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Before you can use PenPrint with a physical printer, you need to make a small hardware modification and calibrate two Z height values. The printer does not use its nozzle to extrude — instead, a pen mounted to the side of the nozzle does the drawing. The Z axis controls whether the pen is pressing on the paper or lifted away from it.

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What you need

  • A 3D printer with a working Z axis and homing switches for X and Y
  • A pen, marker, or fine-liner that fits alongside your hotend
  • A way to secure the pen (zip tie, tape, a printed mount, etc.)
  • A sheet of paper to use as the drawing surface
The print area is fixed at 100mm × 100mm, so your paper and bed must accommodate that region.

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Mount the pen

Attach the pen to the side of the nozzle so that its tip is parallel to the print surface. The exact side and angle depend on your printer’s geometry — the goal is for the pen tip to be close to level with the nozzle tip when the nozzle is at your intended “pen down” height.
Do not let the nozzle itself contact the paper. The nozzle carries heat and can burn or tear the paper. Keep the pen tip lower than the nozzle tip when fully pressed down.
Keep the pen secure enough that it does not shift during fast XY moves. Even a small amount of slop in the mount will show up as smearing or doubled lines.

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Find your pen-up Z level

The pen-up Z level is the nozzle height at which the pen tip fully clears the paper — no contact, no dragging. Use your printer’s manual movement controls to:
  1. Place a sheet of paper on the bed.
  2. Move the nozzle to a height you expect will lift the pen (e.g., Z = 10mm).
  3. Slide the paper underneath the pen tip. If the tip drags, raise Z further.
  4. Note the Z value where the pen tip clears the paper cleanly without touching it.
This value becomes your GCODE UP command — for example, G0 Z10.
Give yourself a comfortable margin above the paper. A pen-up height that is too close to the surface risks catching on the paper edge during fast travel moves.

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Find your pen-down Z level

The pen-down Z level is the nozzle height at which the pen tip presses firmly enough on the paper to draw a consistent line, but not so hard that it tears the paper or causes the pen to skip.
  1. Start from a height above the paper (your pen-up level).
  2. Lower Z in small increments (0.5mm at a time).
  3. After each step, drag the printer head a few millimeters in X or Y and check the line quality.
  4. Stop when the line is solid and even without tearing or skipping.
This value becomes your GCODE DOWN command — for example, G0 Z5.
Always move slowly when lowering Z toward the bed. If the nozzle crashes into the paper or bed, it can damage the printer, the pen mount, or the bed surface. Never leave the printer unattended while calibrating Z levels.

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Tips for good calibration

  • Use the same paper thickness every time. Different paper stocks change the effective Z level by fractions of a millimeter.
  • Check line consistency across the full bed. If your bed is not perfectly leveled, the pen may draw well at the center but skip or dig in at the corners. Level your bed before calibrating pen heights.
  • Lock in your mount before recording Z values. If the pen can shift, your calibrated values will not be repeatable.
  • Run a short test path first. Before committing to a full print, jog the printer through a small square at your down Z level to confirm consistent contact.

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Next steps

Once you have your pen-up and pen-down Z values, enter them as GCODE commands in the app and set your movement speed.

Configure GCODE settings

Enter your pen-up and pen-down commands and movement speed.

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