What is the correct way to level the build plate?

[PolkCountyMike]

The manual that came with the machine shows leveling with the tank in place; however, the Elegoo Mars video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VJwhmjhP9Y shows the tank removed and replaced by a piece of paper during leveling of the build plate.  I saw another YouTube video showing leveling done with a piece of paper under the tank.

It seems to me that each of these methods will result in a different zero for the Z-axis, and may result in the build plate being positioned to close or to far from the film during operation.  I think it is possible that errors in the zeroing of the Z-axis may be responsible for the imprecision reported by yaqwsx elsewhere in this forum.

I have been leveling the build platform with the tank in place and have had mostly good results except that the dimensions of the printed part are off in the Z direction.

Thanks for any input.

[jamesdhatch]

I have been leveling the build platform with the tank in place and have had mostly good results except that the dimensions of the printed part are off in the Z direction.

Thanks for any input.

I followed the video. Leveled with the tank out and a piece of paper. Seems like that might be the same thickness as the FEP in the tank?

I did the painters tape trick to prevent suctioning caused by the raising & lowering of the build plate from causing adhesion problems.

[Aquiles76]

I did the painters tape trick to prevent suctioning caused by the raising & lowering of the build plate from causing adhesion problems.

What is this trick?

[jamesdhatch]

Remove the resin tank. Take a piece of blue painters tape, 3/4 or 1 inch wide and about 4" long. Place a strip of tape on each end of the screen in the black area & not in the "live" part of the screen. Replace the resin tank. The blue tape will prevent the FEP film from sticking to the screen due to suction caused by the build plate pressing on the bottom of the tank and lifting up. Under some conditions of humidity & temperature without the little edge created by the painters tape, the FEP will stick tightly to the screen making it difficult to remove the tank or the plate to raise properly.