Creality Ender 3 - printing in front of the build plate
I am trying to print my first test but my Creality Ender 3 starts printing near the front edge and within 10 seconds is printing in front of the tray (off onto my table). I really think it should be starting the print in the middle and then never going so close to the edge and even over it
What can I do?
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When a print is not printing on the build platform, you either:
Have the incorrect settings in the slicer (e.g. Ultimaker Cura, a common mistake is that the "origin at center" option is active), or
Have the center of the bed incorrectly stored in your firmware. (See: How to center my prints on the build platform? (Re-calibrate homing offset) or Recalibrating Home-position).
Note that the most simple change (after you verified the slicer settings and confirmed that it still does not print in the center) is adjusting the settings in the slicer (bed settings, of start G-code script), this way you do not need to compile and upload new firmware (e.g. if you are uncomfortable or inexperienced in doing so), but, fixing it in the firmware is the best solution. Why? If you change the offset in the slicer you force the bed dimensions to a new position that you know where it is, while if changed in the firmware, the printer "knows" the actual size and the limits.
To fully answer your question, we need a little more information what slicer you use and what the current settings are. From your question it sounds as if the offset is more than a few millimeters. Usually this hints to an incorrect slicer setting (frequently Ultimaker Cura).
The Ender 3 has its standard homing position not set to a point on the build plate but rather at the physical position of the endstops. That is a couple millimeter in front and at the side of the front left corner. To make it clear, home or (0,0,0) is not the center of the build plate but some millimeters off the front-left corner.
To move the home position away from the physical switch positions and onto the build plate's front left corner - should you want to - you will need to switch the firmware of your printer.
A walkthrough I had with an Ender3 (the same machine type) is at Recalibrating Home Position
Note that one purpose of having the "home" position off the build plate is that it can run each axis to the stops (to reorient itself) without fear of jamming the hot end into the build plate. If you change this in the firmware, you need to take this into account. This sounds more like a slicer problem - the slicer needs to know where home is, and if it is set incorrectly, it won't start in the correct location.
@GalacticCowboy there's a difference between "home" and "endstop" position - before homing, the machine goes to endstops in the order X, Y, Z, then moves to home.
My Ender 3 Pro does not move to a different position before beginning print. However, I have Cura set with home at "lower left". And in fact, in the Ender 3 firmware, moving to the endstops is what it does when selecting the "Auto Home" option.
@GalacticCowboy made it clearer for convenience.
Typically Cura has built-in offsets for home -vs- buildplate , so if Cura has a builtin for Ender3, then that's all the OP needs to select.
Cura has only a CR10 built
@CarlWitthoft (The most recent) Cura does have a preset labeled as Ender 3, but its build plate is listed as the wrong size (235x235 instead of 220x220). They might have just relabeled the CR10 as Trish mentioned.
@GalacticCowboy oh,well. Maybe selecting the Ender3 setting and then customizing the bed size will work for the OP
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Content dated before 7/24/2021 11:53 AM
0scar 4 years ago
Hi and welcome to 3D Printing.SE! Please add which slicer you use and share some settings of the build platform.