Bed adhesion sprays

Release agents and adhesion promoters used on the G1 build plate. The right product depends on the bed surface (glass, wood) and the material being printed.

Watch it

G1 Bed Level & Prep Surface — 4:49, official Ginger Additive video. More on Official videos.

When you need a spray

• Glass bed + PETG → always. PETG bonds to glass hard enough to pull chips out of it when the part is removed. The spray protects the bed, not just the print
• Glass bed + PLA → light spray helps grip on cold first layers
• Any bed + large parts that warp → adhesion promoter
• Switching between materials that need different adhesion strategies

PETG on bare glass will damage the bed

This is the failure that costs money: the part does not come off, and when it finally does it takes a chip of the glass with it. Spray before printing PETG on glass — see PETG.

Common products

Product	Type	Best for
DimaFix	Protects the glass and increases adhesion — grips hot, releases cold	The one to use for PETG on glass, and for large parts
MagiGoo	Adhesion promoter	Glass, most polymers
3DLac	Hairspray-style adhesion	PLA, light use
Hairspray (lacca)	Adhesion promoter	PLA / rPLA on glass
RainX	Protects the glass — adds no adhesion	PETG on glass, and as the base layer of the combined technique below
PVA glue stick	Adhesion promoter	Budget option, glass

Why DimaFix is the answer for PETG, not a release agent

It is easy to read PETG’s problem as “sticks too much, so use something that sticks less”. DimaFix is neither: it lays down a protective layer that holds the part while the bed is hot and lets go as the bed cools at the end of the print.

That is exactly what PETG needs — full adhesion during the print, clean release afterwards, and the glass left intact. For demanding prints it is also the top half of the combined technique below.

How to apply

Adhesion promoter (DimaFix, MagiGoo)

1. Bed cold (room temp)
2. Spray a thin, even layer across the print area
3. Let dry for ~30 seconds (it goes from wet to a slight dry haze)
4. Heat the bed and start printing
5. Reapply every few prints — a single application can cover multiple jobs

Hairspray (lacca spray) — for PLA

An adhesion promoter for PLA on the glass bed:

1. Bed cold
2. Spray a light, even coat across the print area
3. Let dry before heating the bed
4. Heat the bed and start printing

Glass protection only (RainX)

RainX automotive water repellent protects the glass and does nothing else — it does not make the part stick better. It is the layer that stops PETG bonding to bare glass hard enough to chip it.

If the part also needs holding down, that is DimaFix’s job, not RainX’s.

1. Bed cold
2. Spray very lightly only on areas where parts stick too hard
3. Wipe gently with a clean cloth so a thin film remains
4. Heat and print

Caution

Don’t put a new product on top of an old or depleted coat — clean the bed first. Otherwise the surface grips unevenly and you cannot tell which product is doing what.

Mixing products is the same trap, with one exception: the deliberate RainX then DimaFix order below, where RainX protects the bare glass and DimaFix adds the grip that RainX does not. Applied in that order they do different jobs. Applied in any other order, or mixed, they cancel.

Combined technique: RainX + DimaFix for PETG

For demanding PETG prints (large surface area, high warp risk), the most reliable approach is a two-product combination:

1. Apply RainX first as a base layer — it protects the glass
2. Let it dry completely
3. Apply a thin layer of DimaFix on top — it protects too, and adds the adhesion that holds the first layer

This combination gives better control than either product alone: parts release cleanly when cold but adhere reliably during printing.

Note

This technique only applies to the glass bed.

Cleaning the bed between products

When switching between sprays:

1. Bed cold
2. Clean it with water or an ordinary glass cleaner and a clean cloth — not alcohol
3. Let it dry
4. Apply the new product on the clean, dry bed

The bed is glass

The G1 ships with tempered glass, and that is the surface these products are for. It takes any of them, and cleans up with water or an ordinary glass cleaner.

The two cases that matter, both PETG:

• PETG on bare glass can chip it when the part comes off. Put a layer down first — DimaFix is the one to reach for
• Wet PETG grips harder still. It has broken plates outright, not merely chipped them. Dry it, and still lay down a coat

If a plate does break, it is a cheap thing to replace locally — see Bed surface.

Common issues

• Print sticks too hard, can’t release → use a release agent, or wait for the bed to cool fully before removal
• Print lifts mid-print (warping) → use an adhesion promoter, increase bed temp, add a brim
• Inconsistent adhesion across the bed → bed not flat, mesh leveling needed; see Z offset and first layer
• Build-up of old product → clean with water or a glass cleaner, reapply fresh

How to prevent adhesion problems

• Choose the right product for your bed + material combination
• Apply on a cold, clean bed — never spray a hot bed (uneven, can damage surface)
• Reapply periodically rather than printing on a depleted layer
• Tune Z offset correctly first — most “adhesion problems” are actually first-layer height

Notes

• Most adhesion complaints are solved by (a) correct Z offset then (b) right spray — in that order
• DimaFix is a popular default for production users

Related notes

• Z offset and first layer
• Bed surface
• Bed heater
• PETG
• PLA