aluminum bed and pla curling off blue tape.

Howdy,
Can I just print on the Aluminum bed or do I have to have the tape on it?
the reason for the tape is it was suggested from a video.

You want to have tape. Honestly, I thought about just using aluminum but it's easy to scratch the surface of the aluminum if you use a scrapper/putty knife to remove a print.

Tape is a good idea. I just use ordinary white painters' tape... PLA sticks to the blue tape too well.

When you put the tape down, just butt one strip up against the next with a minimal gap. You don't want to overlap the strips of tape. Wider tape is better than narrow, just because you need less strips.

While you're at the hardware store buying tape, also buy some methylated spirits (methyl/ethyl alcohol mixture) to use to wipe down the bed before sticking down the tape, and then to wipe down the tape after sticking it down... this removes any oils and grease deposited from your fingers, and improves the tape's stickiness.

I used blue tape on the aluminum bed and it worked but the aluminum being warped became an issue so I put a glass plate on top which improved the level issue. Even on a clean glass I found the blue tape would bubble and lift causing print to curl and deform. So I no longer use the blue tape instead I use a glue stick rubbed on glass just before the print and that is all I use now works for PLA & PETG with no heated bed ever. To remove parts a quick tap with an open end wrench knocks them off no need to pry parts off. After a few prints I scrape excess glue off with razor blade and rub new glue just before I print. The glue is water soluble and can be washed off glass after use but not necessary.

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rwt

Aluminum plate warp is no joke. After I got an inductive probe, it dawned on me that I should auto bed level after heating my bed to 120C for ABS. It made a huge difference in my first layer quality. Like, a 180 degree turn in print quality and adhesion.