The standard push-off clearing method for AutoPrint

The standard print-head push-off is the built-in way to clear a flat, rectangular bed without any extra hardware: the toolhead sweeps across the bed and pushes the finished part off the front edge. It is the simplest clearing method to try, and it works on most standard Cartesian printers. This guide covers how to select it, what SimplyPrint does each cycle, and how to make push-off reliable.

What push-off is

Push-off uses the print head itself to clear the bed. After the print finishes and the bed cools, the toolhead drops to just above the surface and sweeps across the bed, nudging the finished part off the front edge. On a smooth surface like PEI that has cooled down, parts release easily, and the moving toolhead is usually enough to push them clear.

The built-in push-off sequence makes three sweeps across the bed, from the centre, the right and the left, to clear parts off the front. It uses SimplyPrint gcode variables for your bed size, so it adapts to the printer's bed dimensions. No mod or kit is required, which makes it the easiest method to start with.

This is the same push-off used by the 3DQue Ejection Kit method. The clearing gcode is the same starting template; the 3DQue option just pairs it with 3DQue's hardware.

Selecting push-off on a printer

You set a clearing method per printer, from the AutoPrint settings.

1. Open the printer's control panel and find the AutoPrint widget.
2. Open the AutoPrint settings and find the Clearing method section.
3. Click the method selector and choose Standard print head push-off.
4. Save, then flip the AutoPrint switch on for the printer.

Making push-off reliable

A few things make the difference between a clean sweep and a part that gets left behind:

• Use a smooth, cooled surface. PEI and similar surfaces release parts much more easily once the bed has cooled. Let the bed cool before clearing.
• Mind prime lines, skirts and brims. Place the prime line close to the part and on the side opposite the push direction, so it gets cleared along with everything else. Leftover plastic is what the next print can land on.
• Tune the sweep if needed. You can view and edit the push-off gcode under the gcode editor to adjust heights and travel for your printer.
• Keep the part low. Very tall or top-heavy parts are harder to push off cleanly than flat ones.

What SimplyPrint does each cycle

With push-off selected, each AutoPrint cycle runs like this:

1. The print finishes and SimplyPrint detects the completed state.
2. The bed cools to the temperature (or for the time) you set, so the part releases more easily.
3. SimplyPrint runs the push-off sequence, sweeping the toolhead across the bed three times to clear the part off the front edge.
4. SimplyPrint verifies the bed is clear. With a camera connected, AI bed check can confirm visually before continuing, which matters most for push-off since results vary by part.
5. SimplyPrint matches the next queue item and starts it, and the loop repeats.

Push-off is an automatic clearing method, so it runs around the clock the same as other self-clearing setups, and does not wait for your working hours. Only the manual clearing method waits for working hours, because a person has to remove the part. Since push-off can leave a stray part behind, this is exactly where AI bed check earns its place: with a camera connected, a failed clear is caught before the next print lands. For how matching, scheduling and verification work in detail, see the AutoPrint overview.

Related articles

• AutoPrint: put your printers on autopilot - the feature push-off plugs into
• AutoPrint clearing methods: pick how the bed gets cleared - all the clearing methods, side by side
• The 3DQue Ejection Kit clearing method - the same push-off idea with 3DQue's hardware
• The belt printer clearing method - self-clearing infinite-Z printers

Updated on: 26/06/2026