Print settings by material: PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS/ASA and carbon-fiber blends
Switching filament changes more than the temperature. In a modern slicer the filament preset carries the temperatures, the cooling and the flow limit, so the job is to pick the right preset and then handle what a preset cannot know: supports, adhesion, the enclosure, the nozzle and how dry the spool is.What the filament preset decides
In OrcaSlicer, and in SpeakCAD's online slicer, which runs it, choosing a Material and a Filament brand selects a filament preset. That preset sets the nozzle temperature, the bed temperature for each plate type, the part-cooling fan, the slowdowns for small layers and the maximum flow the plastic can melt. You do not type temperatures in the online slicer: the preset decides. Pick your spool's brand when it is listed, and a generic preset of the same material when it is not. If your spool's label asks for something very different, a desktop slicer lets you edit the preset.
What stays your decision: the print profile, walls, infill, supports, adhesion and speed in the slicer, and, outside it, the build surface, the enclosure, the nozzle material and dry filament.
Quick reference
The temperatures below are the ranges most filament makers print on their labels. Read them as a sanity check on the preset, not as numbers to type.
| Material | Typical nozzle / bed | Enclosure | Adhesion | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | 190 to 220 °C / 50 to 65 °C | No; open the door or lid | Auto | Prototypes, indoor parts, enclosures that stay cool |
| PETG | 220 to 250 °C / 70 to 85 °C | No | Auto; glue stick on smooth PEI | Brackets, clips, parts that get warm or wet |
| TPU | 210 to 240 °C / 30 to 60 °C | No | Auto | Feet, bumpers, gaskets, grips |
| ABS, ASA | 240 to 270 °C / 90 to 110 °C | Yes | Brim | Heat, car interiors; ASA outdoors |
| PLA-CF, PETG-CF | As the base material | As the base material | As the base material | Stiff, matte parts; hardened nozzle |
| PA, PA-CF, PC | 260 to 300 °C / 80 to 110 °C | Yes | Brim | Engineering parts, heat, wear |
PLA
PLA is the easiest material to print: little warping, sharp detail, clean overhangs and bridges thanks to full part cooling. It is also stiff and brittle, and it softens at around 55 to 60 °C, so it is the wrong choice for a car interior, a dishwasher or a clip that has to flex thousands of times.
In the slicer: every setting at its default works. Supports come off easily. Fast speed suits PLA best of all the materials, within the printer's limits. On an enclosed printer, open the door or lift the lid: a warm chamber can soften PLA inside the extruder and cause jams (heat creep), and no preset can open the door for you.
PETG
PETG is tougher and a little flexible, handles heat to around 70 to 80 °C, and resists water and most household chemicals. It is the default choice for brackets, clips and anything that lives near a window or in a garage.
In the slicer: the preset lowers the fan and the speed compared with PLA, which is why the same part slices to a longer print time; compare the two results. PETG strings more than PLA; the preset handles retraction, and if strings persist, the spool is probably wet. PETG bonds very strongly to smooth PEI and can tear pieces out of the sheet, so use a glue stick as a release layer on smooth PEI, or a textured plate. Supports also bond harder: Tree style and Only from the build plate make removal easier, and a design that needs none is better still.
TPU
TPU is flexible: 95A is the common, printable hardness, and softer grades are harder to feed. The preset caps its flow low, so Speed set to Fast changes little: the filament's limit still applies. Direct-drive extruders handle TPU best; a Bowden printer can manage 95A slowly, and softer grades are a struggle. On printers with an automatic filament system, check whether your TPU is approved for it; most soft TPU is fed from the external spool holder.
In the slicer: walls and infill set how squishy the part is. Fewer walls and 10 to 15% infill give a soft bumper; more walls and higher infill a firm one. Avoid supports if you can, because they fuse to TPU and tear the surface on removal. Print flat faces down.
ABS and ASA
ABS and ASA handle heat (around 95 to 100 °C) and are the classic materials for car interiors and parts near motors. ASA adds UV resistance, so it is the one for outdoor parts in the sun. Both shrink as they cool, which lifts corners and cracks tall parts between layers, and both give off fumes while printing.
In the slicer: set Adhesion to Brim. The preset lowers the part-cooling fan. The rest happens outside the slicer: print inside an enclosure with the door closed, and ventilate the room. Enclosed printers such as the Bambu Lab P1S, the Prusa CORE One, the Creality K1C and the Elegoo Centauri Carbon are built for it; an open-frame printer can manage small ABS parts in a draft-free room and little more. Rounded corners on large flat parts also reduce lifting.
Carbon-fiber blends: PLA-CF, PETG-CF, PA-CF
Carbon-fiber blends are the base plastic filled with short chopped fibers. They are stiffer than the plain plastic, with a matte finish that hides layer lines well, and usually less tough in an impact. Print them like the base material (PETG-CF like PETG, PA-CF like nylon), with two differences:
- They are abrasive. A brass nozzle wears out quickly; use a hardened steel or similar wear-resistant nozzle. The slicer cannot check this, because the Nozzle choice is only its diameter. The Bambu Lab X1 Carbon ships with a hardened nozzle; many printers do not.
- They clog more easily at 0.4 mm. Many makers suggest a 0.6 mm nozzle for filled filaments. If one is installed, choose it in the slicer so the profile matches.
PA-CF is nylon underneath: dry it before printing and keep it dry while it prints, use an enclosure, and expect the preset to run hot.
PC and nylon (PA)
Polycarbonate and nylon are engineering materials: heat resistant, tough and hard-wearing, and demanding to print. Both need high nozzle temperatures, an enclosure, a brim and dry filament. The online slicer lists their presets for most printers; check that your hotend reaches the temperatures on the spool before you choose them.
Dry filament, whatever the preset
PETG, TPU, nylon and PC all absorb moisture from the air, and PLA does over time. Wet filament pops and hisses at the nozzle, strings, and prints rough, weak parts. No slicer setting fixes that: dry the spool in a filament dryer or an oven at the temperature the maker gives, then store it sealed with desiccant.
Picking a material for a functional part
- Indoors, no heat, no flexing: PLA.
- Clips, brackets, a warm room, a damp place: PETG.
- Sun and heat: ASA.
- Flexible or grippy: TPU.
- Stiff, hot and hard-wearing, with the right printer: PA-CF.
In the online slicer
Choose the Material, then the Filament brand or the generic preset, and slice. Switching material and pressing Slice again within 10 minutes spends nothing, so you can see what PETG instead of PLA does to the print time before you load the spool. Open the online slicer, or read about it on the online slicer page. The settings guide covers walls, infill and supports for each kind of part.