Filaments

PLA print settings: temperature, bed and speed guide

PLA prints best at 200–220 °C on a 55–65 °C bed, with the part-cooling fan at 100% and no enclosure. It's the easiest and cheapest filament for prototypes, figurines and decor. The catch: it softens at about 55–60 °C, so keep PLA parts out of hot cars and summer sun.

8 min read Updated October 2026 Beginner Filaments · 1 of 6

Best PLA settings in 30 seconds

Nozzle 200–220 °C. Start at 210 °C. Fast printers often need 10–20 °C more.
Bed 55–65 °C on clean PEI (35–45 °C on a cool plate). No glue needed.
Part fan 100% after the first layer or two.
No enclosure. On an enclosed printer, open the door or lift the lid.
Dry only when needed: 40–50 °C for 4–6 hours.

PLA print settings table

These starting values work on Bambu Lab, Prusa, Creality (Ender 3, K1, K2) and most other FDM printers. If your spool's label disagrees, the label wins: brands tune their blends differently.

Setting	Starting value	Notes
Nozzle temperature	200–220 °C	Start at 210. Go cooler if it strings, hotter if layers split.
High-speed printing	215–230 °C	At 200+ mm/s the plastic has less time to melt. Use a high-speed (HS) PLA profile.
First layer	Print temp +0–5 °C	A touch hotter helps the first layer grip.
Bed temperature	55–65 °C	35–45 °C on cool/PLA plates. Hotter invites elephant's foot.
Part cooling fan	100%	Off or low for the first 1–2 layers, then full. Overhangs and bridges depend on it.
Enclosure	None	Warm air softens PLA inside the extruder and causes heat-creep clogs.
Print speed	50–100 mm/s (bed-slingers); 200–300+ mm/s (fast CoreXY)	The real limit is how much plastic the hotend can melt per second.
Max volumetric flow	About 10–15 mm³/s (standard hotend)	High-flow hotends with HS PLA reach 20–30+ mm³/s. Check the spool or profile.
Retraction	0.4–1.0 mm direct drive; 4–6 mm Bowden	30–45 mm/s. Over-retracting can pull soft plastic up into the cold zone and jam.
Layer height	0.08–0.28 mm (0.4 mm nozzle)	0.20 mm is the everyday default. Stay under about 75% of nozzle size.
Bed surface	Smooth or textured PEI; glass with glue stick	Wash PEI with dish soap and hot water when adhesion fades.
Nozzle	Brass is fine	Use hardened steel for PLA-CF, glow-in-the-dark and other abrasive blends.
Drying	40–50 °C, 4–6 h	Only if it pops, strings or snaps. Never above about 55 °C.

Why fast printers need hotter PLA

A hotend can only melt so much plastic per second. Push filament through faster and each bit spends less time in the heater, so it comes out cooler inside. You get gaps, weak layer bonding and a dull, rough surface: a bit like microwaving a frozen burrito for half the time.

The fix applies to every filament, not just PLA: at high flow, raise the nozzle 10–20 °C or slow down. Manufacturers say so on their data sheets. Polymaker's PolySonic high-speed PLA, for example, lists 190–210 °C for classic speeds and 210–230 °C for high-speed printing.

Tip: Print your temperature tower at the speed you actually use. A tower printed slowly picks a temperature that's too cold for 300 mm/s.

PLA temperature limits: glass transition and HDT

PLA's glass transition temperature (T_g) is about 55–60 °C. Above it, the plastic turns rubbery and parts sag under their own weight. Heat deflection temperature (HDT, the 0.45 MPa test on data sheets) sits in the same place: 55 °C for Prusament PLA and 57 °C for Bambu PLA Basic.

That rules PLA out for car interiors, where a dashboard in summer sun can pass 70 °C, and for anything near a heater or in a dishwasher. Bambu Lab advises against using PLA anywhere around 50 °C or hotter for long periods.

Can you make PLA more heat resistant?

Yes, by annealing: baking the finished part so the plastic crystallizes. It works best with PLA sold for it (often called HT-PLA). Polymaker's HT-PLA goes from 61 °C to 107 °C HDT after 30 minutes at 80–90 °C. Ordinary PLA also gains heat resistance, but it shrinks and distorts less predictably, so test on a spare part first.

You need a phone mount for a car dashboard. Which filament is the worst choice?

PLA softens at about 55–60 °C, and a dashboard in the sun can get hotter than that. ASA and ABS hold their shape to roughly 90–100 °C, and ASA also resists UV.

Which PLA to buy: PLA+, silk, matte, high-speed and CF

"PLA" is a family. The base plastic is the same, but additives change how it prints and performs.

Variant	Best for	How to print it	Watch out for
Basic PLA	Prototypes, figurines, decor	200–220 °C	Brittle under impact
PLA+ / PLA Pro / Tough PLA	Functional parts that get knocked about	Usually 5–10 °C hotter (about 210–230 °C)	"Plus" isn't a standard; recipes vary by brand. Much better impact strength than basic PLA in most data sheets.
Silk PLA	Shiny vases and display pieces	Hotter and slower (about 210–230 °C)	Weaker layer bonding; strings more
Matte PLA	Hiding layer lines, a "printed-not-plastic" look	Standard PLA settings	More brittle; weaker layers than basic PLA
High-speed PLA (HS, Rapid)	Fast CoreXY printers	210–230 °C at high flow	No benefit if your hotend can't push the flow
PLA-CF (carbon fiber)	Stiff, matte brackets and jigs	210–240 °C, hardened steel nozzle, 0.4–0.6 mm	Abrasive. Lower impact and tensile strength; no extra heat resistance (HDT stays about 55 °C)
HT-PLA / annealable PLA	Parts that must survive warmth	Print like PLA, then anneal per the data sheet	Slight shrinkage during annealing
LW-PLA / PLA Aero	Lightweight RC planes, cosplay	Foams as it prints; hotter means lighter. Follow the brand's temperature chart	Stringy and weak if run like normal PLA
Wood-filled PLA	Wood-look decor	0.6 mm nozzle preferred; avoid 0.2 mm	Clogs small nozzles; absorbs moisture quickly
Glow, marble, sparkle PLA	Special effects	Hardened steel nozzle	Abrasive particles wear brass nozzles

Do I need to dry PLA?

Usually not. A freshly opened spool in a normal room prints fine, and PLA soaks up less water than PETG, TPU or nylon. Dry it when you see the signs: popping or hissing at the nozzle, sudden stringing, a rough or bubbly surface, or filament that snaps when you bend it.

Dry PLA at 40–50 °C for 4–6 hours (Prusa uses 45 °C for 6 hours). Some brands allow up to 55 °C in a forced-air dryer, but never go hotter: PLA's T_g is about 60 °C and a hot spool fuses into a solid donut. Drying often cures snapping filament, though some old spools stay brittle. The filament drying guide covers dryers, ovens and storage.

Free PrintPal toolFilament Drying GuidePick PLA and how long it sat out to get a drying time and a safe temperature rangeOpen tool

PLA bed adhesion and first-layer tips

Wash the build plate with dish soap and hot water. Skin oil is the number one adhesion killer.
Set the Z-offset so the first layer is slightly squished, with no gaps between lines.
Bed at 55–65 °C on PEI, or 35–45 °C on a cool plate.
Slow the first layer to about 20–30 mm/s.
Add a brim only for small footprints or tall, thin parts.

Still lifting? Work through first layer not sticking.

PLA troubleshooting: common problems and fixes

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Stringing and hairs	Nozzle too hot, wet filament, too little retraction	Drop 5 °C at a time, dry the spool, tune retraction. See stringing and oozing.
Corners lifting	Dirty plate, too little squish, drafts	Wash the plate, lower the Z-offset slightly, add a brim.
Bulging bottom layers	Bed too hot or first layer over-squished	Bed to 55–60 °C, raise the Z-offset a little.
Extruder clicks or clogs mid-print	Heat creep from a warm chamber	Open the enclosure, check the hotend fan, reduce retraction. See heat creep.
Gaps and weak walls at high speed	Hotend can't melt fast enough	Raise 10–15 °C or lower speed and flow.
Droopy overhangs and bridges	Not enough cooling	Fan 100%, slower overhangs, check the fan duct.
Popping, bubbles, rough surface	Wet filament	Dry at 40–50 °C for 4–6 hours.
Layers split when stressed	Printed too cold or too fast	Raise 5–10 °C; add walls rather than infill.
Part sags in a car or in the sun	Above PLA's 55–60 °C limit	Reprint in PETG, ASA or ABS.
Filament snaps in the feed path	Brittle from moisture or age	Dry it and store it sealed with desiccant.

Is PLA food safe?

Not automatically. PLA resin is often approved for food contact, but a printed part adds layer lines that trap bacteria, colorants and additives that may not be tested, and brass nozzles that can contain small amounts of lead. Prusa recommends against using any filament for direct food contact unless you seal the surface with a food-safe coating.

If you do it anyway: use a spool with a food-contact declaration for that exact color, print with a stainless-steel nozzle, seal with a food-safe coating, and treat the part as single-use. PLA's low T_g also means no dishwasher and no hot drinks.

PLA vs PETG vs ABS: when to choose PLA

Material	Nozzle	Bed	Heat resistance (HDT)	Enclosure
PLA	200–220 °C	55–65 °C	About 55–60 °C	No
PETG	225–245 °C	70–85 °C	About 68–78 °C	No
ABS	235–255 °C	95–110 °C	About 87–100 °C	Yes, and ventilate
ASA	240–260 °C	100–110 °C	About 93–103 °C	Yes, and ventilate

Choose PLA for prototypes, figurines, miniatures, decor, indoor brackets, cosplay props and jigs that stay at room temperature.

Skip PLA for car interiors, long-term outdoor parts, parts under constant load in warm rooms, and anything that gets boiled or dishwashed. Step up to PETG, or ABS and ASA, for those (guides linked below).

How much does a PLA print cost?

Standard PLA costs roughly $15–25 per kilogram, so a 50 g part uses about $1 of filament. Electricity usually adds only a few cents per hour. To see whether a half-used spool will finish a long print, weigh it, subtract the empty spool's weight and convert the grams to meters with the filament spool calculator.

Free PrintPal tool3D Print Cost CalculatorAdd spool price, part weight, print time and power for a true cost per PLA partOpen tool

Frequently asked questions

What temperature should I print PLA at?

Print PLA at 200–220 °C, starting around 210 °C. Use the cooler end to reduce stringing and the hotter end for stronger layers. High-speed printing often needs 215–230 °C.

What bed temperature is best for PLA?

Use 55–65 °C on a PEI sheet, or 35–45 °C on a cool or PLA plate. Going much above 65 °C can cause elephant's foot.

Do I need to dry PLA?

Usually not, if the spool is new or stored sealed. Dry it at 40–50 °C for 4–6 hours if you hear popping at the nozzle, see sudden stringing or bubbles, or the filament snaps when you bend it.

Should I print PLA with the enclosure closed?

No. PLA wants cool air, and a warm chamber can soften the filament inside the extruder and cause clogs. Open the door or remove the lid on enclosed printers.

At what temperature does PLA soften?

Around 55–60 °C, its glass transition temperature. Manufacturer heat deflection figures are also 55–60 °C, so PLA parts can deform in a hot car or in direct summer sun.

How to dry filament PETG settings guide ABS vs ASA settings Stringing and oozing Cooling, speeds and acceleration