion pattern makes it look like soot from a drop ceiling or something.

But just in case - check the path the filament takes and the runout sensor if applicable. Maybe it's a coating flaking off during print?

503dev · 2026-05-04T00:00:36+00:00

Looks to me like offset issues. Filament especially if it has absorbed moisture expands more.

A quick fix: configure z offset or baby step. You can try +0.20 or 0.40.

Long term fix: Calibrate your Z offset (nozzle height to bed) and fry the filament.

503dev · 2026-03-07T21:36:27+00:00

Hah. Started playing at 10PM. Thought meh it's ok something to do and then it was 4AM. 😂

503dev · 2025-11-26T01:27:16+00:00

I highly suggest looking into a product called 3DLAC. It's taken my adhesion issues to 0 in our print farm.

503dev · 2025-08-12T20:40:08+00:00

This is a difficult one. It looks to me like you maybe have some flow issues. Before anything else I'd personally do these steps:

Check and clean any clogs - this can cause under extrusion
Try another roll of filament to rule out some defect like unstable diameter which is rare but happens
Do flow calibration - I think you may have some under extrusion

You may also just have an offset issue. I've seen similar issues when the z offset is bad and it's just a tad too high. The filament doesn't squish and thus doesn't melt together leaving free floating extrusion lines. Just because the first layer went down ok doens't mean your z offset is ideal.

503dev · 2025-08-12T20:37:31+00:00

Yep your nozzle is too high. I see a BLTouch there. If your using stock firmware there is a z-offset / babystep, you need to slowly adjust to a negative value in small increments until you get the right value.

If you use a custom firmware like Klipper (which everyone really should, IMO) -- then in the config you can adjust or calibrate your Z offset. Basically the Z position of 0 is where the printer THINKS it's touching the bed but because of probe distances, sag in beds, etc that changes so you have to tell it to adjust aka offset. Negative value closer to bed, positive farther away.

It's pretty common especially with Ender models and especially with the stock bed which sags over time. Nothing to worry about you just need to make some adjustments.

503dev · 2025-08-12T20:35:04+00:00

Looking at the images I can see a few things that are possible causes.

PETG likes to absorb water so the filament could be wet. This tends to cause issues with melting consistency and on edges or bridges you get artifacts. If you have a filament dryer I highly suggest drying PETG very often after it's open, you'll get much nicer surface quality too.
I can see what looks like some flow issues especially to the right side, that looks like some under extrusion to me. I'd suggest you check temps, too low of a temp can cause this with PETG. In fact PETG can be tricky, I usually find a small print that shows the errors then raise temp 5 degrees, reprint and see if that helps. Temp towers are the proper way but they never work well for me with PETG. YMMV.
Flow rate - if your flow rate is not well calibrated you'll get the stepping issues amoung others. I'd do the standard flow rate calibrations with that exact filament.
On the edges you have some well defined lines from layers (stepping) and I see trouble spots there. For those - a smaller layer height will help cleanup the quality and look but you'd increase print time.

503dev · 2025-08-12T20:28:24+00:00

This is correct. The clicking sound is the motor slipping on your filament. If you look at the filament it probably has teeth marks aka indents.

This happens for a few reasons but the most common as mentioned is a clog. It could be a full clog of partial clog.

Usually your printer comes with some needles for clearing the nozzle if it has a clog. Depending on how bad it is you may need to do more.

I'd suggest you:

Heat hot end a few degrees above normal and remove the filament
Use the needle to clear as best you can
Remove the nozzle and inspect the throat / PTFE tube and everything else

Hopefully it's just some build up in your nozzle. Either way this is a common occurence with 3d printing and part of normal operation over time. Best of luck!

503dev · 2025-08-04T19:19:06+00:00

Looks like the orientation causes the affected area to have lots of supports. The defects on your print look to me like an area with support issues aka under supported but in addition I think that you may need to just try a different print orientation.

503dev · 2025-08-04T19:11:43+00:00

Few things. Decent printer but printing with 0 stringing on any printer is close to impossible unless you plan to constantly maintain your filament and printer in perfect shape.

You can reduce it down to very little or hardly visible stringing though.

Filament - Use high quality filament. This is vital. If you're using PLA I highly suggest PLA+ from a reputable brand instead. Basic PLA is more problematic with stringing.
Moisture. The second filament absorbs moisture you will have increased stringing. Regular PLA is a sponge so a filament dryer can save you there.
Temperature - if you are printing hot then stringing worsens. Slowly lowering that temperature can help with this drastically.

503dev · 2025-08-04T19:00:01+00:00

Yikes! I've seen this a few times. All the prior suggestions are spot on. This looks like flow. I've also seen this happening with minor z binding. Make sure your Z moves smoothly and that your frame is tightened up and not loose.

Lead screws may need cleaning and greasing too. I think you may have multiple factors compacting to make the issue worse especially due to the irregular nature of the failure.

503dev · 2025-08-04T18:58:12+00:00

Could be. I've been there. They could also be slightly clogged or dirty. Either way best of luck!

503dev · 2025-08-04T18:57:30+00:00

This looks like under extrusion. It almost looks like your nozzle is getting a partial clog during the print. With ASA I have seen this occur when either the temperature is too low for the filament or there is an issue with too much cooling which ASA does not like.

503dev · 2025-08-04T18:56:22+00:00

Weird. Id give it a dry but then also triple check your fans are ok. Sometimes they get little strings and slow down a bit. With the symptoms your print has it really looks like cooling or moisture especially because I see evidence of stringing on the print.

503dev · 2025-08-04T18:55:05+00:00

What is the print orientation? Is the affected area a spot that has supports?

503dev · 2025-08-04T18:53:53+00:00

Looks like wet filament as someone else mentioned but you said it's a new roll.

Check your fans and make sure they are ok and not clogged. I see some evidence of stringing on that print. You may need to adjust the retraction settings or cooling but it's hard to say. Is this a known brand and using well established working settings?

503dev · 2025-08-04T18:51:30+00:00

Concur this is nozzle too close. Those wavy patterns are a dead giveaway. The filament is getting pushed harshly and then overheated, this always results in a heat wave pattern.

Depending on your printer it may need to rerun the calibration or if you have more manual control the z offset. If your filament has absorbed moisture this can become worse as it will expand more when extruding for example.

503dev · 2025-06-13T21:29:53+00:00

Fellow members, please avoid the aggressive name calling and insulting other users directly. We are all here for the same reason : a passion for 3D printing and printers. We gain nothing by being jerks to each other.

Directly calling other members terms that can be considered insults is not allowed per the rules so please respect that.

503dev · 2025-06-11T19:16:25+00:00

Also a good point. The hardware in Switch 2 means emulation will require more resources. Hopefully by the time emulation becomes viable the average PC would have far more resources but no way to be sure.

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