Filament settings reference
Starting points for a 0.4 mm nozzle. Start from your spool label when it has one — these are the working windows for when it does not, or when the label value is clearly wrong.
| Material | Nozzle | Bed | Fan | Speed | Retract (DD) | Retract (Bowden) | Drying |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | 190–220 °C | 55–65 °C | 100 % | 50–150 mm/s | 0.5–1.5 mm | 4–6 mm | 45–55 °C · 4–6 h |
| PETG | 230–250 °C | 70–85 °C | 30–50 % | 40–80 mm/s | 1–2 mm | 4–7 mm | 60–65 °C · 6–8 h |
| ABS | 230–260 °C | 95–110 °C | 0–20 % | 40–70 mm/s | 0.5–1.5 mm | 4–6 mm | 60–65 °C · 4–6 h |
| ASA | 240–265 °C | 95–110 °C | 0–20 % | 40–70 mm/s | 0.5–1.5 mm | 4–6 mm | 60–65 °C · 4–6 h |
| TPU (95A) | 215–235 °C | 40–60 °C | 30–60 % | 15–30 mm/s | 0–1 mm | not recommended | 50–55 °C · 4–6 h |
| Nylon (PA) | 240–270 °C | 70–90 °C | 0–30 % | 30–60 mm/s | 1–2 mm | 4–6 mm | 70–80 °C · 8–12 h |
| PC | 260–300 °C | 100–120 °C | 0–20 % | 30–50 mm/s | 1–2 mm | 4–6 mm | 80–90 °C · 8–12 h |
What to know about each
PLA
Easiest to print. If it strings, drop temperature before touching retraction. Does not need an enclosure — and in a hot enclosure it suffers heat creep.
PETG
Absorbs moisture within days — dry it first, always. Sticks so well to smooth PEI it can tear the sheet; use a glue-stick release layer. Expect some stringing even when tuned.
ABS
Enclosure is not optional. Warps roughly three times as much as PLA and cracks part-way up without a warm chamber. Ventilate — the fumes are unpleasant and worth extracting.
ASA
Behaves like ABS but survives UV, so it is the right choice for outdoor parts. Same enclosure and ventilation requirements.
TPU (95A)
Slow is the whole trick. Flexible filament buckles instead of retracting, so keep retraction near zero and prefer direct drive — a long Bowden tube makes it barely printable.
Nylon (PA)
The most moisture-hungry common filament — it can absorb enough in a single humid day to ruin a print. Print directly from a heated dry box, not from a dried-once spool.
PC
Needs an all-metal hotend and a genuinely hot chamber. Layer separation is the usual failure — treat cooling as the enemy and temperature as the fix.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my spool label disagree with these ranges?
Follow the label first. These are consensus windows across brands, but individual formulations genuinely differ — high-speed PLA runs 15–25 °C hotter than standard PLA, and silk PLA behaves differently again. Use these when the label is missing or the label value clearly is not working.
What is a temperature tower and should I print one?
A test model that changes nozzle temperature every few millimetres so you can compare the same geometry across a range in one print. It is the fastest way to find the right temperature for a specific spool, and worth doing once per new filament brand. Most slicers ship one, or generate it with a Calibration menu.
How do I know if my filament is wet?
Listen and look. Popping or hissing from the nozzle, steam, sudden stringing on a filament that used to print clean, and rough or bubbly extrusion all point to moisture. A quick test: extrude 100 mm in mid-air and look for bubbles or an uneven surface on the strand.
Do I need to change retraction when I change material?
Yes. PETG needs more retraction than PLA at the same hardware, and TPU needs almost none. Retraction belongs in the filament profile rather than the printer profile, which is where OrcaSlicer and PrusaSlicer put it by default.