Ever have a print fail so fast you didn’t even have time to emotionally bond with it? One minute, the first layer looks like the chef’s kiss. The next minute, it’s a pile of spaghetti regret and the whisper of, “Why do you hate me today?”
Yeah. We’re fixing that.
If you’re struggling with bed adhesion on your Bambu Lab A1, A1 Mini, or really any printer—especially when using a textured PEI plate, cold plate, or cool plate—this guide is for you. Glue confusion? Prints popping off mid-job? Corners lifting like they’re trying to escape a bad relationship? Let’s talk.
Bed Adhesion Isn’t Magic (It’s Just Physics)
Bed adhesion comes down to a balance of four things:
-
Bed temperature
-
Surface type
-
Cleanliness
-
How much plastic hates shrinking as it cools
If even one of these is slightly off, your print may bail on you like it heard the word commitment.
The Most Confusing Build Plate: Textured PEI
Let’s start with the plate that causes the most confusion: the textured PEI plate.
These plates are fantastic—but they’re also responsible for a shocking number of “my printer is broken” comments online. And here’s why.
How PEI Plates Actually Work
PEI plates do not rely on glue. They rely on mechanical grip.
Molten plastic flows into the microscopic texture of the plate, cools, and locks in place like a thousand tiny anchors.
That means:
-
Texture = grip
-
Smooth = less grip
-
Dirty texture = no grip at all
The problem? The textured surface lies to you visually. It hides bad first layers.
Why Prints Fail on PEI Plates
Common PEI mistakes include:
-
First layer too high (not enough squish)
-
Printing PLA or PETG too cool
-
Finger oils on the plate (we all touch them)
-
Adding glue “just in case”
That last one is a big one.
Your print might look fine at first, but then a corner lifts, and in most cases… it’s over. Sometimes the printer powers through. Most of the time, it doesn’t.
The Glue Myth (and Why It Makes Things Worse)
Adding glue to a PEI plate actually reduces adhesion.
Glue fills in the texture, which removes the mechanical grip PEI relies on.
Glue = smooth surface.
Smooth surface = no mechanical lock.
If your print stuck worse after adding glue, you didn’t do anything wrong.
You just learned PEI physics.
Proper PEI Plate Cleaning (This Matters More Than You Think)
Cleaning your PEI plate is mandatory—not every print, but often enough.
If you’re grabbing the plate by the printing area instead of the little tabs on the ends, you’re leaving oils behind. And your plate remembers.
The Correct Way to Clean a PEI Plate
-
Warm water
-
Dawn dish soap
-
Soft sponge
-
Rinse thoroughly
-
Air dry
For PEI plates, soap is salvation.
Cold Plates vs. Cool Plates (And Why I Use Them So Much)
Cold and cool plates generally perform better than PEI—but they fail for different reasons.
Personally? I have more consistent success with cold and cool plates, which is why I use them on most of my printers.
How They Work
These plates rely more on surface chemistry than texture. Many are fairly smooth, which means cleanliness matters even more.
-
Cold plates: No bed heat
-
Cool plates: Slightly warm bed
Why Cold & Cool Plates Fail
There are only two real reasons:
-
Dirty surface (finger oils)
-
Wrong bed temperature
If a print won’t stick, it’s almost always reason #1.
Yes, I know—I’m touching the plates right now.
Yes, I will wash them with Dawn afterward.
You’re welcome.
Glue Isn’t Always for Adhesion
Let’s clear this up.
Glue isn’t always about making prints stick. Sometimes it’s about helping prints release.
Glue can be useful when:
-
Printing PETG or TPU
-
Printing very large parts
-
Preventing damage to smooth plates
With flex plates becoming standard, we’re constantly touching build surfaces. That’s why failures often happen near the edges and corners—because that’s where our hands go.
If PLA suddenly stops sticking and your instinct is to add glue—stop.
Wash the plate.
If it worked last week and doesn’t today, you touched the plate.
Trust me. Your plate knows.
When Brims and Rafts Actually Make Sense
Brims aren’t cheating.
They’re just admitting physics exist.
Use brims for:
-
Tall, skinny parts
-
Sharp corners
-
Prints near the edge of the bed
A simple 3–5 mm brim can save a print that would otherwise fail.
And always—watch your first layer. It tells you almost everything you need to know.
Before panic-tuning your printer, wash the plate.
My Go-To Build Plate Recommendation
I get asked this all the time: Which build plate do you recommend?
My answer: the BQ Frostbite build plate.
It’s the plate I have the most consistent success with, and it now comes in a really slick matte orange finish.
Why It’s Great
-
Compatible with Bambu Lab A1, P1P, P1S, P2S, and X1C
-
Designed for low-temperature, no-glue printing
-
PLA: 30–50°C
-
PETG: 50–70°C
-
Faster heat-up, lower power use, less thermal stress
-
Easy-to-clean matte coating
-
X1C auto-recognizes it via plate codes
Pro tip:
If a print won’t come off after flexing, toss the plate in the freezer for 10 minutes. The part will pop right off.
Also… the orange looks awesome.
🔗 Gear Mentioned (Some Affiliate Links to Support the Chaos)
🔧 Stuff I Use So My Prints Don’t Escape the Bed BIQU Frostbite Build Plate (Matte Orange, Zero Drama) - https://amzn.to/4bpBcNb
BIQU Glacier Build Plate - https://amzn.to/49ukTMH
Textured PEI Build Plate (Bambu Lab Compatible) - https://amzn.to/3NcJD4r
Dawn Dish Soap (The Real MVP) - https://amzn.to/4qLPqwp
Bed adhesion problems aren’t personal.
It’s just physics reminding us who’s in charge.
For more 3D printing tips, DIY projects, and maker chaos, follow Maker Build It.
And remember:
Master the first layer—and everything above it gets easier.