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Beginner’s Guide to 3D Printing: Easy Tips and Tricks for Your First Prints

Getting started with 3D printing is exciting. But
where do you start? It isn’t the same as printing a simple document. Instead, 3D
printing’s settings configuration is a little more complex. You need to understand
things like slicer configurations, temperature tuning and hardware adjustments.
On top of that, choosing the right printer, the right filament, and knowing
what to print first as a beginner can be challenging. The good news is that once
you have the right setup, everything starts to fall into place. This guide will
give you just that confidence in 3D printing. We’ll walk you through all you
need to know. 

Let’s start with the basics: You’ll need a reliable
3D printer and a high-quality spool of filament.

Choose a Reliable, Budget-Friendly Printer



You don’t need a high-end printer to get good results.
We recommend starting with an easy to set up and budget-friendly printer that
is compatible with beginner-friendly filaments such as PLA, PETG and ASA, and
is supported by a large user community. To avoid unnecessary problems along the
way, you should also ideally invest in a printer that includes a heated print
bed and open software support like Cura, PrusaSlicer, or BambuLab. 

We recommend the following beginner printers:

Bambu Lab A1 Mini compact, user-friendly, auto-calibrating What it offers: Extremely easy to set up, excellent print quality right out of the box, quiet, integrated software experience Best for: Beginners who want plug-and-play printing without tweaking or troubleshooting

Creality Ender 3 (V2, Neo, or SE) 
affordable, modifiable, huge support online&nbsp; What it offers: Is customizable and budget-friendly.&nbsp; Why it’s great: Large online community with many tutorials.&nbsp; Best for: Budget-conscious beginners who want to learn by doing.

Anycubic Kobra 2 
quick assembly and auto-leveling for easy setup&nbsp; What it offers: Fast setup with auto-bed leveling and quick assembly.&nbsp; Why it’s great: Less configuration which makes 3D printing easier.&nbsp; Best for: Beginners who immediately want smooth, easy printing.

Prusa Mini+ 
more premium, compact&nbsp; What it offers: Excellent print quality and reliability.&nbsp; Why it’s great: Minimal tweaking, great support and software.&nbsp; Best for: Users looking for a long-term investment.

With a reliable printer in place, the next step is just as important: choosing
the right filament. Let’s look at the best materials to start your 3D
printing journey.

Best
Filaments for Beginners: PLA, PETG, ASA

Not all filaments are equally beginner friendly. Start
with materials that are forgiving, widely supported, and well-documented. Some
are easier to print with than others, offering smoother prints, fewer errors,
and more consistent results. 

Here are the three best filaments for beginners:

Important note: PLA works on
almost all 3D printers. PETG and ASA, however, need a bit more care for good
results. Here, we again advise that you invest in a printer with a heated bed
and a good build plate adhesion. Also make sure to store the filaments in a dry
place when not in use. This prevents issues like stringing or brittleness
caused by moisture.

But moisture isn’t the only culprit when it comes to
printing problems. To avoid a whole range of issues, we strongly recommend you
choose high-quality filament because poor filament quality can lead to problems
like print clogging, stringing, warping, or inconsistent layering despite the
use of a perfectly calibrated printer. What does this mean for your print?

Clogging: The filament
doesn’t melt or flow properly, instead getting stuck in the nozzle and stopping
the print.

Stringing: Thin, messy
threads appear between parts of the print, like cobwebs, because the filament
is too runny or inconsistent.

Warping: Corners of the print lift or
curl, especially on larger prints, because the material doesn’t stick well or
cools unevenly.

Inconsistent layers: The print
ends up with rough or uneven surfaces because the filament thickness or quality
changes as it prints.

To avoid these issues, we’ve carefully developed our PLA,
PETG, and ASA filaments to be easy to use, print reliably, and give you the
results you’re aiming for, right from the beginning. Try out these three
Extrudr filaments for your first prints to get the hang of 3D printing: 

What it’s made of: A bio-based polymer (mostly cornstarch)&nbsp; Why it’s great: It prints effortlessly with clean lines and no warping. The
matte finish of the NX2 MATT filament gives your print a professional look
straight off the bed.&nbsp; Ideal for: Beginner- and design-focused projects.

mediaLibraryStrapi

What it’s made of: A glycol-modified version of PET (plastic in water
bottles)&nbsp; Why it’s great: It offers better flow and easier handling while maintaining
its signature strength and flexibility. 
Ideal for: Functional parts that need to be reliable and
durable.

large_20191113_Moai_PETG_XPETGMATT_2Logo copy.jpg

medium_20191113_Moai_PETG_XPETGMATT_2Logo copy.jpg

small_20191113_Moai_PETG_XPETGMATT_2Logo copy.jpg

thumbnail_20191113_Moai_PETG_XPETGMATT_2Logo copy.jpg

What it’s made of: A high-performance engineering plastic similar to
ABS, but UV-resistant.&nbsp; Why it’s great: Re-engineered for ease of use while offering advanced
qualities. Unlike standard ASA, it prints with fewer complications but still
offers UV- and weather-resistance as well as increased strength. 
Ideal for: Outdoor use and demanding parts that need to resist
sunlight, weather, and wear.&nbsp;

By starting with these high-quality filaments, you remove
one of the biggest reasons why prints don’t turn out as planned. When something
still goes wrong, it’s much easier to trace the issue back to your print settings.
This is where material profiles really help.

If you’ve heard of “material profiles” but aren’t sure
what they are – don’t worry, you’re not alone. Simply put, a material profile
is a set of pre-configured settings tailored for a specific filament and printer
combination. It includes parameters like nozzle temperature, bed temperature,
cooling speed, retraction values, and print speed. These settings are used
inside your slicer software (like Cura, PrusaSlicer, or Bambu Studio) to
convert your 3D model into precise instructions your 3D printer understands. Because,
yes, not all 3D printers are the same.

Just as filaments are made up of different material
components, different printers have different hardware setups like hotends,
nozzles, bed surfaces, and cooling systems. The optimal settings can, therefore,
vary from one printer to another. 

To help you print with our filaments, we have
developed pre-tested material profiles for most of the popular printers.
These profiles will help you get reliable results without needing to fine-tune
everything yourself, which is especially useful for your first print projects. 

Tip: If your printer isn’t listed,
you can still use our material profiles as a solid reference point to fine-tune
as needed. Here’s a basic setup that works surprisingly well with most 3D
printers and our PLA NX2 MATT:

These settings offer a good balance between quality
and speed and are perfect for early experiments. As you gain confidence, you
can begin customizing things like layer height or support structure to match
your model.

But what should you print first? You don’t need any
design skills to get started. These days, there’s a whole world of
ready-to-print 3D models, just waiting to be explored. 

One of the most exciting parts of 3D printing is
finding out what you can make. Whether it’s something practical like a cable
holder or something decorative like a mini sculpture, you’ll find thousands of
free (and paid) models online, created by designers and shared with the
community.

You’ll find endless inspiration online, but not all models
are beginner friendly. That’s why we recommend starting with small utility
prints like phone stands, desk organizers, or tool clips to test tolerances and
get used to the printing process – without using too much filament or time.

You’ve got the printer, the filament, the print model,
and the material profile ready. But despite following the guide, your print
still doesn’t turn out right. And that’s okay! It’s normal to run into a few
challenges at the start. That’s how you learn. The good news is most first-time
issues are easy to fix once you know what to look for.

Uneven first layer?
Make sure your print bed is properly leveled. Most printers include
either manual knobs or automatic leveling tools. Also, check that the surface
is clean and free of dust or leftover filament.

Print not sticking to the bed?
If your print isn’t holding onto the bed during the first few layers,
try adding a bit of extra adhesion. A simple glue stick works well on most
surfaces, or you can enable a brim in your slicer settings – a thin outline
around your part that helps anchor it to the bed. Also double-check your bed
temperature and make sure the first layer isn’t too far from the surface.

Getting stringy or messy prints?
Fine filament strings between parts or corners usually indicate moisture
in your filament or that your retraction settings need adjusting. Store your
filament in a dry place, ideally in a sealed bag with a desiccant (those small
moisture-absorbing packets), or dry your filament before using it. By pulling
back the filament slightly during travel moves in your slicer (retraction), you
can also reduce oozing between moves.

Nozzle getting clogged?
If your filament stops extruding or comes out unevenly, your nozzle
might be partially blocked. This can happen through dust, burnt filament, or
inconsistent material. Try gently cleaning the nozzle with a cleaning filament
or a cold pull and always cut the end of your filament cleanly before loading –
this helps it feed more easily and reduces jamming. Also, make sure the nozzle
is properly preheated before inserting new filament. Using high-quality
filament also reduces the risk of it happening in the first place.

Our Advice: Keep It Simple, Keep It Fun



The most important thing to remember is that you don’t
need to know everything before you begin. Just start with the basics:

At Extrudr, we make
high-quality, sustainable filament spools at our production site in Lustenau,
Austria, using clean and controlled processes. We believe good materials make
great learning possible. If you're just getting started, we’re here to make
those first steps easier.

<a href="https://www.extrudr.com">Explore beginner materials on
extrudr.com
</a>

Get material profiles &amp; help at <a href="https://extrudr.com/shop-eu/page/material-profiles/?locale=en">https://extrudr.com/shop-eu/page/material-profiles/?locale=en</a>

We’re here to help you every layer of the way!

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Beginner’s Guide to 3D Printing: Easy Tips and Tricks for Your First Prints