5 Common 3D Printing Mistakes Most Beginners Make

Jumping into 3D printing feels like unlocking a new creative superpower. You can design something on the screen, hit print, and hours later, you hold the physical object in your hands. Even though it sounds simple, 3D printing has a learning curve you must overcome. Mistakes and failures are completely normal, and everyone has to deal with them at some point. It’s common to see prints detach from the bed, warp, blob, or simply stop midway through the printing process. And it doesn’t matter if you’re using filament or resin. 3D printing mistakes happen with all kinds of printers.

Beginners often expect instant results and get discouraged when prints don’t turn out perfectly. There are certain 3D printing rules you need to know so that you can get joy out of this hobby instead of frustration. Printer settings can look intimidating, and curing resin doesn’t always go as planned. That’s why it’s important to approach 3D printing with patience. Learn the fundamentals first, and embrace the mistakes you make along the way. They’re part of the journey. Let’s break down some of the most common pitfalls you can avoid from the beginning.

Generally speaking, 3D printing is a pretty safe hobby and 3D printed parts can be great. But it comes with a few risks. After all, you’re dealing with high temperatures, mechanical components, fumes, and unfamiliar materials. Beginners tend to underestimate the risks of 3D printing, whether it’s filament or resin.

Regardless of your choice, you should know that a properly ventilated room is essential. An air quality hazard is a major concern. Filament emits ultrafine particles (UFPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air as it is being melted. These microscopic particles can penetrate deep into your lung tissue. The emissions vary by material and printing conditions, but there’s no such thing as printing without an air quality hazard. Some of the UFPs and VOCs are also believed to be carcinogenic.

Chemical exposure risks are even worse with resin printing. The liquid photopolymer resin contains reactive chemicals and monomers that are irritants and sensitizers. Contact with skin can lead to dermatitis, but inhaling the fumes can cause respiratory irritation and headaches. Once the printing is done, there are still some dangers to consider. Uncured resin continues to emit VOCs. That’s why it needs washing and curing under UV light. Only then will your print be safe to handle without protection.

Then, there are fire and thermal hazards. 3D printers operate at high temperatures (nozzles often go upwards of 250°C). If your printer’s heaters or other electrical components are malfunctioning, they can lead to fires. Beginners often overlook these risks and don’t go beyond “don’t touch hot things.” Many underestimate the importance of proper ventilation and wearing protective equipment such as gloves, goggles, and respirators. So make sure you’re well protected, your space is ventilated, and your workbench is free from any flammable materials.

Setting up the 3D printer is often the biggest frustration that beginners face, even though 3D printers are very reliable these days. New users tend to assume that the default slicer profile will work for every single print model or material. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. For filament prints, settings like nozzle and bed temperature, layer height, print speed, and retraction directly affect how material flows and bonds. Setting a wrong temperature leads to stringing, poor adhesion, or warping. Each material, like PLA, ABS, and PETG, works best under a different temperature range. That’s why it’s important to fine-tune the settings for each print and material separately. Another thing beginners often overlook is infill density, wall thickness, and first-layer settings. Making mistakes with these settings often leads to poor-quality prints from the start.

Resin printing has its own set of traps. Exposure time and support structures are critical. Too little exposure and layers won’t solidify properly. Too much exposure leads to loss of fine details. Many beginners don’t even know how ambient temperature influences resin prints. Cold resin can be too viscous, which leads to print failures. That’s why it’s important to control the temperature of the stored resin, as well as the temperature of the environment in which your printers operate.

3D printing settings are very sensitive and it’s easy to underestimate their importance. Taking time to understand and adjust settings for each print individually will lead to the best results.

Proper bed leveling is one of the most important steps when 3D printing. Beginners tend to think that leveling once is enough. That’s not the case. Technically, you should relevel the bed before each new print. But not even professionals do that. A more feasible approach is to re-level every 10 to 15 prints. You should also re-level it whenever you notice any printing issues, such as poor first-layer adhesion. A roughly leveled bed that “seems fine” is not enough. Even the smallest height difference across the plate can throw off your first layer, and the print is ruined.

A properly leveled print surface is the foundation of success, no matter whether you’re using filament or resin printing. Beginners often assume factory presets or auto-leveling features are enough. But most printers need some manual leveling and a re-check before each print session. It’s also important to re-level the printers every time you move the machine. Bed leveling is invisible once the printing starts, and it seems like a tedious job. No wonder it’s often neglected. But in reality, bed or print plate leveling is a crucial step, and mastering it will greatly improve the quality of your prints. You can also get certain 3D printing accessories to help you with setup, material handling, and storage.

Beginners often undervalue the importance of proper material storage when not printing, whether it’s filament or resin. They focus on their printers and neglect the materials. But materials can easily be ruined by environmental factors, which can lead to poor print quality and wasted money. For example, moisture is one of the biggest enemies of filament. Most plastic filament materials, such as ABS, PLA, or PETG, absorb water from the air. When you print with damp filament, the absorbed moisture turns into steam in the hot nozzle. The results are bubbles, stringing, weak layer adhesion, and various surface defects. Properly storing filament means airtight containers or resealable bags with desiccants. Keep your filament in a cool, dark, and dry space between prints.

Resin comes with its own storage pitfalls. Liquid photopolymer resin is light-sensitive. Even the UV from ambient light can start the polymerization process. Once it starts, it can’t be reversed. The thickened resin can further cure unpredictably, ruining your print. Resin should always be kept in its original, opaque packaging, sealed tightly, and stored away from sunlight and excessive heat. Because temperatures influence resin viscosity, it should be kept in an environment ranging between 20°C and 25°C. Ignoring these basic safety measures leads to ruined resin that cannot be used for printing.

All beginners experience an emotional roller coaster that comes with failures, frustration, and learning. And that’s, perhaps, the biggest unseen 3D printing limitation to overcome. Newcomers expect the printer to work out of the box, but that’s almost never the case. However, you should remember that every failed print is an opportunity to learn. Approach your failures with curiosity rather than frustration. That’s not only healthier, but it also increases the speed of your learning process. Expecting perfection on the first try is unrealistic, and trial and error is a part of the process.

Many people quit 3D printing after a few bad prints. But each failure can teach you more about proper settings, build plate leveling, or different material behaviors. Troubleshoot your errors and learn from them. Approach 3D printing as you would an experiment. Change one variable at a time. Observe the results and note the outcomes. That way, you’ll get better results and future failures will become easier to solve.