How to Fix PLA Elephant's Foot: 4 Simple Adjustments

Elephant's foot is that ugly bulge at the bottom of your print where the first layer spreads out too wide. It makes parts look unprofessional and can prevent them from fitting together. Here's how to fix it.

What causes elephant's foot The first layer is squished too flat against the bed. Combined with a warm bed keeping the plastic soft, it spreads outward before cooling. The result: a wider base that doesn't match the rest of the print.

Fix 1: Raise your first layer height If your first layer is 0.2 mm, try 0.24–0.28 mm. A slightly thicker first layer means less squishing. Most slicers let you set first layer height independently. You still get good adhesion, but without the bulge.

Fix 2: Lower bed temperature If you're printing at 60 °C, try 50–55 °C. A cooler bed means the first layer solidifies faster, reducing spread. Arkforge PLA adheres well across the full 50–60 °C range, so you have room to drop.

• For large prints: keep 60 °C to prevent warping, use Fix 1 instead
• For small prints: 50 °C works perfectly and eliminates elephant's foot

Fix 3: Reduce first layer flow Drop first layer flow from 105–110% to 100%. Less plastic = less spreading. You can also reduce the "initial layer horizontal expansion" setting in your slicer—this shrinks the first layer outline slightly to compensate for spread.

Fix 4: Add a chamfer to your model This is the designer's trick. Add a 0.2–0.5 mm chamfer or fillet to the bottom edges of your model. The intentional bevel hides any remaining elephant's foot, and the part looks designed rather than defective.

• In CAD: add a chamfer feature to all bottom edges
• In the slicer: use "elephant's foot compensation" if available (Cura has this)

Quick test: Print a 20 mm cube. Check the bottom edges. If they bulge, you have elephant's foot. Adjust one setting at a time and reprint until the corners are square.

The balance You want enough first layer squish for adhesion, but not so much that it bulges. Start with: first layer height = layer height × 1.2, bed temp = 55 °C, first layer flow = 100%. That fixes most cases.

Arkforge PLA's consistent diameter means your first layer flow is predictable—no random bulges from diameter variation.

Print clean, square parts. Shop Arkforge PLA.

Happy printing!

– Arkforge Team