PerfectLayer3D

Warping: corners lifting off the bed with ABS, ASA, PETG and PLA

Assessed from documentation · Content verified on October 6, 2026

Where to start

  1. If edges lift after the first layers, first check initial adhesion and drafts.
  2. Start with the correct material profile; use brim and cooling according to this guide.
  3. Do not enclose an open printer without checking the manufacturer’s instructions.
Warping: corners lifting off the bed with ABS, ASA, PETG and PLA
Illustration of the defect, not a test photograph. Shapes are simplified.

How to recognise warping

The corners or edges of the part lift off the plate, often well into the print. Bambu Lab notes that a horizontal line may appear on the side of the model where the nozzle hit the lifted layer, and that very slight warping can be mistaken for an extrusion or flow problem, because it affects walls and top layers without being obvious at the base.

It is different from the part coming off completely (sliding or popping off): that is mainly a first-layer adhesion problem, covered in its own guide.

Checks in order, easiest first

Bambu Lab states that plate cleaning, leveling and a properly installed nozzle solve most warping and detachment cases, and should be done before touching slicer settings. Go one step at a time. Let the plate cool before handling it: the bed and nozzle are hot.

  1. Wash the plate as the manufacturer recommends (Bambu Lab: water and dish soap, dry completely; Prusa: 90%+ isopropyl alcohol) and do not touch the surface with your fingers.
  2. Re-run automatic leveling and check the first layer: it should be slightly squished. Prusa suggests lowering Live Adjust Z slightly to increase adhesion, without over-squishing.
  3. Eliminate drafts: open windows, air conditioners and fans. On enclosed printers close the door and lid when the material requires it.
  4. Start from the filament profiles supplied with the slicer; then raise the bed temperature slightly within the values recommended for the filament and the plate used.
  5. Add a brim, or ears only on the corners at risk: in Bambu Studio with Brim Ears (brim type 'Painted') or with discs added as model parts; in PrusaSlicer with a brim or small discs at the corners.
  6. Adjust cooling according to the material (see the next section) and, for large flat parts, reduce infill density.
  7. If the manufacturer recommends it for that material and plate, apply a thin, even layer of glue stick on a cold plate.

Materials, enclosure and cooling

ABS, ASA and engineering materials: Bambu Lab recommends an enclosed printer with a warm chamber and, for ABS/ASA, door and lid closed and a chamber of roughly 40 °C or more; without an enclosure, large flat parts in ABS, ASA or PC almost always warp. Prusa recommends low fan speed and a stable ambient temperature for these materials, possibly with an enclosure. Creality states that glue stick is required for ABS on the K1C smooth plate.

PLA and PETG: Prusa does not recommend an enclosure for these materials and says that, if corners lift, you should check that the part cooling fan is on and increase its speed. For a P1P converted to an enclosure, Bambu Lab warns that with PLA (and TPU and PETG) chamber heat can cause extruder heat creep and clogs; Prusa forum users report printing PLA and PETG with the doors open. Bambu Lab also notes that an auxiliary fan that is too strong can cool outer walls too quickly.

Bed temperature: raising it slightly helps adhesion, but Bambu Lab warns that with PLA and PETG excessive values can cause clogs and elephant's foot. Bambu Lab notes that below 20 °C room temperature even PLA and PETG can warp and that open-frame printers need a hotter bed; always check the values in your printer's and filament's documentation.

Brand notes and slicer features

Bambu Lab: its warping guide suggests, for Bambu printers and plates, a bed 5–10 °C hotter with PLA plus a brim, a hotter bed and closed enclosure with ABS/ASA, no part cooling on the first layers if the first layer does not stick, targeted Brim Ears on corners and low-density gyroid infill for large flat parts, because grid and triangle patterns create linear tension. As an alternative to Brim Ears, discs can be added as model parts, with a different wall count so they can be separated; in that case Bambu Lab suggests setting elephant foot compensation to zero.

Prusa: start from PrusaSlicer's default profiles, which are already tuned for each material; then IPA cleaning, a thin layer of glue stick on a cold sheet, a skirt used as a draft shield to retain heat, printing several objects together, lower speed and a brim or small extra shapes at critical points. On the smooth sheet Prusa notes that PETG, ASA, ABS and PC Blend may need a separation layer, such as glue stick, to protect the surface. Anycubic (Kobra S1 Max): for warp-prone materials such as ABS and PC enable a brim and raise the bed temperature, after cleaning the plate and preheating it for 5–10 minutes.

When a replacement part is actually needed

Warping almost always depends on material, environment and settings, not on a faulty part: a new plate will not fix it if the current one is just dirty or the room is cold and drafty. Consider a replacement only if the plate has worn areas in the print zone where the part always lifts, or if the bed does not heat evenly or does not reach the set temperature: in that case follow the manufacturer's heated-bed diagnostic procedure, with the printer switched off and unplugged.

To print large ABS, ASA or PC parts regularly on an open-frame printer, manufacturers point to an enclosed printer or a lower-shrinkage material. If you enclose a printer designed to be open, follow the manufacturer's official guidance (for example, on an enclosed P1P Bambu Lab requires the control board fan and warns of extruder heat creep with PLA without a fan regulating chamber temperature).

How to verify the result

Record the model and variant, material, slicer profile and change made. Repeat the same test and compare the result with a photo taken before the adjustment. Keep the change only if it improves the defect without introducing others. Use your model’s instructions for temperatures, calibration and disassembly; this guide is not based on our own hands-on tests.

Why it happens

Plastic shrinks as it cools. The outer edges cool before the centre and the upper layers, as they contract, pull the layers below inward and upward. Prusa describes it as the effect of the temperature difference between the nozzle and the surroundings; Bambu Lab as thermal shrinkage, stronger on large parts, with dense infill and with shrinkage-prone materials.

Bambu Lab lists, from highest to lowest risk: PC, carbon-filled PA, PA, ABS, ASA, PETG, PLA. For large flat parts it recommends PLA or PETG (including carbon-filled versions) where possible. The environment matters too: drafts, a cold room or an open-frame printer can make even PLA and PETG warp. On the forums users report that shrinkage forces can be strong enough to lift the magnetic plate itself.

What users report on the forums

On the forums, for large rectangular PLA parts, the most frequently mentioned fixes are 'mouse ears' (single-layer discs at the corners), a brim of at least 5 mm, a thin layer of glue or dedicated adhesive and, where possible, rounding the model's corners.

For ASA, Bambu users report improvements with the part fan off, a hotter bed, lower speed, a chamber preheated to at least 40 °C before starting, gyroid infill and a brim touching the part; some report that a brim alone is not enough because the part separates from the brim, and others got less warping with a different orientation or by switching to PETG or filled materials. These are user experiences, not official guidance: adapt the values to your printer.

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