This can't be right...  

Re: This can't be right...

You need to redo you live Z calibration.

Re: This can't be right...

Should I just do the wizard again?

Re: This can't be right...

Should I just do the wizard again?

Try using Jeff Jordan's "Life Adjust" procedure for calibrating your Live-Z setting. It is much easier to use and understand than the on-board routine.

And above all else, avoid touching the PEI print surface.

Re: This can't be right...

I am going to have to try the life adjust protocol.

Re: This can't be right...

Persevere with this and adjust in small steps,using a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height definately no more than 25 at a time on the live-z settings. (0.025) and once you are really close (Joined up lines on the print bed), no more than 10 (0.010) before leaving to print and check. If it takes you 20 tries to get this right, it is better than 3 and poor results. I know it's tempting to just dive in and print everything on Thingiverse, but unless you get this right you will be disapointed. Get it right and you will be well on your way to trouble free printing, rush this and you may end up disapointed with the printer or even with a damaged print surface.

What you should end up with is a flat square with no gaps when held up to the light and no fobbling on the top (Little lumps of plastic, sometimes these can be seen as a ripple when they join up). It should be fairly hard to pull apart the inividual strands once cooled.

During the initial live-z adjustment from the LCD, the corners should stick (Clean the print surface with IPA beforehand though) and the final square should be joined up lines and no gaps. From your pictures you are already in a good place as you are not too low to begin with, just keep doing these tests adjusting a little lower until you get a good print.
By doing this many times, you learn what close and miles off and too low look like and will end up dialing in the correct settings second nature because this will help with nozzle changes, firmware updates and printer mods going forward. Yes, you will! 😀

What I find is the Live-z from the printer gets you somewhere in the ball park, always err on slightly too high, but still a joined up rectangle. Once printed, when you lift the strand it should peel off the bed and the rectangle at the end should come off as one piece not like a jumper where you pull a thread and it unravels, then follow the live-z adjust my way thread and really dial the settings in for best results.

I have found that a SUNLU PLA+ Silver filament is ideal for this as it is slightly shiny and also has just the right contrast to be able to see the print bed between the lines if you are too high, and goes a matt finish if too low just before the ripples start, if you get it a satin finish, you have set the live-z just right. You should be able to bend it without the layers cracking apart. Prusa filament is a little too matt when printed to be able to differentiate well.

Your grey filament should be OK and you may want to get a good bright LED torch to look closely.

Feel free to ask on these forums for any help or advice as people on here are a friendly helpful bunch, and don't think it's a stupid question. We've all asked them and get help and sensible answers, and welcome to the forums. 😀

Re: This can't be right...

First Layer is absolutely crucial ... and once you've done it a few times becomes second nature. But looking at your bed, you should also adopt the NO TOUCH policy for the bed. Any skin oils on the bed will kill a print - oils keep the plastic from sticking to the bed and the part will break loose at the best of times, like 99% of the way through a print so you waste a half kilo of $30 PLA. Your bed is dirty and needs a soap and water wash.

Hot Water wash: often, as needed
Handle the bed only by the edges.
Wash the bed in hot water, use a fresh paper towel as a wash cloth, with a few drops of plain dish soap (Dawn, unscented, no anti-bacterial, etc.). Rinse well in hot water - if you have very soft water, rinse a bit longer.
Dry the bed with a fresh paper towel.
Handle the bed only by the edges.
Place bed on printer.

Alcohol rinse: every few prints
Once in a while, an alcohol rinse is helpful to remove PLA residue. It does not remove finger oils.
Pour a 5 cm puddle of 91%+ alcohol in the middle of the bed, use a fresh paper towel to scrub the bed. Wipe up all the alcohol.

Streak test: when contamination is suspected and after a wash
With a fresh piece of paper towel, and very clean fingers, dampen the towel with 91%+ alcohol, and wipe the bed side to side moving back to front, like you're painting it with alcohol. The alcohol should be thin enough on the towel it quickly evaporates. If you see any streaks, the bed is dirty and needs a wash.

Acetone wash: infrequent
Pour a 2 cm puddle of acetone on the bed, scrub it around with a fresh paper towel. It will evaporate fast as you clean. This step removes PEI oxides that form over time and with heat, and improves PLA adhesion to a like new state.

Re: This can't be right...

First Layer is absolutely crucial ... and once you've done it a few times becomes second nature. But looking at your bed, you should also adopt the NO TOUCH policy for the bed. Any skin oils on the bed will kill a print - oils keep the plastic from sticking to the bed and the part will break loose at the best of times, like 99% of the way through a print so you waste a half kilo of $30 PLA. Your bed is dirty and needs a soap and water wash.

Hot Water wash: often, as needed
Handle the bed only by the edges.
Wash the bed in hot water, use a fresh paper towel as a wash cloth, with a few drops of plain dish soap (Dawn, unscented, no anti-bacterial, etc.). Rinse well in hot water - if you have very soft water, rinse a bit longer.
Dry the bed with a fresh paper towel.
Handle the bed only by the edges.
Place bed on printer.

Alcohol rinse: every few prints
Once in a while, an alcohol rinse is helpful to remove PLA residue. It does not remove finger oils.
Pour a 5 cm puddle of 91%+ alcohol in the middle of the bed, use a fresh paper towel to scrub the bed. Wipe up all the alcohol.

Streak test: when contamination is suspected and after a wash
With a fresh piece of paper towel, and very clean fingers, dampen the towel with 91%+ alcohol, and wipe the bed side to side moving back to front, like you're painting it with alcohol. The alcohol should be thin enough on the towel it quickly evaporates. If you see any streaks, the bed is dirty and needs a wash.

Acetone wash: infrequent
Pour a 2 cm puddle of acetone on the bed, scrub it around with a fresh paper towel. It will evaporate fast as you clean. This step removes PEI oxides that form over time and with heat, and improves PLA adhesion to a like new state.

Does all the same apply to powder coated sheets?

Re: This can't be right...

First Layer is absolutely crucial ... and once you've done it a few times becomes second nature. But looking at your bed, you should also adopt the NO TOUCH policy for the bed. Any skin oils on the bed will kill a print - oils keep the plastic from sticking to the bed and the part will break loose at the best of times, like 99% of the way through a print so you waste a half kilo of $30 PLA. Your bed is dirty and needs a soap and water wash.

Hot Water wash: often, as needed
Handle the bed only by the edges.
Wash the bed in hot water, use a fresh paper towel as a wash cloth, with a few drops of plain dish soap (Dawn, unscented, no anti-bacterial, etc.). Rinse well in hot water - if you have very soft water, rinse a bit longer.
Dry the bed with a fresh paper towel.
Handle the bed only by the edges.
Place bed on printer.

Alcohol rinse: every few prints
Once in a while, an alcohol rinse is helpful to remove PLA residue. It does not remove finger oils.
Pour a 5 cm puddle of 91%+ alcohol in the middle of the bed, use a fresh paper towel to scrub the bed. Wipe up all the alcohol.

Streak test: when contamination is suspected and after a wash
With a fresh piece of paper towel, and very clean fingers, dampen the towel with 91%+ alcohol, and wipe the bed side to side moving back to front, like you're painting it with alcohol. The alcohol should be thin enough on the towel it quickly evaporates. If you see any streaks, the bed is dirty and needs a wash.

Acetone wash: infrequent
Pour a 2 cm puddle of acetone on the bed, scrub it around with a fresh paper towel. It will evaporate fast as you clean. This step removes PEI oxides that form over time and with heat, and improves PLA adhesion to a like new state.

Does all the same apply to powder coated sheets?

Most Definitely! Mostly just the dish soap and water wash and IPA for pla and windex for PETG. If i am switching between lots of PLA prints to PETG or vice a versa, Dawn dish soap wash ensures no issues....

Re: This can't be right...

Switching between PLA to PETG you will see a matt looking mark left by the PLA, this will prevent the PETG from sticking well.
To be honest, you are better off keeping the textured PRUSA sheet for PETG exclusively where it excels and this way you won't need to keep washing it, just wipe over with IPA and do what I did and get a smooth sheet for PLA, or use one side for PETG and the other for PLA.

Re: This can't be right...

You'll know when you've got the first layer just right, as the print lines pretty much merge into each other and feel silky smooth on the base of the printed object (when using the smooth PEI sheet bed). When using a textured bed, the print lines pretty much dissapear, leaving just the textured surface (just like the printed parts supplied with the printer).

Re: This can't be right...

PETG adds it own set of issues over PLA; I recommend you master PLA first. Then move to PETG.

What issues? Adhesion: Some PETG brands stick to the PEI like superglue. Folks use Windex to wash the bed first, it reduces the bed adhesion a bit. Yet anoher PETG may be as picky as PLA and needs a clean bed. Alcohol can be used to remove the PLA residue; or soap and water works. But when a PETG print sticks, letting the print cool completely, or throwing the print with bed into the freezer for a few minutes can help the print release. Once you get the tack right, then comes Inter-Layer Adhesion: Warpage: Slumping: etc.

Re: This can't be right...

PETG adds it own set of issues over PLA; I recommend you master PLA first. Then move to PETG.

What issues? Adhesion: Some PETG brands stick to the PEI like superglue. Folks use Windex to wash the bed first, it reduces the bed adhesion a bit. Yet anoher PETG may be as picky as PLA and needs a clean bed. Alcohol can be used to remove the PLA residue; or soap and water works. But when a PETG print sticks, letting the print cool completely, or throwing the print with bed into the freezer for a few minutes can help the print release. Once you get the tack right, then comes Inter-Layer Adhesion: Warpage: Slumping: etc.

That is true. If you can't get a good print with PLA, PEGT is not usually going to perform better.