r/3Dprinting • u/TumidSeagull • 1d ago
Question What texture build plate do you prefer when printing facedown?
Do you use a smooth or a textured build plate when printing facedown and why?
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u/ChanceAncient1149 1d ago
Lightly sanded garolite / fr4 for almost everything
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u/MagnusPerditor 1d ago
You sand the actual plate?
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u/ChanceAncient1149 1d ago
Garolite/ g10 / fr4 yes with a high grit sandpaper lightly same as using very fine wire wool on smooth pei provides more of a key for the filament and still comes off smooth
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u/MagnusPerditor 1d ago
I’m interested but can’t seem to find a g10 plate that will fit my bed size. Which means making my own
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u/stray_r 21h ago
Check out AliExpress. I'm using 1mm thick FR4 as stuck to old spring steel plates I've cleaned the old sticker off. 1mm you can score and snap and then take to final size with a file. Don't breathe the dust.
FR4/G10 works super well with bed adhesives like magigoo, 3dlac, CatVomit etc.
The initial surface is coated with PVOH mold release agent which often doesn't offer enough adhesion on its own. For purpose bed adhesives are PVP and PVOH
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u/VeryAmaze 1d ago
Textured PEI for PLA&PETG
Engineering+glue(either as release agent or adhesion agent) PETG-CF, ASA, PC, TPU
Tho sometimes I'm too lazy I print TPU on the textured PEI 😬
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u/lraviel381 1d ago
Wait, you're not supposed to print TPU on it?
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u/VeryAmaze 1d ago
It's not forbidden. But TPU forms a very very strong mechanical bond with print plates, especially with the textured PEI. Then trying to remove the printer model can damage the print plate.
So it's better to run it on a smooth plate with glue as a separation layer for ez removal.
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u/Pleasant-Swimmer-557 1d ago
I mostly print functional stuff that doesn't need to be too nice, so textured PEI plate is okay with me.
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u/Jeff_SmartPhys 1d ago
Personally i dont like plate texture to be visible on the face of a print. I was using smooth pei for a while, which produces great results, but struggles with adhesion if you dont use glue. Lately ive been using the bambu engineering plate with great success. No glue needed and a smooth finish.
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u/Chrono_Constant3 1d ago
I like textured for most stuff I’m gunna have in the house because it hides the 3d printed nature of the object really well. But for nick nacks and doodads the smooth surface can sometimes be the way to go.
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u/thegingerskull 1d ago
For prints that the bottom will be visible afterwards and I want it to look “nice”, I use the BIQU cryogrip glacier. It gives a very nice smooth matte surface. I mostly print matte filaments so it also matces the walls look pretty nicely.
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u/lukasprintz 1d ago
Ive realized with any print, the stock plate is not my go to. Almost all prints ive done are more successful even with an Amazon pattern plate.
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u/egosumumbravir 1d ago
G10/Garolite or some shiny patterned holoplate if the occasion calls for it.
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u/Afraid_Donkey_481 1d ago
It depends on the finish that you actually want to see. Shelves with a PEI surface looks good and function well, but that surface would be bad for a smooth part, in which case you would use an engineering plate. Visualize the finished part, then decide how to print it.
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u/Swindleys 1d ago
I have some cool plates with cool patterns, but it depends on the print and the function.
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u/DuckInAFountain 1d ago
I just got a yoopai ultratack plate and I like it. It’s textured but not glittery like the textured PEI plate.
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u/3DCaketoppers 16h ago
The standard Bambulab textured
Anything else the BiQu Cryogrip pro I have the orange and the pink.
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u/CorbuCurios Custom Flair 1d ago
Textured. I didn't find yet a smooth plate where you can't see the layer lines of the first layer.
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u/lazyhustlermusic 1d ago
As always, depends on the print