How to Adjust E-Steps in 3D Printers: A Complete Guide to Calibration and Accuracy

What Are E-Steps and Why Are They Important in 3D Printing?

When it comes to 3D printing, the key to achieving precision and quality lies in your printer’s settings. One of the most important settings is the E-steps, which refers to the steps per millimeter that the extruder motor takes to push filament through the nozzle. Essentially, E-steps control how much filament your printer extrudes during each movement.

Getting the right E-steps ensures that your prints have the right amount of material, which directly affects the print’s strength, surface quality, and dimensional accuracy. Miscalibrated E-steps can result in under-extrusion or over-extrusion, leading to poor-quality prints. Whether you’re a hobbyist or working on more professional 3D printing projects, fine-tuning your E-steps can dramatically improve your print results.

Understanding the Role of E-Steps in Print Quality and Accuracy

The extruder motor in your 3D printer is responsible for feeding filament into the hotend, where it’s heated and melted. The accuracy of how much filament is being extruded during the printing process is controlled by the E-steps. Incorrect E-steps can lead to significant issues in your prints:

• Under-extrusion: When too little filament is extruded, resulting in gaps, weak layers, and inconsistent surface finishes.
• Over-extrusion: When too much filament is extruded, causing excess material that can lead to blobs, stringing, and poor adhesion.

By adjusting E-steps properly, you ensure that your 3D printer is extruding just the right amount of material, enhancing the overall quality of your prints.

2. What Are E-Steps?

Definition of E-Steps in 3D Printing

E-steps, or extruder steps per millimeter, are a critical setting that defines how many steps the stepper motor must take to push 1mm of filament through the extruder. This is controlled by the firmware of the printer, and setting the correct E-steps ensures that the correct amount of filament is extruded during each print.

The E-step value is determined by your printer’s design and the configuration of the extruder. A properly calibrated E-step value ensures that your printer’s extruder and hotend work in harmony, accurately feeding the correct amount of filament as per your design.

Curious about the fundamentals of 3D printing before diving into technical details like E-Steps? Check out our guide: 3DPrinting for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide to Get Started.

3. How and Why E-Steps Impact Print Quality: The Importance of Calibration

The Crucial Role of E-Steps in the Extrusion Process

E-steps control the amount of filament your 3D printer extrudes during each print. This setting directly affects the extrusion process, which is responsible for feeding the correct amount of filament from the extruder to the print bed. If your E-steps are not properly calibrated, you might face a range of problems in your prints, such as under-extrusion or over-extrusion.

When the extruder doesn’t push enough filament, this leads to under-extrusion, resulting in gaps, weak bonds between layers, and visible gaps in your prints. On the other hand, over-extrusion occurs when too much filament is pushed through the extruder, causing the print to become messy with excess material, leading to blobs, stringing, and poor surface finishes.

Why Adjusting E-Steps is Necessary for Optimal Prints

Proper calibration of the E-steps is essential for preventing these issues and ensuring that your printer extrudes the correct amount of material, which directly impacts the quality and accuracy of your prints. Here’s why you need to adjust your E-steps:

• Consistent Extrusion: Ensures that the right amount of filament is extruded at all times, resulting in consistent layers and clean surfaces.
• Improved Print Strength: The correct amount of filament will bond well between layers, making the print stronger and more durable.
• Better Dimensional Accuracy: Calibration of E-steps ensures that the dimensions of your print are correct and match your 3D model, preventing issues like warping or misaligned layers.
• Enhanced Surface Finish: By avoiding over-extrusion or under-extrusion, you’ll achieve smoother surfaces and finer detail on your prints.

When to Adjust Your E-Steps

It’s crucial to check and calibrate your E-steps whenever:

• You experience visible extrusion issues, such as gaps, thin layers, or excess filament (blobs).
• You change filament types, as different materials can behave differently, requiring adjustments in extrusion settings.
• You replace or upgrade parts like the extruder motor or hotend.
• Your printer has been misbehaving or showing signs of wear and you want to ensure it’s still functioning optimally.

Adjusting the E-steps at these points ensures that your 3D printer continues to perform at its best, leading to smoother prints and better overall results.

Proper calibration is a cornerstone of high-quality prints, but it doesn’t stop with E-Steps. Learn how to fine-tune your printer from top to bottom in our article: How to Calibrate Your 3D Printer for Perfect Prints.

4. How to Calculate and Adjust E-Steps

Step-by-Step Guide to Measuring Your Current E-Steps

To measure and adjust the E-steps, follow these steps:

1. Measure the filament: Mark a small length (e.g., 100mm) on your filament using a pen. Take the exact point where the filament enters the extruder or bowden tube as a reference.
2. Initiate extruder movement: Use your 3D printer’s software or control panel to extrude the marked length of filament (e.g., 100mm).
3. Measure the extruded filament: After extrusion, measure the actual length of filament that was extruded.  If the line you marked in the first step has disappeared inside the extruder or the Bowden tube, it means that more steps than required are being executed. If, on the other hand, the line does not end up flush with the point you took as a reference, it is most likely that more steps are needed to extrude the material in the desired quantity.
4. Calculate the difference: Compare the extruded length with the intended length (e.g., 100mm). Divide your printer’s current E-Steps by the actual extruded length. Multiply the result by 100. For example: if the current E-Steps setting is 96.4 and the extruded amount of filament has been 105mm, then 96.4*100/105=91.81 approx.

Tools Needed for E-Step Adjustment

• Calipers: To measure the extruded filament with precision.
• 3D Printer Control Panel or Software: Use your printer’s software interface (like Pronterface or the printer’s touchscreen) to adjust E-steps.
• Calculator: To determine the necessary changes in your E-steps.

Detailed Instructions for Adjusting E-Steps

1. Ender 3 Example:
   • Go to the printer’s control menu and find the «E-steps» setting.
   • Input the new calculated value based on your measurements.
   • Save settings.
2. Prusa Printers Example:
   • Open PrusaSlicer and navigate to the printer settings.
   • Adjust the E-step setting according to the measured difference.
3. Other printers Example:
   • Each printer may have a specific method for setting this parameter, but it is usually possible to set this value by connecting the printer directly to a PC and synchronizing it with the OctoPrint software. From the command panel of this software you can write the following lines: 
     • M92 E###.## (where ###.## is the value resulting from the formula mentioned above). -To save the change you must enter the command M500.

5. Testing and Fine-Tuning After E-Step Adjustment

How to Test the Adjusted E-Steps

After adjusting the E-steps, it’s crucial to test the results. Here’s how:

1. Print a calibration cube or single-wall test print.
2. Check for consistent extrusion and correct dimensions.
3. Verify the overall print quality, looking for signs of under-extrusion or over-extrusion.

Common Test Prints to Verify Accuracy

• Calibration Cube: A simple cube that allows you to verify dimensions and quality of the print.
• Single Wall Print: Print a simple wall with no infill to test consistent extrusion and smoothness.
• Temperature Tower: Test different extrusion settings at varying temperatures to ensure the filament behaves correctly.

Troubleshooting Post-Adjustment Issues

If you notice any issues, recheck the E-step calibration and:

• Verify the filament diameter.
• Check the printer’s extruder assembly for proper alignment.
• Ensure that the hotend and extruder are clean and functioning properly.

6. Other Calibration and Maintenance Tips

General Calibration Tips for Better Print Accuracy

Regular calibration is key to consistent 3D print quality:

• Level the bed: Ensure that your print bed is level to avoid print warping.
• Nozzle calibration: Regularly check the nozzle height to ensure the correct distance from the bed.
• Check extruder tension: Proper tension ensures smooth filament feeding.

Regular Maintenance Tips to Prevent Extrusion Issues

• Clean the extruder gears: Periodically clean the gears to remove any filament dust or debris.
• Lubricate moving parts: Keep the printer’s moving parts lubricated to prevent wear and tear.
• Replace worn-out parts: Check parts like the extruder motor and the hotend, replacing them if they show signs of damage.

7. Conclusion

The Importance of E-Step Adjustment for Long-Term 3D Printing Success

E-step calibration may seem like a small adjustment, but it’s crucial for the long-term performance of your 3D printer. By ensuring your printer is extruding the correct amount of filament, you’ll achieve higher quality prints, reduce material waste, and improve the overall efficiency of your 3D printing projects.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations for Ongoing Calibration

Regular calibration, along with consistent E-step adjustments, is key to achieving consistently excellent prints. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different filaments and settings to fine-tune your results. With proper care and attention to detail, your 3D printer can deliver exceptional prints every time.