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Shouldn't a 0.4mm nozzle create a line of plastic 0.4mm wide

Not necessarily. Due to a phenomenon known as die swell extruding plastic through a 0.4mm nozzle, the line of plastic that is created is actually slightly wider. Pressure inside the extruder compresses the plastic slightly, and it expands again as it exists the nozzle.

They mention that it helps with print adhesion, but why?

When you extrude a thicker line of plastic than your nozzle diameter, the "excess" plastic is compressed by the nozzle and forced out to the side. This pushes the plastic into the layer below, increasing adhesion. You can compare this to taking a hot glue gun, pressing the tip into the surface and squeezing the trigger, versus lifting the glue gun above the surface and letting the glue drip onto the surface. Doing the former creates much stronger adhesion.

As a side effect, using thicker lines makes it easier to get the first layer to stick, since the thicker line has more surface area to adhere to.

Shouldn't a 0.4 mm nozzle create a line of plastic 0.4 mm wide

Not necessarily. Due to a phenomenon known as die swell extruding plastic through a 0.4 mm nozzle, the line of plastic that is created is actually slightly wider. Pressure inside the extruder compresses the plastic slightly, and it expands again as it exists the nozzle.

They mention that it helps with print adhesion, but why?

When you extrude a thicker line of plastic than your nozzle diameter, the "excess" plastic is compressed by the nozzle and forced out to the side. This pushes the plastic into the layer below, increasing adhesion. You can compare this to taking a hot glue gun, pressing the tip into the surface and squeezing the trigger, versus lifting the glue gun above the surface and letting the glue drip onto the surface. Doing the former creates much stronger adhesion.

As a side effect, using thicker lines makes it easier to get the first layer to stick, since the thicker line has more surface area to adhere to.

Shouldn't a 0.4mm nozzle create a line of plastic 0.4mm wide

Not necessarily. Due to a phenomenon known as die swell extruding plastic through a 0.4mm nozzle, the line of plastic that is created is actually slightly wider. Pressure inside the extruder compresses the plastic slightly, and it expands again as it exists the nozzle.

They mention that it helps with print adhesion, but why?

When you extrude a thicker line of plastic than your nozzle diameter, the "excess" plastic is compressed by the nozzle and forced out to the side. This pushes the plastic into the layer below, increasing adhesion. You can compare this to taking a hot glue gun, pressing the tip into the surface and squeezing the trigger, versus lifting the glue gun above the surface and letting the glue drip onto the surface. Doing the former creates much stronger adhesion. As a side effect, using thicker lines makes it easier to get the first layer to stick, since the thicker line has more surface area to adhere to.

Shouldn't a 0.4mm nozzle create a line of plastic 0.4mm wide

Not necessarily. Due to a phenomenon known as die swell extruding plastic through a 0.4mm nozzle, the line of plastic that is created is actually slightly wider. Pressure inside the extruder compresses the plastic slightly, and it expands again as it exists the nozzle.

They mention that it helps with print adhesion, but why?

When you extrude a thicker line of plastic than your nozzle diameter, the "excess" plastic is compressed by the nozzle and forced out to the side. This pushes the plastic into the layer below, increasing adhesion. You can compare this to taking a hot glue gun, pressing the tip into the surface and squeezing the trigger, versus lifting the glue gun above the surface and letting the glue drip onto the surface. Doing the former creates much stronger adhesion. 

As a side effect, using thicker lines makes it easier to get the first layer to stick, since the thicker line has more surface area to adhere to.

Shouldn't a 0.4mm nozzle create a line of plastic 0.4mm wide

Not necessarily. Due to a phenomenon known as die swell extruding plastic through a 0.4mm nozzle, the line of plastic that is created is actually slightly wider. Pressure inside the extruder compresses the plastic slightly, and it expands again as it exists the nozzle.

They mention that it helps with print adhesion, but why?

When you extrude a thicker line of plastic than your nozzle diameter, the "excess" plastic is compressed by the nozzle and forced out to the side. This pushes the plastic into the layer below, increasing adhesion. You can compare this to taking a hot glue gun, pressing the tip into the surface and squeezing the trigger, versus lifting the glue gun above the surface and letting the glue drip onto the surface. Doing the former creates much stronger adhesion.

Shouldn't a 0.4mm nozzle create a line of plastic 0.4mm wide

Not necessarily. Due to a phenomenon known as die swell extruding plastic through a 0.4mm nozzle, the line of plastic that is created is actually slightly wider. Pressure inside the extruder compresses the plastic slightly, and it expands again as it exists the nozzle.

They mention that it helps with print adhesion, but why?

When you extrude a thicker line of plastic than your nozzle diameter, the "excess" plastic is compressed by the nozzle and forced out to the side. This pushes the plastic into the layer below, increasing adhesion. You can compare this to taking a hot glue gun, pressing the tip into the surface and squeezing the trigger, versus lifting the glue gun above the surface and letting the glue drip onto the surface. Doing the former creates much stronger adhesion. As a side effect, using thicker lines makes it easier to get the first layer to stick, since the thicker line has more surface area to adhere to.