How to Level the Bed on Your Ender 3 V2

The first thing you need to learn how to do is level the bed.
Michael Michael (175)
5 minutes

Ah...bed leveling. It's the first thing you absolutely need to learn how to do with your Ender 3 V2. And don't feel bad if you get this wrong at first. I did.

...getting this wrong could not only mess up your 3D prints but also cause some damage to your beautiful new Ender 3 V2.

The directions for bed leveling that come with the Creality Ender 3 V2 instructional booklet are stupefyingly subpar and definitely will not make sense to those with little to no experience with 3D printers. And getting this wrong could not only mess up your 3D prints but also cause some damage to your beautiful new Ender 3 V2, which you definitely don't want.

That's why I'm here to make sure you don't make the same mistakes that I did, and, say...scratch the printing surface. You haven't done that already, have you?

Why you need to level the bed

Really what you're doing when you're leveling the bed is ensuring that—as the extruder nozzle moves along the x and y-axis of your printing bed—it's neither too close nor too far away from the printing surface.

If it's too close, it will either scratch your printing bed or stop the nozzle from extruding any filament.

If it's too far away, the plastic filament will not stick to the bed and your 3D print will be—well—it won't be.

Auto-bed leveling with the BLTouch

We highly recommend you install the BLTouch on your Ender 3 V2 to avoid having to repeat the process of manually leveling your bed. It's an easy to install upgrade that's going to make your life a million times easier.

Creality Ender 3 V2 3D PrinterCreality Ender 3 V2 3D Printer ×1
Sheet of paper×1

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bed level wheen Ender 3 V2

Turn the bed adjustment wheel counter-clockwise a few times or until you're sure that the nozzle will not hit the surface as it lowers.

Auto home ender 3 v2

On your Ender 3 V2 screen, go to Prepare > Auto home.

This will run an automatic program that will move the print bed until the nozzle aligns with the left corner.

Disable stepper ender 3 V2

On your Ender 3 V2 screen, select Disable stepper.

This will allow you to move the print bed freely while you level it.

This is the trickiest part of bed leveling and certainly one that you'll get better at with practice.

  • Slide a sheet of paper between the printing nozzle and the print bed.
  • Simultaneously raise the print bed toward the nozzle by rotating the wheel clockwise, while sliding the sheet of paper back and forth.
  • When you feel the slightest tension on the paper, stop. It feels almost like the paper is vibrating.

Repeat this process two times around, on each corner of the print bed, moving to the bottom-right, top-right, and top-left.

You'll need to move the print bed to get the nozzle on the different corners of the printing surface. Make sure you're not scratching the surface with the nozzle as you move the print bed.

Next: Upgrade those springs

Now, if you haven't already, you'll want to upgrade the springs on your Ender 3 V2, so you don't have to level the bed endlessly!

Did you manage to level the bed on your Ender 3 V2? Any suggestions or tips for others looking to level their beds? We'd love to hear more suggestions!

Troubleshooting tip: Z-offset

Many people are running into an issue with an improperly aligned Z-offset. This means that your extruder sits too close or too far away from the print bed when trying to level it.

We have a guide that shows you how to easily adjust the Z-offset on the Ender 3, Ender 3 V2, and Ender 3 Pro 3D printers to fix this issue!

You'll need to manually adjust the Z-offset to get this right.
Michael Michael (175)
5 minutes

Unless you're using BLTouch on your Ender 3, then you'll need to have your Ender 3, Ender 3 V2, or Ender 3 Pro's print bed on a proper Z-axis to manually level the bed.