NEW USER GUIDES FOR THE ORIGINAL PRUSA I3 MK3S
Welcome to the growing family of the Original Prusa i3 MK3S owners! Thank you again for purchasing a 3D printer directly from its developer Josef Prusa. Your purchase supports us in further development. Josef Prusa, one of the core developers of open source project RepRap and creator of Prusa i3, started Prusa Research as a one-man startup in 2012. The company rapidly expanded and now has a team of more than 350 people. Currently, we ship more than 6000 Original Prusa i3 printers per month to over 160 countries directly from Prague. And we continue to improve both user experience and reliability of 3D printing every day.
However, a 3D printer is not a maintenance-free machine - at least not yet. You need to learn a few things about how a 3D printer operates, so you can enjoy trouble-free printing or even solve an occasional problem, such as a clogged nozzle. But don't worry! Most problems are really easy to fix. Plus, we are here to help you. This page contains links to a whole bunch of useful videos and articles, which will guide you through your first steps in the 3D printing world. Some of them are for more advanced users, but no worries - you'll be one of them soon enough 😉
In case you can't find the answer to your question on our websites, we are providing full 24/7 customer support via live chat (available at shop.prusa3d.com) and e-mail in several languages. There are also unofficial user groups on Facebook, where makers help each other.
MK3/S New user guide video
Are you struggling with filament loading? How should the first layer calibration look? In this video, Josef Prusa himself will help you set up your printer.
Based on the examination of printers received back from the customers, we compiled a list of the most common problems causing poor print quality. Check them out and improve your 3D prints today!
General 3D printing tips & tricks
5 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT YOUR ORIGINAL PRUSA I3 MK3
VIDEO INCLUDED | Did you know, that you can move Z axis by holding down the control knob? This and four more quick tips are ready for you in this article.
EVERYTHING ABOUT NOZZLES WITH A DIFFERENT DIAMETER
VIDEO INCLUDED | Changing the nozzle takes just a few minutes. We will demonstrate the benefits of smaller and larger nozzles in real situations.
6 TIPS FOR ORIGINAL PRUSA I3 3D PRINTER MAINTENANCE
The single best way how to keep any 3D printer running all the time is to provide it with routine maintenance. What should you care for?
HOW TO FIX THE MOST COMMON 3D PRINTING ERRORS
VIDEO INCLUDED | How to deal with layer shifting, problems with bed stickness, stringing or extruder blobs? Find out solutions in this article.
DOES YOUR NEWLY ASSEMBLED ORIGINAL PRUSA I3 MK3 PRINT THE BEST IT CAN?
Perhaps you’re wondering whether you have built the printer correctly and whether your prints are as good as possible. In this article, you’ll learn what affects print quality and how to fix them.
7 PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF YOUR 3D PRINTS
In this article, we will take a closer look at difficulties related to filament extrusion and how they affect the quality of your prints.
How to print on a powder-coated sheet
VIDEO INCLUDED |
In this article, we will take a close look at differences between smooth and powder coated print sheets.
How to print with flexible filament
There’s a group of special filaments that are perfect for RC airplane wheels, flexible phone covers or durable GoPro cases. Do you want to try them?
3MF file format and why it’s great
VIDEO INCLUDED | Meet 3MF – a new open-source file format designed specifically for additive manufacturing.
Preparing models for 3D printing
HOW TO REPAIR CORRUPTED 3D MODELS FOR PRINTING
VIDEO INCLUDED | You’d be surprised how many 3D models you can find on the internet are broken in some way. We will tell you how to repair them.
PHOTOGRAMMETRY – 3D SCANNING WITH JUST YOUR PHONE/CAMERA
VIDEO INCLUDED | Have you ever wished that you could easily transfer a real object into a digital file? There is a one surprisingly cheap way to do that.
HOW TO CREATE CUSTOM OVERHANG SUPPORTS IN MESHMIXER
VIDEO INCLUDED | Most slicers used for FDM 3D printing use lattice supports. But in some cases, tree supports could brings you a couple of advantages...
HOW TO CUT STL MODELS FOR 3D PRINTING IN MESHMIXER
VIDEO INCLUDED | There are at least three cases where cutting objects into smaller components could be your best option. Let's take a look.
SLICE WITH STYLE! THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE FOR SLIC3R PRUSA EDITION
Basic slicing is very easy, and you can handle it without any problems with our PrusaControl. But sooner or later you might feel limited. And this is the time for Slic3r PE.
THREE SIMPLE METHODS TO STYLIZE 3D MODELS
Everyone knows filters that can stylize 2D pictures, but did you know you can do the same with 3D models? Breathe new life into your old models with one of these simple techniques.
POSTPROCESSING OF 3D PRINTS STEP-BY-STEP
The process of machining 3D prints is called postprocessing, and in this article, we will show you all of its secrets. Once you master these techniques, you will be able to work with pretty much anything you print.
PHOTOGRAMMETRY 2 – 3D SCANNING SIMPLER, BETTER THAN EVER!
Creating a 3D model just by taking lots of pictures of a real object? Yes! Photogrammetry is back – and it’s easier to use, gives better results and it is still completely free!
“Modeling” with PrusaSlicer – Modifier meshes tutorial
Have you ever thought that the infill pattern itself can be very nice to look at? In this article, we will explore an unusual use of PrusaSlicer and we will show you how to transform models with ease!
How to improve your 3D prints with annealing
Annealing can improve firmness, tensile strength and a heat resistance of a given object. It’s a well-known procedure when creating metal but it's also applicable with 3D prints.
3D printing Projects
Create and print your own 3D jigsaw puzzles!
This article will be a guide on how to make something of your own in the form of puzzles, 3D puzzles!
3D printed railway models
Series of articles, in which we will show you how to make your own railway model: from the landscape basics to highly-detailed trains.
Media control volume knob
An infinitely rotatable and clickable dial that can play/pause your current song or skip to the next one on double click without you ever leaving the currently opened application!
Prusa Printer Enclosure V2 – with MMU2S support
Improved version of our 3D printer enclosure that would accomodate the MK3S (and 2.5S) 3D printer along with the MMU2S unit.
Filament dryboxes and alternative spool holders
if you want to print from special materials, which are hygroscopic, you need to keep the filament dry also during printing. We present several solutions for this case.
HOW TO PRINT MAPS, TERRAINS AND LANDSCAPES ON A 3D PRINTER
What about to create a plastic model of terrain for school education, a small-scale national park, or perhaps a tiny version of a mountain you climbed in the past?
How to make 3D print time lapses with your smartphone camera
You can use any modern smartphone with Bluetooth LE functionality to record time-lapse videos of your prints.
Light up your 3D prints with LEDs and bulbs!
You have three options when it comes to simple light sources that work well with 3D prints. We will show you all of them.
3D print your own tabletop game
How to 3D print your own tabletop RPG, Warhammer 40K terrain objects and all sorts of interesting tabletop accessories with your Original Prusa i3 3D printer?
Print your own portable boombox
A 3D-printed boombox sounds surprisingly well, plus it can be cheaper than commercially available models.
HOW TO VISUALIZE EXTRUDER MOTOR MOVEMENTS
VIDEO INCLUDED | Extruder movements on both MK2/S and MK3 can be quite difficult to see. But there is one simple solution how to visualize them!
HOW TO BUILD A SIMPLE, CHEAP ENCLOSURE FOR YOUR 3D PRINTER
VIDEO INCLUDED | Maybe you have already seen some of those fancy enclosures people build for their printers. But you can have your own. See our guide!
5 COOL MODELS TO PRINT AND POSTPROCESSING SHOWCASE
The objects printed using the FDM method can achieve looks that will be comparable to those made using the injection molding method. Take a look!
10 HANDY LITTLE GADGETS FOR BEGINNERS IN 3D PRINTING
Are you perhaps wondering, what kind of cool gadget you should print on your shiny new 3D printer? Definitely something useful!
HOW TO BUILD A COOL & CHEAP 3D PRINTED MICRO DRONE
We’ll demonstrate that RC vehicles and our 3D printers are a perfect match! We’re going to tell you how to build a cheap, yet powerful, 3D printed mini quadcopter!
Troubleshooting and step-by-step guides
First layer calibration and Live adjust Z
VIDEO INCLUDED | The Live adjust Z is a software tool used to calibrate the distance between the tip of the nozzle and the print surface.
Layer shifting
Layer shifting is a printing issue, which causes the layers of the printed object to shift from their designated position. How to fix it?
Clogged nozzle
Clogs are one of the most common 3D printing troubles you may encounter with your printer. If you want to fix a clogged nozzle or even prevent it from happening altogether, follow our guide.
XYZ Calibration & error messages
XYZ calibration is the decisive process which will tell you how well you have assembled your printer. If you encounter errors during the process, follow this article.
Upgrading the firmware
Updating the printer's firmware is recommended for all users as it brings new features and bug fixes.The whole process is very easy as you can see in our guide.
PEI print surface preparation
The print surface should be regularly maintained to achieve optimal printing quality and minimize the chance of failed prints. It's an easy procedure, so let's take a look at our tips and recommendations.
Print error messages
If your printer stops working, one of the error messages will appear on the LCD. We have a special article about all of them on our Knowledge Base.