PLA, 0.4 mm nozzle, 0.1 mm layers
| Nozzle temperature | 200–220°C |
|---|---|
| Bed temperature | 55–60°C |
| Max layer height80% of nozzle diameter | 0.32mm |
| Line width1.125 × 0.4 mm nozzle | 0.45mm |
| PLA max volumetric flowtypical for a standard hot end | 12mm³/s |
| Speed ceiling12 mm³/s at this layer and width | 267mm/s |
Notes
- Going faster than 267 mm/s at these settings asks the hot end for more than 12 mm³/s. The result is under-extrusion that looks like a clog but is not one.
- PLA: no enclosure needed; warps least
- A high-flow hot end raises the volumetric ceiling, which raises the speed ceiling proportionally — it does not change the layer height rule, which is geometry.
Two limits, and only one of them is adjustable
Layer height is geometry. A 0.4 mm nozzle can lay down at most 0.32 mm per layer — about 80% of its own diameter. Past that, the extruded line has nothing to squash against and simply does not bond to the layer below. No temperature or speed setting fixes it.
Speed is throughput. Your hot end melts 12 mm³ of PLA per second, and at 0.1 mm layers with a 0.45 mm line width, that caps you at 267 mm/s.
The failure that looks like a clog
Push past the speed ceiling and the printer keeps moving while the extruder cannot keep up. You get thin, gappy walls and skipped extruder steps — which almost everyone diagnoses as a partial clog and tries to fix with a cold pull.
The fix is either slower speeds, thinner layers, or a hot end that melts faster.
Temperature
PLA runs at 200–220°C with the bed at 55–60°C. Start in the middle of the range and print a temperature tower — the right number depends on your specific filament and how your thermistor reads, not on the label.
Nearby sizes
Read more
- PETG Overhangs — More Fan Than You Think, Less Than PLAPETG at zero fan bridges badly and droops. PETG at 100% delaminates. The useful setting is in between and it is narrower than PLA's.
- Part Cooling for PLA — 100% Is Right, Except When It Is NotThe same fan setting that gives clean overhangs gives weak layers. There is no setting that does both, which is why it is a per-part decision.
- How Much Filament a Print Uses — The Slicer Knows, and It Rounds DownThe estimate on screen is for the part. What leaves the spool includes the priming line, the purge tower and the print that failed at hour nine.
- Wet Filament — Popping, Steam, and a Surface That Went Rough OvernightA spool that printed perfectly last month and produces rough, weak parts today has not changed chemically. It has absorbed water.