This page covers everything you should know to successfully print your first 3D model using the Bambu Lab P1P printer (shown below).
Bambu Lab P1P printer in its natural habitat
Make sure to read through all the instructions carefully before attempting to print something as a simple mistake can result in a failed print. It is not uncommon for a print that takes 6 hours to fail after 5 and a half hours. Carefully following these instructions will reduce possibility of a failed print.
Also make sure to take a quick look at the Basic printer architecture page as that page will get you familiar with the names of the different parts of a 3D printer.
Before you can start to print something you should have something to print. You can either download a 3D model from a website like printables.com or thingiverse.com or create it yourself using software like Fusion 360, Freecad, OpenSCAD, or any other Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software.
Make sure your 3D model has one of the following extensions: .3mf, .stl, .stp, .step, .amf or .obj.
A 3D model however cannot be sent directly to the printer as a 3D printer is unable to directly convert a 3D model into instructions for its motors. So before being able to start printing the model has to be converted into a file that contains instructions for the motors and heating elements inside the 3D printer. Such a file often has the .gcode extension. Converting a 3D model into a gcode file is called ‘slicing’. Software that does this slicing is called a ‘slicer’.
This means that you first need to install such a slicer.
Now that you have a 3D model ready it is time to install a slicer. For the Bambu Lab P1P printer we will use the ‘Bambu Studio’ slicer as it is fine-tuned to work with the Bambu Lab 3D printers.
The latest version of Bambu Studio can be found at:
open the exe file you just downloaded and start the installation. When you’re new to 3D printing and the bambulab slicer is the only one you’re using it’s useful to associate all the 3D printer files with bambu studio during the installation.
When starting the slicer for the first time you will be prompted with a few questions.
Click ‘Get Started’ on the window that pops up.
On the next screen select ‘Europe’ and press ‘Next’.
Now you’ll be asked if you want to participate in the Customer Exerience Improvement Program, tick or untick the checkbox based on your preferences. Your selection here does not impact any of the next steps in this guide.