The AD5M ships with a small built-in test model, and the quick-start sequence prints it automatically once filament is loaded. That’s a fine first print, but a simple, well-tested file of your own, something small with a flat base, works just as well if you want to see the printer working outside its own script.
Slice it in FlashPrint 5, Orca-Flashforge or Orca Slicer, whichever you already have installed, and pick a standard PLA profile with the 0.4 mm nozzle. PLA is also what Flashforge recommends for that very first print, since it’s more forgiving than PETG or the CF blends while you’re still learning how the printer behaves.
Before you hit print, check that ADM leveling has actually run recently rather than assuming it’s still current. If the printer was just unboxed, it should have completed the routine during initial setup. If any time has passed, or the bed or nozzle has been touched, run it again from the touchscreen instead of trusting a pass done under different conditions.
The AD5M can move at up to 600 mm/s with acceleration as high as 20000 mm/s², but that’s a ceiling, not a starting point. For a first print, stick with whatever moderate speed your slicer’s standard PLA profile suggests. You’re checking adhesion and behavior here, not chasing a record.
Stay next to the printer for the first layer. Watch the filament lay down flat and even across the PEI sheet, with no gaps, no dragging, and no edges curling up. If the first few lines don’t stick evenly, stop the print rather than hoping it improves further in.
Once the print finishes and the bed has cooled somewhat, flex the removable PEI sheet gently to pop the part free instead of prying at it with a scraper while it’s still on the machine. That keeps the spring steel sheet flat and the part intact.
A first layer that lays down flat and even is the real test here; if it doesn’t, the diagnostic sequence for a first layer that won’t stick is the next place to look before touching anything else. If the same patchy result keeps showing up print after print, rerun the checks in the Adventurer 5M calibration guide rather than adjusting settings at random.