Learn from my mistakes! Here’s how to get a running start on your own 3D printing journey.
Ten years ago, I wrote about the thrill and frustration of being a 3D printing early adopter. I was cutting my teeth on machines like the XYZprinting da Vinci—a bulky beast with proprietary everything—and the LulzBot TAZ 5, which was the standard bearer of open-source printing at the time. Just getting a clean first layer down on the printer’s bed felt like a personal victory, and unclogging a jammed hot end without snapping a thermistor was practically a rite of passage. The machines were noisy and temperamental, and printing with them was more akin to doing an art project than working with a tool. But I (and many other enthusiasts) loved them anyway.
Fast-forward a decade, and the world of 3D printing has evolved tremendously. Printers are faster, smarter, and more refined.
So am I. After hundreds of spools, firmware tweak experiments, late-night layer shifts, and enough PLA scraps to 3D-print a house, I’ve traded in my beginner badge for something closer to mastery. What follows are 10 hard-earned lessons about 3D printing that could only come from living with these machines day in and day out. 1. Don’t Worry If Your First Print Is a Disaster (It Probably Will Be)
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of watching your first print finish. It doesn’t matter if it’s a calibration cube or a low-poly Pokémon figurine—that little hunk of melted plastic feels like magic. Prepare yourself, though, because your first print is virtually guaranteed to be, in enthusiast parlance, a “spaghetti monster.»
But that first print is just an entryway. What follows is a journey into materials science, mechanical engineering, thermal dynamics, and—let’s be honest—emotional regulation. While modern manufacturers are lowering the bar for entry into the 3D printing hobby every year, being open to learning new things is critical for long-term success. The first print gives you confidence. The hundredth gives you wisdom.2. Bed Adhesion Is a Life Skill
On day one, I thought bed adhesion was just about luck, or maybe a little painter’s tape and blind faith. If the print stuck to the bed, I’d quietly back away like I’d just disarmed a bomb. But over the last 10 years, I’ve learned that adhesion is a full-blown discipline, not a side note.
At the outset, I had no idea how much Z-offset, bed temperature, ambient airflow, or even the brand of filament could affect that crucial first layer. I’ve experimented with BuildTak, Wham Bam, glass, textured PEI sheets—and yes, I unapologetically used purple Elmer’s glue sticks on my Creality Ender-3 build plate. Hairspray turns out to be surprisingly effective, but the cruel irony is that the longer I stuck with 3D printing, the less hair I seemed to have.
What used to feel like a guessing game is now a careful checklist. Today, I don’t hit Print until I know that first layer is going down like it’s on rails, because if it doesn’t, the rest doesn’t matter. I’m dialing in the Z-offset in real time with first-layer prints, and using bed-adhesion products like Magigoo that are specifically formulated for ABS, nylon, or polycarbonate. 3. Cheap Filament Will Cost You More
At first, I thought filament was filament. If it fit the extruder and came in a color I liked, I was sold—especially if it was $20 cheaper than the alternative. I learned the hard way that budget filament isn’t a bargain when it clogs your nozzle, warps halfway through a long print, or leaves inconsistent layers that make your model look like it was printed during an earthquake.
In those early days, I’d waste hours troubleshooting what I thought was a slicer issue or hardware fault, only to discover I was feeding my machine the 3D-printing equivalent of junk food. These days, I stick with brands that have earned my trust, including Gizmo Dorks, Polymaker, MatterHackers Pro, and, surprisingly, Sunlu. (Despite its low price, Sunlu’s filament has delivered consistent results for me across multiple printers, especially for prototyping and day-to-day jobs.)
Even better, companies like Prusa and Bambu Lab have completely closed the loop: Their own filament lines are tuned at the factory, with preloaded slicer profiles that just work. That’s not just convenient; it’s what makes reliable printing feel effortless. I’ll pay more for printers that have pre-tuned filament profiles so I can get straight to printing versus «Frankenstein-ing» my own filament slicer settings.4. Automatic Bed Leveling Is a Sanity Saver
When I started out in this hobby, leveling the print bed was part of the ritual.
