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Up next Why your prints won't stick (it's your dirty bed) Transcript & details below

Stop using a metal scraper on your PEI plate

Don't scrape a hot PEI plate with a metal putty knife. That coating is thin. One gouge and the next first layer copies the scratch. Cool the sheet, pull it, bend it. Print a plastic scraper for leftovers. Prusa and Bambu both put cool-and-flex first.

Tips & Tricks 0:55

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How to get the print off without killing the plate

  1. 1 Let it cool

    Don't chisel a hot bed. Wait until the sheet is cool. The part shrinks off the coating as it cools. That's the release.

  2. 2 Pull the sheet and flex it

    Take the plate off. Bend it. Prusa's print-surface guide is wait until it's cool, pull the sheet, bend it. No knife. Bambu wants the same first step after the print finishes.

  3. 3 Plastic scraper, last resort

    If a bit still hangs on, use a printed plastic scraper, gently, on a cold plate. The metal kit spatula is not a chisel. Prusa satin and textured PEI sheets are not scratch-resistant. Do not use metal spatulas.

  4. 4 Scratches don't wipe off

    Those shiny lines stay. IPA will not polish them out. The next first layer maps them like a crime scene. You didn't free the print. You sanded the coating.

FAQ

Can I use the metal scraper that came in the box?

Not as the default on PEI. Cool the plate, flex it, and only then reach for a scraper. Metal is a last resort after it is cold, used gently — not a chisel on a hot bed.

Will isopropyl alcohol fix PEI scratches?

No. IPA will not polish gouges out. The scratches stay and copy into the next first layer. Cool, flex, plastic scraper if it still hangs on.

Is this only a Bambu tip?

No. Prusa says satin and textured PEI sheets are not scratch-resistant and not to use metal spatulas. Bambu wants cool-and-flex first too. Same habit on both.

The print is stuck and I already cooled the plate. Now what?

Flex the sheet. If a corner still hangs, a printed plastic scraper on a cold plate. Do not start with a metal putty knife.

Full transcript

You scrape a flat print off your plate with a metal putty knife. The plate now has shiny scratches. Next print's first layer copies those scratches into the bottom like a crime scene. You didn't free the print. You sanded the coating. That PEI layer is thin. A metal edge gouges it. Prusa's satin and textured PEI sheets are not scratch-resistant. Do not use metal spatulas. Print a plastic one. And they already told you the real removal: wait until it's cool, pull the sheet, bend it. No knife. Bambu wants the same cool-and-flex first. A scraper is a last resort after it's cold, used gently, not a chisel on a hot bed. Metal on PEI is how you kill adhesion for every print after this one. Those scratches stay. IPA will not polish them out. Cool. Flex. Plastic only if it still hangs on. Once the plate isn't scarred, make something worth printing. Obloid has free browser tools for nameplates and keychains.

Sources

Why your prints won't stick (it's your dirty bed) Wet filament is ruining your prints (and you can't see it) Stop putting supports everywhere