Polycarbonate

How do I print polycarbonate (PC)?

Q: How do I print polycarbonate (PC)?

Use the nozzle, bed, and drying cycle on the polycarbonate row you loaded, keep drafts off the part, and read a PC blend as its own product.

First in this ranking: Bambu Lab PC.

Nozzle260–300 °C (500–572 °F)
Bed100–120 °C (212–248 °F)
Speedup to 200 mm/s
Dry80 °C (176 °F) for 8 h
Density1.2 g/cm³

Ranked filaments

Rank	Filament	Material	Nozzle	Bed	Price / kg	Datasheet	Buy
1	Bambu Lab PCBambu PC technical data sheet. Nozzle 260–300 °C (500–572 °F), bed 100–120 °C (212–248 °F), drying at 80 °C (176 °F) for 8 h, and print speed up to 200 mm/s. Enclosure required is blank.	PC	260–300 °C (500–572 °F)	100–120 °C (212–248 °F)	—	Datasheet	Search Amazon
2	Polymaker PCPolymaker PC from the Open Filament Database. Nozzle 260–300 °C (500–572 °F) and bed 100–120 °C (212–248 °F). Drying and enclosure required are not in our sources.	PC	260–300 °C (500–572 °F)	100–120 °C (212–248 °F)	—	—	Search Amazon
3	Prusament PC BlendPrusament PC Blend from the Open Filament Database. Nozzle 265–285 °C (509–545 °F) and bed 100–120 °C (212–248 °F). Drying is not stored. This is the blend row, not the unfilled Prusament PC row, which lists the same nozzle and bed.	PC	265–285 °C (509–545 °F)	100–120 °C (212–248 °F)	—	—	Search Amazon
4	Polymaker PC-ABSPolymaker PC-ABS technical data sheet. Nozzle 250–270 °C (482–518 °F), bed 90–105 °C (194–221 °F), and drying at 75 °C (167 °F) for 6 h. Enclosure required is blank. The nozzle starts below the 260 °C (500 °F) rows.	PC	250–270 °C (482–518 °F)	90–105 °C (194–221 °F)	—	Datasheet	Search Amazon

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Load the polycarbonate row you actually have. Dry it when that row lists a cycle. Keep drafts off the part. PC is the material hub. Heat is the separate "which material survives heat" question.

Rows, not one band

Bambu PC lists 260–300 °C (500–572 °F), a bed of 100–120 °C (212–248 °F), drying at 80 °C (176 °F) for 8 h, and speed up to 200 mm/s. Polymaker PC lists 260–300 °C (500–572 °F) and 100–120 °C (212–248 °F), and drying is not in our sources. Prusament PC and Prusament PC Blend each list 265–285 °C (509–545 °F) and 100–120 °C (212–248 °F). Polymaker PC-ABS lists 250–270 °C (482–518 °F), 90–105 °C (194–221 °F), and drying at 75 °C (167 °F) for 6 h. Enclosure required is blank on these rows.

The Prusament pellets page records a Prusa comment that PC Blend is the full mixture, additives included. That note is not a nozzle temperature, and this page does not copy one from there.

Warp and the sheet

A comment on r/prusa3d 1nh33i3 says the part will warp again and take the print sheet with it. Warping is drafts, the bed row, and glue stick or hairspray. It does not lower a 100–120 °C (212–248 °F) PC bed to a PLA bed. Drying is the general method. Only the rows that list a cycle get one here.

Comments that are not settings

A comment on r/functionalprint 1rigvbx, from someone who says they develop automotive radar, says not to cover a radar sensor with printed plastic. That is a warning about that badge. It is not a PC profile. The supplied comment on r/functionalprint 1izwgvt is a joke and is not used as a setting. r/ender3 13tv0p0 and r/prusa3d 183yqyx are in the bank. The supplied excerpts do not include a PC temperature from them. r/ender3 13tv0p0's variant in the bank is a USB-port question, so this page does not treat it as a polycarbonate thread.

Pros and cons

Pros

Heat resistance is why people attempt PC. The temperatures that support a print are the ones on the row, including drying where the sheet lists it.
PC-ABS is on the list because the summary says blends are easier, and this blend has its own lower nozzle and bed.

Cons

The catalog does not score blends as easier. Easier is the editorial word. The table only shows the different ranges.
Several supplied comments are off the print question: a radar-sensor warning, a pants joke, and a USB-port question. They are not PC temperatures.

Printer considerations

The editorial summary says 260–300 °C (500–572 °F). That band matches Bambu PC and Polymaker PC. Prusament PC Blend lists 265–285 °C (509–545 °F). Polymaker PC-ABS lists 250–270 °C (482–518 °F). Use the row.
Enclosure required is blank on these records. Draft control is the process. It is not a filled cell.
A comment on r/prusa3d 1nh33i3 says a PC Blend part will warp again, and take the print sheet with it. That is a warp warning, not a new bed temperature.

Printer limits

What the community says

The editorial summary says polycarbonate needs 260–300 °C (500–572 °F), a hot bed, an enclosure, and dried filament, and that PC blends are easier. Bambu PC and Polymaker PC list 260–300 °C (500–572 °F) and a bed of 100–120 °C (212–248 °F). Bambu PC adds drying at 80 °C (176 °F) for 8 h. Prusament PC Blend lists 265–285 °C (509–545 °F). Polymaker PC-ABS lists 250–270 °C (482–518 °F) and 90–105 °C (194–221 °F), with drying at 75 °C (167 °F) for 6 h. Enclosure required stays blank. A comment on the PC Blend thread expects the part to warp and lift the sheet. A comment on the radar-badge thread says not to put printed plastic over an automotive radar sensor. That is a use warning, not a nozzle setting.

Sources & notes

Accessed 16 October 2026.

Bambu Lab PC technical data sheet datasheet
Polymaker PC-ABS technical data sheet datasheet
Open Filament Database, Polymaker PC other
Open Filament Database, Prusament PC Blend other
Open Filament Database, Prusament PC other
Community source, r/functionalprint 1rigvbx reddit
Community source, r/prusa3d 1nh33i3 reddit
Community source, r/functionalprint 1izwgvt reddit
Community source, r/ender3 13tv0p0 reddit
Community source, r/prusa3d 183yqyx reddit

Answer JSON · Markdown

Questions

Does every PC spool print at 260–300 °C (500–572 °F)?

No. Bambu PC and Polymaker PC list 260–300 °C (500–572 °F). Prusament PC Blend lists 265–285 °C (509–545 °F). Polymaker PC-ABS lists 250–270 °C (482–518 °F). The 260–300 °C (500–572 °F) line is the summary, and it matches only some of these rows.

Does the catalog say a PC blend is easier?

No. The summary says blends are easier. Polymaker PC-ABS lists a lower nozzle and bed than Bambu PC, and drying at 75 °C (167 °F) for 6 h. Easier is not a column. Enclosure required is blank on the blend too.