What temperature should I print PLA at?

Start within the range printed on the spool and fine-tune with a temperature tower, a test print that steps the temperature every few layers. Different brands, colours and finishes of PLA print best at different points of their ranges, so a setting that suits one spool may not suit the next.

PLA is forgiving, but the spool label gives a range rather than a number for good reason.

Start from the label

Every spool prints a nozzle temperature range and usually a bed temperature. Those ranges come from the filament maker and are the starting point for any setting.

Print a temperature tower

A temperature tower is a model printed in sections, each at a different temperature, available in most slicers’ calibration tools. Looking at overhangs, bridges, stringing and surface finish section by section shows where that particular spool prints best.

Why spools differ

Colour pigments, silk and matte finishes, fillers such as wood or glitter, and manufacturing differences between brands all shift the best temperature. A silk PLA often behaves differently from a plain one from the same maker.

The bed temperature

PLA sticks to most plates at moderate bed temperatures, and the plate surface matters as much as the setting. The filament maker’s bed figure and the plate maker’s surface advice together give a starting point.

Keep the result

Once a spool prints well, note the temperature with the brand and colour. The next spool of the same product usually needs only a small adjustment, if any.