> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://stem-docs.intellectualpoint.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Loading filament

> Mount your PLA spool, cut a sharp tip, and feed the filament through to the extruder.

## Loading your first spool

Your printer is built. Now let's load filament so it can print. You will mount the **PLA spool** on the holder and feed the filament through the feeder and PTFE tube down to the extruder. This step takes patience - a clean, sharp tip is the trick.

<iframe src="https://iframe.mediadelivery.net/embed/697805/75def47c-03ae-410a-915b-87dbe2ff9173?autoplay=false&preload=false" style={{ width: "100%", aspectRatio: "16/9", border: "none" }} allow="encrypted-media; picture-in-picture" allowFullScreen />

<Info>
  Your kit comes with **PLA filament** - the easiest material to print. You will learn about other filament types on Day 4.
</Info>

## Step-by-step

<Steps>
  <Step title="Unpack the spool">
    Open the filament box and remove the spool. Find the end of the filament hooked into the side of the spool and unhook it - keep a grip so it does not unwind.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Cut a sharp 45-degree tip">
    Cut the end at a **45-degree angle** with scissors or the pliers to make a spearhead point. A sharp tip feeds far more easily.

    <Frame caption="A sharp 45-degree point feeds easily; a blunt or bent tip catches at the tube">
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/intellectualpoint/O9vEZP6xEEMFLHva/images/intro3d/filament-tip-cut.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=O9vEZP6xEEMFLHva&q=85&s=afa6ad7206fcaa30cc17fd630efb55c4" alt="Diagram comparing a sharp 45-degree filament tip against a blunt tip" width="1536" height="1024" data-path="images/intro3d/filament-tip-cut.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Mount the spool">
    Place the spool on the holder so it feeds **toward the feeder** (unwinding in the right direction).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Insert into the feeder">
    Push the tip into the small gold hole on the side of the feeder until it stops.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Squeeze and push through">
    Squeeze the feeder's clamp lever to open the drive wheels, and push the filament through into the white PTFE tube. Watch the tube change color as filament travels through it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Feed to the extruder">
    Keep pushing until the filament reaches the extruder head and stops. If it snags, re-cut a sharper 45-degree tip and try again.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="The filament path: spool → feeder drive wheels → PTFE tube → extruder">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/intellectualpoint/O9vEZP6xEEMFLHva/images/intro3d/filament-path.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=O9vEZP6xEEMFLHva&q=85&s=50495ce4fc492d36756347030d5ee4cc" alt="Diagram of the filament path from spool through feeder and PTFE tube to the extruder" width="1536" height="1024" data-path="images/intro3d/filament-path.png" />
</Frame>

<Tip>
  Re-cutting a sharp 45-degree point is the single best fix for stubborn loading. A blunt or bent tip catches at the tube entrance every time. This is one of the most fiddly steps in the whole build - stick with it.
</Tip>

<Check>
  The PLA spool is mounted and feeding the right direction, and the sharpened filament is fed all the way through the tube to the extruder head.
</Check>

## Up next

With filament loaded, you connect **power** and turn the printer on.