Before you buy glue sticks, sprays, or a new build plate: wash yours. The number one adhesion killer is invisible finger oil, and isopropyl alcohol alone doesn't remove it — it redistributes it.
The fix order
- Wash the plate with dish soap and hot water. Dry with a lint-free cloth. Handle by the edges from now on.
- Verify first-layer squish — see our first-layer guide. Adhesion problems and Z-offset problems are usually the same problem.
- Bed temperature: PLA 55–60°C, PETG 70–80°C, ABS/ASA 95–110°C (enclosed).
- Slow the first layer to 20–30mm/s and disable the part-cooling fan for layer one.
- Adhesion helpers — only now: a brim for tall or thin parts, glue stick as a release layer for PETG on smooth PEI (it bonds TOO well and can tear the coating), textured plates for materials that fight you.
Corners lifting on large prints (warping) is a different disease — that's the material shrinking as it cools. Enclosures, brims, and draft elimination are the medicine there, not more bed adhesive.
Still stuck? The diagnosis is free.
Send a photo and a description and we will tell you exactly what is wrong and what it costs to fix — before you spend a dime. We come to you, evenings & weekends, OKC metro. Request a free diagnosis →