Temperatures, drying, and choosing the right material for the job
Every filament is a trade-off between how easy it is to print and what the finished part can take. This page is a working reference — the numbers you actually reach for at the slicer, plus a plain-language note on where each material shines and where it lets you down. Treat the temperatures as starting ranges: every spool, hotend, and printer is a little different, so dial in with a temperature tower if you want the cleanest result.
| Material | Nozzle | Bed | Enclosure | Drying |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | 190–220 °C | 50–60 °C | Not needed | 45 °C · 4–8 h |
| PETG | 230–250 °C | 70–85 °C | Optional | 65 °C · 4–8 h |
| ABS | 240–260 °C | 90–110 °C | Recommended | 70 °C · 4–6 h |
| ASA | 240–260 °C | 90–110 °C | Recommended | 70 °C · 4–6 h |
| TPU (flex) | 220–240 °C | 40–60 °C | Optional | 50 °C · 4–6 h |
| Nylon (PA) | 250–280 °C | 70–100 °C | Recommended | 70–80 °C · 8–12 h |
| PC (polycarb.) | 270–310 °C | 100–120 °C | Required | 80 °C · 6–8 h |
The default starting point and still the most forgiving filament there is. It prints cool, barely warps, and holds crisp detail — but it softens in a hot car and creeps under sustained load, so it is a display and prototyping material more than a structural one.
The practical middle ground: tougher and more temperature-resistant than PLA, far easier than ABS. It is slightly stringy and likes a clean, dry spool, but it gives strong, durable parts with good chemical and moisture resistance — a great everyday workhorse.
A genuine engineering plastic — heat-resistant, tough, and easy to post-process (it can be smoothed with acetone). The catch is shrinkage: without a warm, draft-free enclosure, large parts crack and corners lift. Print in a ventilated space; the fumes are unpleasant.
Think of ASA as ABS built for the outdoors. It prints almost the same way and needs the same enclosure, but it shrugs off UV and weathering instead of yellowing and going brittle. If a part lives in the sun, this is usually the right pick.
Rubber-like and elastic — it bends, compresses and springs back. The trick is to print slow and use a direct-drive extruder; Bowdens fight the soft filament. Softer grades (lower Shore hardness) are more flexible but harder to feed cleanly.
Tough, wear-resistant and slightly flexible — excellent for parts that take repeated stress, like living hinges and gears. Its weakness is water: nylon is the thirstiest common filament and must be printed bone-dry, or it bubbles, strings and prints weak. Long, hot drying is mandatory.
About the strongest and most heat-resistant filament in common use — tough, nearly transparent in thin walls, and stable well above 100 °C. It demands high temperatures, a hot enclosure and a dry spool, and it warps hard, so it is firmly an experienced-user material.
Dual-extruder helpers that dissolve away, leaving clean overhangs and cavities. PVA washes out in plain water and pairs with PLA/PETG; HIPS dissolves in limonene and is the usual partner for ABS. Both soak up moisture quickly, so store them sealed.
Filament absorbs water from the air, and wet filament prints badly — popping and steam at the nozzle, stringing, a rough surface, and weaker parts. PLA is fairly tolerant; PETG, TPU, Nylon, PC and the soluble supports are not. If a previously good spool suddenly prints poorly, moisture is the first thing to suspect. Dry below the material's softening point so the coils don't fuse, and store dried spools in a sealed box with desiccant.
| Material | Temp | Time | Thirst |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | 40–45 °C | 4–8 h | Low |
| PETG | 60–65 °C | 4–8 h | Medium |
| ABS / ASA | 65–70 °C | 4–6 h | Medium |
| TPU | 50 °C | 4–6 h | High |
| Nylon (PA) | 70–80 °C | 8–12 h | Very high |
| PC | 80 °C | 6–8 h | High |
| PVA / HIPS | 45–65 °C | 4–8 h | Very high |