So I'm just two days into using my MatterControl Touch with my Lulzbot Mini, and I've had little problem setting everything up and running a few prints, but I'm having some issues with my prints - possibly stemming from my Print Settings.
My problem is this: my first 1-3 layers will be a little wider than they should be, creating a "lip" on on the print where the model meets the print bed. This isn't a connection to the perimeter (which has a separation set at the standard 3mm) it just seems like the first one or two layers are wider by ..2 or .4 mm. On a standing model this wouldn't be an issue, but these are delicate prints of rings and this lip not only looks terrible, it feels worse.
I'm printing in PLA with many of MatterControl Touch's presets in place. 60 degree print bed and 205 degree print head.
I've adusted the first print layer size to .2 to match the layer height, I've been using the "standard" wall size of .6 (which makes the lip closer to 1 or 2 layers instead of 3 to 4) - and I've tried printing with a raft.
And speaking of the raft, I tried using a raft and print support, and it fully bonded to both materials. I could not remove it no matter what I tried!
Does anyone know the best settings for MatterControl Touch when printing standard PLA or ABS? How do I get rid of this "lip" on my prints?
The first layer is always printed fatter than the rest in order to help with bed adhesion. You can adjust this in Settings > Filament > Extrusion.
You can also try increasing the air gap of your raft, so the part does not stick to it as much. This is in Settings > General > Skirt and Raft.
After a LOT of research and constant testing, I've figured out what was wrong. There seems to be an issue with MatterControl and Lulzbot Mini that causes the print to start too close to the bed (even after it's long winded automatic bed leveling process). This caused the first 3-5 layers to get squashed and spread wider than they should, creating the "lip" problem I thought was a slicing error. It even caused my first clog, and caused the print head to scratch my glass build plate.
So, how do you fix this? The answer is the Z Offset. MatterControl starts the prints too close to the print bed on the Lulzbot Mini, so you need to account for that. Go to Settings (advanced) > Printer > Print Area. Third option down is the Z Offset. Despite what I've seen online, and how you would remedy this in Cura - this needs to be a POSITIVE number to raise the print head. After a few more tests and aborted prints, I've found that a Z Offset setting of 0.4 has almost completely removed the first layer squash/lip that I was experiencing with my prints. I may boost that to 0.5 to for a perfect print - but I was being safe by using multiples of my layer height (0.2) to avoid a massive jump. I would suggest the same, so it's easier to make fine adjustments, and know exactly how offset MatterControl makes your z axis.
Hopefully this helps others in the same jam!
Thanks so much for posting this. I was having the exact same issues and pumping up my z offset by around 0.4 made all the difference in the world. I get great top and bottom layers now.