Troubleshooting
How do I calibrate flow rate and pressure advance for a new filament?
First in this ranking: Polymaker Polylite PLA.
- Nozzle190–230 °C (374–446 °F)
- Bed25–60 °C (77–140 °F)
- Speed40–60 mm/s
- Dry55 °C (131 °F) for 6 h
- Density1.17 g/cm³
Ranked filaments
| Rank | Filament | Material | Nozzle | Bed | Price / kg | Datasheet | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polymaker Polylite PLAPolyLite PLA stores 190–230 °C (374–446 °F), so the temperature tower stays inside that band. Drying is 55 °C (131 °F) for 6 h. Volumetric flow is not stored. | PLA | 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) | 25–60 °C (77–140 °F) | — | Datasheet | |
| 2 | Prusament PLAPrusament PLA stores a tighter nozzle, 205–225 °C (401–437 °F). A tower that starts at 190 °C (374 °F) is already outside this row. No volumetric flow is stored. | PLA | 205–225 °C (401–437 °F) | 40–60 °C (104–140 °F) | — | — | |
| 3 | Polymaker Polylite PETGPolyLite PETG stores 220–250 °C (428–482 °F) and a bed of 70–90 °C (158–194 °F). Run a new tower. A PLA flow percentage is not a PETG flow percentage. | PETG | 220–250 °C (428–482 °F) | 70–90 °C (158–194 °F) | — | Datasheet | |
| 4 | Bambu Lab PLA BasicPLA Basic’s sheet lists 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) and a print speed under 300 mm/s. The catalog does not store a maximum volumetric flow. The speed cap on the sheet is not a mm³/s limit. | PLA | 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) | 35–45 °C (95–113 °F) | — | Datasheet |
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A new spool does not inherit the last spool’s flow ratio or pressure advance. The consensus calibrates four things, in this order, and it names OrcaSlicer’s calibration tools as the place people run them.
Temperature tower
Stay inside the nozzle range on the row. PolyLite PLA and PLA Basic store 190–230 °C (374–446 °F). Prusament PLA stores 205–225 °C (401–437 °F). PolyLite PETG stores 220–250 °C (428–482 °F). A tower step outside the range is not a result. It is the cold-nozzle case on the clog page.
Dry first if the spool has been open. Wet filament changes flow and looks like a bad ratio. Temperatures are on drying.
Flow, then advance
Set flow rate after the temperature is chosen. Then set pressure advance or linear advance. They are not substitutes. A corner blob with an even wall thickness is advance, covered on blobs and zits. Strings between parts are retraction and temperature, covered on ooze.
This batch does not include a sample K factor, a flow percentage, or an OrcaSlicer screenshot. Those would be invented.
Volumetric speed
Maximum volumetric speed is the last calibration, and it is the limit behind how fast PLA and PETG can go. PLA Basic’s sheet lists a print speed under 300 mm/s. That is not a stored mm³/s figure, and the other three rows do not store one either. If the hotend cannot melt the volume, the flow ratio you just found will not hold at a higher speed.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The order is the whole answer: temperature, flow, advance, volumetric limit.
- Each tower is boxed in by the nozzle range on the row, so a 190 °C (374 °F) step is legal on one PLA and illegal on another.
Cons
- No ranked filament stores a flow ratio or a pressure-advance value. The table cannot show the result of the test.
- A temperature tower uses several setpoints. Only the setpoints inside the stored range count.
Printer considerations
- OrcaSlicer is the name in this consensus. This page does not paste its menu paths or a sample K factor.
- Maximum volumetric speed is the last step, and it is the limit the speed guide already treats as real. None of these four rows store mm³/s.
- Pressure advance on a direct drive will not match a Bowden value. The P1S and P1P records are direct drive. Calibrate on the extruder you will print with.
What the community says
The consensus is to calibrate per filament: a temperature tower, flow rate, pressure advance or linear advance, and maximum volumetric speed. OrcaSlicer calibration is the tool named for that work.
- Community source, r/FixMyPrint xco8l7
- Community source, r/BambuLab 15gsovs
- Community source, r/FixMyPrint 1613uzc
- Community source, r/FixMyPrint 1hvl2f1
- Community source, r/BambuLab 16n0nja
Sources & notes
Accessed 15 October 2026.
- PolyLite PLA technical data sheet datasheet
- PolyLite PETG technical data sheet datasheet
- Bambu PLA Basic technical data sheet V3.0 datasheet
- Community source, r/FixMyPrint xco8l7 reddit
- Community source, r/BambuLab 15gsovs reddit
- Community source, r/FixMyPrint 1613uzc reddit
- Community source, r/FixMyPrint 1hvl2f1 reddit
- Community source, r/BambuLab 16n0nja reddit
Related questions
- How do I get good PLA prints?PLA
- How fast can I print PLA and PETG?Speed
- How do I fix blobs and zits?Troubleshooting
- How do I stop oozing between moves?Troubleshooting
Questions
Can I skip the tower if the spool lists 190–230 °C (374–446 °F)?
The range is the window, not the best single temperature. The tower picks a point inside it. Prusament PLA’s window is 205–225 °C (401–437 °F), so a generic PLA tower that starts at 190 °C (374 °F) is the wrong test for that spool.
Is flow rate the same as pressure advance?
No. Flow rate is how much plastic the slicer asks for. Pressure advance is how the pressure is timed at corners and seams. Blobs that survive a good flow value are the advance step, written up on the blobs page.