I can’t seem to find a standard smooth plate for the H2C on the Bambu site? Am I missing something or is it just not available?
https://uk.store.bambulab.com/products/bambu-smooth-pei-plate?id=581068605076672514
Seems the only alternative is the Engineering plate - which I don’t need as I only print PLA or PETG, and I dont want to have to use glue every time…..
There won’t be a smooth PEI plate released for H2C.
Use engineering plate (according to Bambu Lab).
Smooth plate is in the process of being discontinued
Smooth PEI plates were awful anyway; it only took a single print before my plate had bubbles and other damage all over it. I had to flip it and bake it so many times that I finally threw it out and will never touch one again.
Depending on what you are looking for, you have plenty of other substitutes.
This one is my current plate from DarkMoon; it is not a smooth PEI but a satin finish, and the CFX layer is great for engineering stuff.
Then you also have the cool plate:
They are expensive but very good plates. My last DUO plate did have some manufacturing defects, but they were outside the printing area, so it was only a cosmetic issue.
Curious, where did you find this out? I’ve been waiting for one to come out, but if I know that they won’t be releasing one, I’ll have to look elsewhere.
I’m not keen on the engineering plate since you have to use glue with it. I’d prefer not to use glue if I can avoid it.
I’ve always used a smooth plate with the H2D (which is currently undergoing upgrade to H2C) and have always had good experiences with it. Never had any issues. And I’ve never even washed it etc - just been careful not to handle it. Wanted the same for the H2C ideally…..
I always handle my build plates with gloves, so that was never the issue for me.
The problem with my Smooth PEI plates is that they are extremely fragile when you print at high temperatures most of the time.
So I will never use Smooth PEI again; it’s CFX all the way from now on.
I also hope there will be a CFX plate available for my new printer.
I have an engineering plate for each of my H2Cs. I love them but remember to use glue.
I use the engineering plate when I need a flat surface -even with PLA and PETG. I don’t mind using the liquid glue.
There’s also the Super Tack Pro alternative for PLA/PETG. Smooth matte surface, no glue, sticks great. Shows in stock in UK store too (and in US).
Not a fan of constantly having to use glue on the Engineering plate, personally. But it does work well with a bit of glue.
-Max
It was a post by@SupportAssistant in this topic Where's the best place to request features/products from BL? (H2D effect plates) - #5 by cr8dev
SupportAssistant Bambu Lab Employee
I’ve received an update from the team.
The Smooth PEI Plate will be gradually phased out and replaced by the new Engineering Plate, which offers improved durability and a longer lifespan. As a result, the H2C will not include a Smooth PEI Plate.
Yeh looks like this is my only option if I do not wish to mess about with glue.
Ordered 
Will see how it performs as there seem to be mixed results from most people with the Supertack - people either love it or hate it!
Engineering plate will be my last resort!
Ah just careful not to confuse the older “SuperTack” with the newer “SuperTack Pro.” The older one definitely got mixed reviews (never tried it myself). Also, not sure if they updated this in the Studio slicer yet, but there’s no option for the “Pro” plate specifically (as of v2.4.0.70), so some adjustment in the filament temperature settings for the “Cool Plate SuperTack” plate may be desirable. At the default of 70°C PETG will stick really well for example, which may be hard to remove for thin parts (but nice for larger flat pieces!).
Cheers,
-Max
Thank you for taking the time to link me that conversation! Now I have the answer I was looking for, though it’s not what I was hoping to see. I least now I know I can quit waiting around on it.
I recently broke down and purchased the engineering plate while waiting on the smooth plate. It’s more textured than what I want, but it’s quite a bit better than the textured plate for giving a smoother looking finish. Now I just need to play around with it some more to see if it’ll be good enough for what I want.
Yeh deffo got the Supertack Pro plate, which I think is the only option when purchasing via Bambulab’s site now……
You’re right that’s the only option for H2, I just meant in terms of reviews (or other advice). Sorry wasn’t more clear!
-Max
I never understood why BambuLab have chosen stickers for the smooth plate. It is really fragile. On the X1C I regularly use a cheap 10€ AliExpress smooth PEI plate that is powder coated like the textured plate. It holds up very nice and has quite a bit better adhesion than the textured plate. Usually I prefer a finely structured surface, but there are cases where I’m happy about that smooth plate.
So it’s really not smooth plates in general but the implementation by BambuLab which is a great fail.
I’ve been using the “old” engineering plate which came with X1C, without any glue, for PeTG prints, the “new” ones seem more in need of glue, which I don’t like to use for a better use finish
I reckon I’ll need to get over this and some glue if I wan’t to get any use of those plates 
have you noticed any bottom surface aspect variation because of the glue ?
I use glue for 99.98% of my prints and I never see any issues with the surface because of this. I only use liquid glue from Magigoo for the specific filament, I think I have glue from their whole product range.
Do you mean actual 3D imperfections in the surface? Then no, things come out smooth, just covered in glue. I’ve tried glue stick mostly… one time with Bambu liquid glue but mistakes were made (the part had thin edges and stuck too well to remove). Printing over old glue stick can leave permanent visible marks on a surface, so I don’t do that anymore either. I’m sure there are better glues, but using no glue is the best.
I posted some closeup photos of the surface finishes with PETG on textured PEI, Engineering, and SuperTack Pro, if that helps: Bambu Engineering Plate surface finish - #8 by MaxThreeD
-Max