Ender 3 (V2/Pro) Warped Bed: Diagnosis & Easy Fix

The bed on your Ender 3 3D printer can warp for a number of reasons. In most cases, that relates to poor leveling or height settings. In other cases, it might be because the bed isn’t warming properly.

However, if your Ender 3 bed is warped, don’t panic. There might be a fix. 

A warped bed might be fixable with leveling or automatic bed leveling. You might also be able to use supports or manual mesh.

In extreme cases of warp, the best solution will be to replace your printer bed. However, there are several easy fixes you can try first. 

How To Check If You Got A Warped Ender 3 (V2/Pro) Bed

Your printer med may be warped. However, it’s important to check that you can’t fix the issue without leveling it first. 

Base: Check If Your Print Bed Is Level 

1. Take off the magnetic print bed
2. Get a metal ruler 
3. Place the metal ruler diagonally across the print surface 
4. Check to see if there are any gaps between the ruler and the bed
5. Check with the ruler diagonally across the other side 

Check If Your Print Bed Is Warped

1. Loosen the leveling knobs on each corner of your print bed 
2. Place a spirit level on top of the bed diagonally in each direction 
3. Check with a metal ruler to see if there are any gaps under the bed

Providing your printer is leveled and the surface it is resting on is level, you shouldn’t have any dips in the corners if there is no pressure from the springs underneath.

In addition, you shouldn’t have any dips anywhere in the bed if the bed isn’t warped. 

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How To Fix Warped Ender 3 Bed

If your Ender 3 Pro or V2 bed is warped, you can quickly fix the issue> however, most of these fixes are about adding compensation. If your bed is actually warped, the only real “fix” is to replace the bed. 

1. Use Supporting Material

Supporting materials are a relatively easy way to fix a warped bed, providing you have a flexible surface material. For example, the magnetic bed surface that comes with the Ender 3. 

Here, you can use the “Check if Your Print Bed is Level” process above. Then, use post-Its or a similar material to level out the bed. Here, a post-it is normally about 0.003 inches. So, a single post-It can solve a minor bed warp issue. From there, you can put the magnetic mat back in place on top of the post-it. 

Of course, post-it notes are far from your only option. Painter’s tape, PLA film, mesh, and other materials are all common and useful. There’s also no right answer. You’ll have to decide what works best for you and your print needs. 

2. Integrate Automatic Bed Leveling (ABL) System

An Automatic Bed Leveling System (ABL) can help you to compensate for a warped bed by setting points where the bed actually is, rather than where it should be.

While it won’t fully fix the issue, it can allow you to print without losing quality as much as without it. 

First, you’ll want to level the bed: 

1. Power off your printer.
2. Move the print bed manually, the LCD panel may flash if the stepper motor generates electricity.
3. Move the print head from about an inch in from each head.
4. Use the Z rod to manually lower the x-axis. When you get to the switch, you’ll hear it click. When you just hear it click, that’s the home position. That’s the position to use to check if the bed is level.
5. The bed has springs under it, so push down slightly to slide a piece of paper under the z-axis and see if you can just slide the paper under it. Then re-check at each corner, about a few inches in from the corner. 
6. Then you can turn the screws clockwise or counterclockwise depending on whether you want it raised or lowered.

Alternatively, you can use a G-code script to check if the bed is level or not. For example, if you use Marlin, this Bed Inspector code is extremely popular for checking if your bed is level. 

From there, you can install an automatic bed leveler, such as the BL-Touch. These plug into the mainboard and offer additional input to your Ender 3. Depending on which one you have, you’ll need a different setup.

3. Leveling Knobs

You can always use the leveling knobs to artificially flatten the bed. However, this trick only works if the warp is on one side or on the corners. It will not, unfortunately, fix a center dip or bump in the bed. 

Here, you should use the instructions to check if your print bed is warped above. 

1. Use a level to check how the bed is warped.
2. Use a metal ruler and Post-its to check how much offset you need and in which direction, i.e. is the bed warped up or down? 
3. Place the level diagonally across the print bed.
4. Adjust the leveling knobs until the print bed is diagonally level.
5. Repeat on the other diagonal.

Here, it’s important to note that if you have a single lifted corner, or two lifted corners, it’s also important to level your bed horizontally. 

4. Manual Mesh Bed Leveling Technique

If you’re using Marlin or the JyersUI for your Ender 3, you can use the manual mesh bed leveling feature.

Manual mesh leveling is the process of manually telling your firmware where to set points on your bed. That allows you to adjust for an uneven print surface. 

This isn’t a fix for a warped bed. However, it does allow you to print stably on a warped bed. 

1. Download a manual mesh leveling solution that works with your board, e.g., if you’re using a 4.2.2 binary download a solution for that. You can choose 3×3, 4×4, or other setups. This impacts the number of points on the bed you level. A 3×3 probes 9 points on the bed. On the other hand, a  4×4 probes 25 points. 
2. Level the bed.
3. Follow the instructions from your mesh leveling software.
4. At each point on the grid, slide a piece of paper under the print head. You should have just a tiny amount of resistance. If it’s hard to push under, lower the bed. On the other hand, if it pushes under too easily, raise the bed. Then set the point.
5. Repeat this at every point.

This process tells the firmware where your bed actually is, at every point. This may mean that you print with offset.

However, for a difference of 0.003 inches, it shouldn’t make too much difference to the quality of your print. 

5. Use A Different Surface 

In some cases, the print bed surface is the problem. For example, the Ender 3 V2 uses a carborundum glass bed that is highly unlikely to warp. 

On the other hand, the Ender 3 Pro uses a magnetic build plate. This is prone to warping. In some cases, you can reduce the impact of warping by switching to a different build surface. 

For example, using a thicker magnetic build surface. In other cases, using a glass build surface will reduce the impact of dips in the build plate. However, it may also cost you print height. 

6. Sand The Print Bed 

Some users successfully sand down their print bed to achieve a more level surface. This only works if you only have a slight warp in the bed. 

1. Create a large sanding pad, heavier than the bed. Taping 259 grit sandpaper to a table or cabinet is a common solution. 
2. Remove the build plate from your Ender
3. Lightly sand the build plate, applying as little pressure as possible 
4. Rotate the build plate every few minutes
5. Check back and re-level the build plate

Keep in mind that if you apply pressure on one side of the bed and not the other, you will further damage the bed. It’s important to apply as little pressure as possible and to keep the bed level. 

7. Replace The Springs 

In some cases, your print bed may be warped because the springs are going out. In this case, you can easily order replacements. 

1. Remove the knobs 
2. Carefully lift each corner of the bed and pull the springs off 
3. Slide the new springs on 
4. Re-attach the knobs 
5. Level the bed

It’s normally better to replace springs without taking off the bed. That’s because detaching the heating element can take a lot of time.

However, you also have to be careful not to flex the build plate too much, so be careful. 

8. Replace Print Bed

In some cases, your Ender 3 build plate will be so badly warped you have to replace it. In this case, there are dozens of options, including OEM from Creality and many aftermarket upgrades.

Do your research and see what works for you and your budget. 

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When Not To Panic

Magnetic print beds will always warp under uneven heat. That’s normal if you don’t have a heated print bed.

Therefore, you’re always going to see some warping in your build plate. Don’t panic. You can always adjust for it.

Whether you do that with supports, by adjusting the first print layer thickness, or by another means, is up to you. 

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Final Thoughts

Bed warping is a normal part of owning a magnetic bed plate. You can offset it in a number of ways. Most of them provide very good solutions. In addition, you can upgrade to a different bed. A heated bed is one way to avoid many warping issues in the future. 

However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. You should choose the one that works for you.