So its clear there is a huge problem with top layer quality that has emerged over the past few weeks. When we used to have perfect top layers, top layers are now riddled with streaks and grids and underlying patters showing through making them un-sellable.
There are many fixes and patches out there from the community, many ways to try and solve this from using z-hop on retraction in filament settings, changing your surface pattern to monotonic, turning off “reduce infill retraction” and even doing a factory reset on your machine - but none seem to be perfect fixes even when you use them all.
Can the community please help to push Bambu Labs for a solution ? Its a huge problem for people making a living off their boxes - and it seems it goes deep across Firmware settings and slicer options…
Without a fix people will be heading over to Prusa soon for a solution and have to give up all the amazing features and functionality, and the streamlined workflow that Bambu has brought to the table.
If you are having issues with top layer quality please shout out!
Before moving (back, or on) to Prusa, some (I think that in fact there will be many) users may have had reached their tipping point waiting for BL to come up with a really stable and reliable firmware update, and will go first for X1PLUS firmware, which appears to be not just stable but also reliable, offering more control over the printer and it’s breaking away the Apple style control of BL over users. I know for sure that if BL doesn’t step up to solve the most problems raised by thousands of users, by end of thi summer, I will definitely move to X1Plus and I’m not looking back. (PS- not mentioning that i also have a Prusa XL next to my X1C )
Hello,
I have had and currently have the same issues.
I started with a P1S Printer and it worked perfect. I printed dozens of disk like shapes to sell them as functional parts. All in a sudden the prints started to fail with top layer quality issues on the outer edge of the disks. No change was made at all. Same filament, New Filament Role, recalibrated, changed hotend,did full maitenance and tested and tested but coud not get it fixed anymore.
Then I bought a X1C to keep up with client requests and found that I could not successfully print there as well. It has also the Top Layer issues and I found now that it also has a accuracy issue. A hexagon shaped adapter has a difference in diameter of about 1.5 mm which makes it unsellable. This on a brand new X1C. Of course I did calibrate all features for the same filament (ASA) that I used successfully on my P1S printer.
I opened a ticked today after trying a full week to find a soluiton.
In paralell I try to find information in this great community forum as I’m still quite new to 3d printing. The complexity is really overwhelming.
I really cannot help because I’ve not had any problems with top layers.
The X1+ “firmware” is currently just a wrapper using the current (01.07.03.00) Bambu firmware release as a base. X1+ provides provides additional features and controls, but does nothing to change the way filament is extruded from the printer. It is no more stable or reliable than the Bambu firmware, which it installs direct from the Bambu servers.
Nevertheless, X1Plus does provide more options and settings for controlling the printer, besides allowing to break away from BL closed (and definitely customer unresponsive) business model.
There are tons of post if you search of “first layer” both here in the forums as well as on Reddit with people complaining. If it helps i can compile a list of them here as I have read them all. I have 2xP1s and 2xX1C and they all have this issue… terrible top layers now whereas they were fine before
Whilst there are multiple reports of “new” first layer quality problems online, not everyone is experiencing this problem, including users who have installed the latest Bambu Studio (V1.8.4.51 excl Beta users), latest firmware and latest configuration package.
The problem is likely limited to a small proportion of users and the cause is most likely localised. I, fortunately, have quite the opposite first layer experience on an X1C with the latest and standard firmware, software and settings - a superb first layer on a textured PEI plate.
The question is: “What has changed, and what is different to before or to other people?” Other than having a genuinely dud printer that fails to report faulty components (unlikely), the cause probably lies herein for most first layer problems:
Incorrect printer, plate or nozzle selected
Damaged plate
Incorrect filament presets applied - wrong material or customised to the point of dysfunctionality
Blocked/clogged/faulty extruder/hotend/nozzle
AMS feed issues
Damp filament - a humid climate/environment can make some filament deteriorate within hours (less likely with PLA) - dry it but don’t overcook it and ruin it
Filament just doesn’t work with the presets selected - calibrate and configure it, but understand if those calibrated presets persist to the next print or not, or through the next restart
Adhesion issues - no glue or the glue has worn off - wash the plate with detergent and warm water, and apply a decent glue in a methodical pattern of rows/stripes
Processes customised to the point of dysfunctionality
Then there are few outlier causes like belt tension and alignment, seized/tight bearings, bed tramming - all very rare
Main problems I have with top layers are if I enable ironing. It barely ever produces a consistent iron over large surfaces, it generally shows banding like a football field and actually makes the finished article look worse than if you disables ironing.
Well for me nothing changed… my two P1S seem to be doing fine jsut my two X1c cant get good top layers out any more.
I have none of the issues in your list below, and have done everything including doing the “full” service, swapping hotends, swapping extruder, getting new plates (im using textured) swapped filament (im using bambu matte) and nothing seems to work properly any more.
Orca gives me a slightly better print so am using that for now but still i terrible streaking in my top layers.
I have no issues with print quality on my P1S, I’m sorry for those that are having issues, I know it is so frustrating. However, in this thread there are a lot of people saying they have issues with quality, BUT not a single photo of a bad print. So is it just a lot of whining about nothing? Show us what you are talking about.
There are so many people on here who are ready and willing to offer expert advice, but they need to see what your issue is with a photo.
i dont think anyone here is whining dude try to be respectful - everyone is trying to get quality prints out the door and if they could get quality prints out first time they would not be posting asking for help… maybe you just have very low standards and are not looking for high quality ?
for me it took over 200 tests and tweaks before i went from what i see as un-acceptable to near perfect. tweaking is a part of the process as everyone is printing different things in different combinations and without tweaking the hell out of your models you just wont get to perfection.
i was able to get rid of ghosting in underlying layers by using solid infill and changing my first and last layer infill for eg and Ironing only works for me at 40% / 40mm
i was able to get perfect outer layers by using scarfing with a 50% seam gap and 0.6m outer layers line widths in sandwich mode…
i print my large bases separately, my name tags separately as two color prints, my art and mini-bases they stand on as two color prints with infill at the bottom 20% for strength and the top 80% hollow… then assemble with gorilla glue
none of these settings are stock - and i am sure my settings wont work with your models
I am having a huge problem with bad top layer printing after doing firmware update (super regret that!!)
I have tried different PLA and am getting a lousy top finish as per the picture. Waves in the print and looks like the print head is dragging on the print. There is no warping and the print is firmly stuck to the bed with glue. After the Firmware update it did a lengthy “Resonance Tuning” or something like that and then heaps of top layer issues.
As per a post on Reddit, I tried setting the flow ratio to .94 which helped a bit though not much. I have slowed the top print speed for 200 to 100 - also no help. That’s the last firmware up date I will do - if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!
Suggestions please?
I unboxed a P1S last week that also has top layer defects on all its prints so far. I can print the same file, with same material and settings on my older P1S with a good top layer. Same for my X1. I downgraded the software, did a factory reset, switched hotend filament and build plate. Also switched the filament spools between the printers.
The first layer looks okay. And not only on the most top surface.
I did around 30 hours of test printing but no success. Bambu is not responsive at all.
The printer is not usable for me in its current state.
By now I dont think its a mechanical problem.
How long would you wait until you would request a refund for this printer and whats the best alternative to bambu X1 or P1S at the moment?
My top layers are amazing now - after every 30/40 prints I get waviness and fix it by cleaning the carbon rods and then recalibrating the belts (loosen back screws / move head around / tighten) then running a full calibration - works every time
Also for good ironing you need to run your top layer at 50ms - overall print speed is not affected much but the ironing looks amazing on top of it this way…
I also use 14 top layers :)) but will try to bring that down now I have the slower top layer fix working well
I did clean my printer in question already. Recalibrated 8 times by now. But I did not adjust the belt tension yet. I am not sure if this will cause the prints to look like mine.
But I will give it a try since I am out of options.
)
