Elephant foot is when the bottom layers of a print are slightly wider than intended, creating a bulge at the base. This is caused by the weight of the print compressing soft bottom layers.
Common Causes
- Bed temperature too high — Softens bottom layers excessively
- Nozzle too close to bed — Over-squished first layer
- First layer flow too high — Too much material deposited
- No cooling on first layers — Material stays soft longer
Recommended Fixes
- Lower bed temperature by 5°C
- Increase Z-offset slightly (move nozzle further from bed)
- Reduce first layer flow rate to 90-95%
- Enable elephant foot compensation in slicer (0.1-0.3mm)
- Add minimal fan speed (20-30%) starting from layer 2