# Printing on build platform

**URL:** https://forum.formlabs.com/t/printing-on-build-platform/36081
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [April 26, 2023, 9:59am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/printing-on-build-platform/36081 "2023-04-26T09:59:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 6

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### Author: ![rkagerer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/439d5e/32.png) [@rkagerer](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/rkagerer)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2023, 8:38am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/printing-on-build-platform/36081/6 "2023-04-28T08:38:23Z")

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I do a lot of my printing direct-on-base and am passionate about eliminating the flaring aka “elephant’s foot”. I [wrote about the topic here](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/option-to-inset-chamfer-the-extra-thickness-created-by-the-no-raft-support/28363/2) (and if you click the first link in that post it takes you to a diagram illustrating the effect).

Tweaking the Z-tuning as Jennifer described (raising the build platform up until it’s “just low enough” for your print to stick) can definitely help. I’ve done extensive tuning on my Form 2 and substantially reduced (but not completely eliminated) the flaring.

Haven’t played with that knob yet on my Form 3. It was only introduced for that printer in a more recent firmware, but really glad to see it there.

If you want to get more exotic… one user applied a black coating onto the surface of his build platform and reported it completely eliminated the problem (presumably by reducing reflections):

> [@Uneven "Flashing" on First Layer Using Color Resin with Form 3](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/uneven-flashing-on-first-layer-using-color-resin-with-form-3/30199/8):
>
> Today, I powder coated the exposed aluminum part of the build platform with a black, textured polyester resin. The aluminum tape on the sides is to reinforce the rubber gasket that prevents resin and alcohol from leaking into the hollow space, a frequent problem I have with the standard build platforms. I then printed a test in which 8 of 14 small models adhered successfully to the build platform. The others probably failed during the peel of the first layer. …

There’s also a good suggestion in that thread which Formlabs could explore to improve the situation via software, eg:

> Instead of applying the burn-in layer to the entire perimeter, PreForm could offset the perimeter of the first layer inside about 0.3 to 0.5 mm for the primary burn-in time … and then apply less laser power/time to the true perimeter

@Jennifer_K Has that suggestion ever been raised with your engineers?

@Terry_Miller I’d love to buy a coated build platform from you to play with if you ever decide to sell 'em!

Finally, I think I read somewhere the Form 3+ (note the “plus”) tweaked the laser power of the initial layers to also help reduce it. I’d love to hear from a Form 3+ user who’s printing directly on the build platform as to whether that’s true and they notice a difference compared to earlier models.

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