Materials · With some practice
PETG
The next step after PLA: tougher, slightly flexible and handles more heat. The favorite for parts that get used.
Handles impactsHandles heatFor outdoors
What changes most if you're coming from PLA:
What it's for
- Functional parts: brackets, clamps, boxes that open and close.
- Things that get wet or live outdoors in the shade: it handles water and weather better than PLA.
- Parts that take knocks: it gives a little instead of snapping.
What it's not for
- Parts with lots of fine detail or long overhangs: they're harder to get clean than with PLA.
- Parts that must be very stiff: it bends a little.
If you're coming from another material
- Nozzle temperature220 °C 255 °C35 °C hotter. PETG needs more heat to melt properly; printed like PLA, the layers don't fuse and the part breaks easily.
- Bed temperature65 °C 80 °C15 °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 % 40–90 %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 8 mm³/sIt melts more slowly: the profile limits how much plastic comes out per second, so the printer slows down (about 67% of PLA's flow).
- Softens at45 °C 70 °CIt handles 25 °C more before softening: good for parts that will sit in the sun or near something hot.
What it's like to print
- It sticks very hard to the plate: on a smooth plate it can tear chunks off when you remove it. On the textured plate it pops off by itself once cool.
- It strings easily: it wants less temperature or more retraction than PLA.
- It prefers less fan: with lots of air the layers bond worse.
- “PETG HF” is made to print fast: its profile lets twice as much plastic through per second.
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.
| PETG | PETG HF | |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 255 °C (220–270) | 220 °C (220–270) |
| Bed, textured plate | 80 °C | 70 °C |
| Bed, smooth plate (PEI) | 80 °C | 70 °C |
| Bed, cool plate | not recommended | not recommended |
| Fan | 40–90 % | 20–40 % |
| Max flow | 8 mm³/s | 16 mm³/s |
| Softens at | 70 °C | 70 °C |
| Hardened nozzle | not needed | not needed |
Moisture
It absorbs more moisture than PLA. When damp it strings a lot, bubbles, and the surface comes out rough.
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
- Nozzle temperatureFilament › FilamentToo hot oozes and strings; too cold and the layers split.
- Maximum fan speedFilament › CoolingLess air than PLA: the layers fuse better.
- Bed on the Textured PEI PlateFilament › FilamentThe bed temperature: a warm base stays stuck without warping.
Typical problems:Strings or cobwebs between partsOverhangs droop or look rough underneathBridges sag
Calibrate first:1Temperature5Retraction2Flow
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 SilkPCTGTPUABSASAPC (polycarbonate)Nylon (PA)PP (polypropylene)HIPSFiber-filled (CF and GF)Soluble supports (PVA and BVOH)