First Time Setup & Calibration Guide¶
Before your first print, you must perform a series of essential one-time calibrations. This process ensures the printer knows its physical limits and is tuned for accurate, reliable printing.
Complete This Guide First
Do not attempt to print a model before completing every step in this guide. Skipping these calibrations can result in failed prints or even damage to the printer.
Step 1: Homing the Printer¶
"Homing" is the process where the printer moves each axis until it touches its endstop switch. This allows Klipper to establish a known zero position (0,0,0).
- Turn on your printer and connect to the Klipper web interface.
- In the control panel, click the "Home All" button (often an icon of a house).
- The printer will move the X, Y, and then Z axes until they each trigger their endstop.
Step 2: PID Tuning (Hotend & Bed)¶
PID tuning calibrates the heating algorithm to ensure temperatures are stable and do not overshoot or fluctuate. This is critical for print quality.
- In the console, run the PID tune command for the hotend. A common target temperature for PLA is 215°C.
- Wait for the process to complete. [cite_start]It will run through several cycles of heating and cooling. [cite: 566]
- Once finished, type
SAVE_CONFIG
in the console and press enter. This saves the new PID values to yourprinter.cfg
. - Repeat the process for the heatbed. A common target for PLA is 60°C.
- When it finishes, run
SAVE_CONFIG
again.
Step 3: Calibrating Probe Z-Offset¶
This is the most important calibration for getting a perfect first layer. It measures the exact vertical distance between your probe's trigger point and the tip of the nozzle.
- Home the printer with
G28
. - Move the nozzle to the center of the bed.
- In the console, run the command:
PROBE_CALIBRATE
- The printer will now enter the calibration tool. Place a single sheet of standard office paper under the nozzle.
- Use the
TESTZ Z=-
andTESTZ Z=+
commands to lower and raise the nozzle in very small increments. Lower the nozzle until you feel slight friction on the paper as you move it back and forth. - Once you feel the friction, run the
ACCEPT
command. - Finally, run
SAVE_CONFIG
to store the Z-offset permanently.
Step 4: Building the Bed Mesh¶
This process uses the probe to measure a grid of points across your print bed, creating a digital map of its surface to compensate for any slight warping.
- Ensure the printer is homed and the nozzle is hot (to account for any thermal expansion).
- In the console, run the command:
BED_MESH_CALIBRATE
- The printer will now automatically probe multiple points on the bed.
- When it's finished, run
SAVE_CONFIG
to store the mesh data.
Setup Complete!
Your printer is now calibrated. The final step is to start your first print and fine-tune the first layer live, as the PROBE_CALIBRATE
value can sometimes need minor adjustments. While the first layer is printing, use the Z-Offset controls in the web interface to get that perfect "squish."