Materials · With some practice
PCTG
A cousin of PETG: tougher against impacts, clearer, and handles a bit more heat.
Handles impactsHandles heatFor outdoors
What changes most if you're coming from PLA:
What it's for
- Parts that must survive knocks or drops without cracking.
- Translucent parts or parts that will live outdoors.
- When PETG falls short on heat.
What it's not for
- Printing fast: its profile strongly limits how much plastic it melts per second.
- Very fine detail: like PETG, it strings.
If you're coming from another material
- Nozzle temperature220 °C 255 °C35 °C hotter. PCTG needs more heat to melt properly; printed like PLA, the layers don't fuse and the part breaks easily.
- Bed temperature65 °C 70 °C5 °C hotter. A hotter bed keeps the base warm while the rest prints, so it doesn't shrink or lift at the corners.
- Part fan60–80 % 10–40 %Less air. This material prefers to cool slowly: with lots of fan the layers bond poorly or the part cracks.
- Max volumetric speed12 mm³/s 6 mm³/sIt melts more slowly: the profile limits how much plastic comes out per second, so the printer slows down (about 50% of PLA's flow).
- Softens at45 °C 90 °CIt handles 45 °C more before softening: good for parts that will sit in the sun or near something hot.
What it's like to print
- It prints much like PETG, but slower.
- It needs very little fan.
- It doesn't go on the cool plate: its profile doesn't recommend it.
Starting values
From Bambu Studio's generic profile for the A1: they're meant for any brand, so they're cautious. They're a starting point; the calibration tests get you to your filament's own values.
| Nozzle | 255 °C (240–270) |
|---|---|
| Bed, textured plate | 70 °C |
| Bed, smooth plate (PEI) | 70 °C |
| Bed, cool plate | not recommended |
| Fan | 10–40 % |
| Max flow | 6 mm³/s |
| Softens at | 90 °C |
| Hardened nozzle | not needed |
Moisture
It absorbs moisture like PETG: when damp it strings and bubbles.
Drying time and temperature come from your filament's maker: every brand and blend is different, so we don't give numbers here. Look for them on the filament's label or the brand's data sheet.
The settings that change the most
- Max volumetric speedFilament › FilamentIt's its lowest limit: rush it and the walls come out with gaps.
- Maximum fan speedFilament › CoolingLittle air, so the layers stay well bonded.
Typical problems:Strings or cobwebs between partsThe part breaks or the layers split
Calibrate first:1Temperature4Max volumetric speed5Retraction
The numbers come from Bambu Studio and the A1, but the material is the same on any FDM printer: on another machine or slicer, the values are similar and everything explained here still applies.
Other materials
PLAPLA SilkPETGTPUABSASAPC (polycarbonate)Nylon (PA)PP (polypropylene)HIPSFiber-filled (CF and GF)Soluble supports (PVA and BVOH)