Z Offset Test

Dead simple Z offset test file, with a 10mm cube as a handle and a single-layer 20mm square as the test. Uses about 0.34g of filament per print and takes 4 minutes for rather quick “guess/check” testing that works great with transparent filaments.

My fiance was having some bed adhesion issues that we knew were Z-offset related. Unfortunately, they were using “natural” PLA, which made seeing the first layer on most prints very difficult due to the alternating nature of shell layers, so I made a part that printed as only one layer tall but with a super simple handle.

STL is a 0.2mm layer height, however this can be readily changed via adjusting the LAYER_HEIGHT variable in the included OpenSCAD file, re-rendering, and exporting the STL.
 

!!! IMPORTANT !!!

Not every bed adhesion issue is Z offset nor bed level related. Issues can – and VERY frequently do – lie elsewhere. Here's a few examples:

If you have a clone BuildTak bed (the black ones that Creality and really every Chinesium printer anymore ship with), ditch it and buy a PEI bed. Not only are they less than $20 for a double-sided one that has smooth for PLA and textured for PETG, but prints love to stick to it when warm but not when cool. I've run PEI beds at 70 C for years with no issues for both PLA and PETG. Remember, glue stick and AquaNet are release agents for PETG so it doesn't weld to glass or genuine BuildTak, if you ever find yourself using these on other filaments, upgrade the bed. And if you have an Ender, the Prusa MK2/MK3 beds do fit on them sideways.

If you don't have a clone BuildTak bed and you're having issues with the filament not adhering as it should, do remember that filament brand actually does matter, and nearly every YouTuber that tells you what brand they use get paid by said brand, it doesn't mean it's any good.  Here's a maintained list supplied mostly by print farms of the best quality brands out there by filament type: [https://shep.zone/3d/filament] TL;DR: buy Atomic or Prusament, but note that Prusament offers a fraction of both color and type of filament than Atomic does.
 

PRINT SETTINGS

Print with zero infill, one top layer, and at least two bottom layers (I used three). This makes the cube part a bit sturdier than the test area for easier removal so you can fire these off like candy.