Newbe needing some help please

[Slaps98]

Hi everyone I'm new to 3d printing and I'm having some problems with prints. I keep getting lines in my prints and can't work out why.

[CrazyIvan]

I can't tell what I'm looking at. Is that the first layer, directly on the print bed? What printer?

[Slaps98]

Yes it's the first layers on the bed and it's bambu labs a1

[CrazyIvan]

The first layer of print is subject to any unevenness in the print bed, even microscopic. The regularity in the texture *might* be down to the limited resolution in Z when applying bed levelling compensation (just a guess).

I would be more concerned if a similar pattern appeared on subsequent layers.

First layer defects can be eliminated by using a raft, but that produces defects of its own.

[Slaps98]

Thanks but it turns out it was some loose screw behind the hot end. Tightened them up and the problem went away

[bryant]

That's fantastic news! And a huge thank you for coming back to share the fix. It's incredibly helpful for the community when people post their solutions.

Your experience is a perfect reminder of a golden rule in 3D printing: always check the simple, physical things first before diving into complex slicer settings.

It reminds me of a time I was pulling my hair out over terrible stringing, popping sounds from the nozzle, and a rough, ugly surface finish. I spent hours tweaking retraction settings and temperatures, convinced it was a complex profile issue. Turns out, the PLA roll had just been sitting out for too long and absorbed moisture. I put it in a filament dryer for a few hours, and it started printing perfectly again, like a brand new roll. That filament dryer has since become one of my most essential tools.

It's the exact same principle as your loose screw – a simple, physical issue that no amount of software tweaking can ever fix.
Happy printing!

[CrazyIvan]

I agree, but we can't predict that from this end of a forum chat. We have to assume there's nothing physically wrong with the printer and the poster will have checked all that sort of thing before asking, until is is an inescapable conclusion. Otherwise somebody will come along and get the hump because we're talking down to them!