What Are the Blue 3M Platform Stickers?

[GammaRays]

I recently received my FFCP and found two of these 3M "platform stickers" included and am curious about what they do. Are they a replacement for blue tape, kapton tape, or something else?

[MakersomeGuy]

I haven't seen those before but it looks like a single precut sheet of "blue painters tape" sized to the print bed. Does it have the texture of painters tape? I know the Flashforge printers we sell come with yellow Kapton tape preapplied to the bed and a roll of 3M blue painters tape In the box.

One tip with blue painters tape... clean the newly taped bed with rubbing alcohol before printing to get your prints to stick better. The tape I've used (3M) come with a waxy residue on the surface that, while good for painting, isn't so hot for 3d printing. You'll find your prints stick much better after the isopropyl cleaning

[GammaRays]

It's thicker than the painters tape by quite a lot, but still has the 3M brand printed across the bottom (on the peel off layer). It's fairly rigid, with a surface texture similar to a cheap plastic mouse pad. It's slightly rough, more than painters tape, but has a laminated plastic finish.

I didn't get any actual painters tape inside of the shipping box, so this must be the new alternative from FF.

It looks significantly more permanent than painters tape. I mostly print ABS, so I wasn't sure what to do with it.

[MakersomeGuy]

It sounds a lot like one of those ninja plates but blue and done by 3M. If so it could be really cool. I think the Ninja Plates work with PLA and ABS. You just flex them to pop off your print. I'm interested to hear how it works for you.

[Bobbler]

Sounds like Buildtak - they are usually black though. It is exactly like an old cheap mouse pad with the plastic textured top.
The 3M brand could just be for the adhesive base bit.

[MakersomeGuy]

I think you're right bobbler

[GammaRays]

Bobbler

I checked out the Buildtak online. What I have looks to be the same thing, just blue and FF branded. I'm curious about why FF made the switch. I'll have to try it out soon.

[sasabs]

I just got them also. I also got a smaller piece of blue plastic, mylar I think, To use as a feeler instead of paper for leveling bed.

It is .25mm thick which is the gap recommended by buidtak users. If nozzle closer it will burn first layer into pad or will melt pad.

[Bobbler]

Bobbler

I checked out the Buildtak online. What I have looks to be the same thing, just blue and FF branded. I'm curious about why FF made the switch. I'll have to try it out soon.

Its good stuff, I am only using that now as a surface for all my materials - though I am not sure it may be a little too sticky for flexible filaments like Ninjaflex from what I have heard so far, that stuff is hard to get off anything!

[cornelljd]

Where can we get more of them, they work great. My new Dreamer came with two, I trashed out the first one and now using the second one. I would like to get more but they do not show up in the store at Flashforge.