Nylon is a strong, yet flexible material that has great uses for plenty of projects but getting the perfect printing speed and temperature for Nylon can be tricky. I decided to write an article to help people get the optimal printing speed and temperature to get the best results.
The best speed & temperature for Nylon depends on what type of Nylon you are using and what 3D printer you have, but generally, you want to use a speed of 50mm/s, a nozzle temperature of 235°C and a heated bed temperature of 75°C. Brands of Nylon have their recommended temperature settings on the spool.
That’s the basic answer that will set you up for success, but there are more details that you’ll want to know to get the perfect printing speed and temperature for Nylon.
What is the Best Printing Speed For Nylon?
The best printing speed for Nylon falls between 30-60mm/s. With a well-tuned 3D printer that has good stability, you may be able to 3D print at a faster rate without reducing quality so much. Some 3D printers can print at much higher speeds like Delta 3D printers, at 100mm/s+.
Nylon is popularly known for its flexibility and toughness even when exposed to high temperatures. You can also print at a high speed of 70mm/s.
When using higher printing speeds, you should balance it out with slightly increasing the print temperature, since the filament has less time to heat in the hotend. If you don’t increase the print temperature, you are likely to experience under extrusion.
It is recommended that a standard speed of 40-50mm/s is ideal for best results when printing models with high details. A user who dropped their printing speed from 75mm/s to 45 mm/s mentioned how their print results improved with more details and accuracy.
There are different speeds within the general print speed such as:
Infill Speed
Wall Speed (Outer Wall & Inner Wall)
Top/Bottom Speed
Since your Infill Speed is the inner material of your 3D print, this is usually set to be the same as your main Print Speed, at 50mm/s. However, you can calibrate this depending on the type of material used.
It is also automatically set to 50% of the print speed for the wall and top/bottom speed. Due to the build plate adhesion and other importance of these sections, it is recommended to keep these speeds fairly low compared to the main print speed.
This will also help the surface quality of the material since these are on the exterior of the model. You can check out my more detailed Guide on 3D Printing Nylon.
What is the Best Nylon Printing Temperature for Nylon?
The best printing temperature for nylon is between 220°C-250°C depending on the brand of filament you have, plus your specific 3D printer and setup. For OVERTURE Nylon, they recommend a printing temperature of 250°C-270°C. Taulman3D Nylon 230 prints at a temperature of 230°C. For eSUN Carbon Fiber Nylon, 260°C-290°C.
Various brands also have their own recommended printing temperature for nylon filament products. You want to ensure you try and follow this guideline to determine which works best for you.
Most people usually have the best results with a temperature of 240-250°C when looking at most people’s settings, but it does depend on the temperature of the environment around you, the accuracy of your thermistor recording the temperature, and other factors.
Even the specific 3D printer and hot end you have may slightly alter the best printing temperature for Nylon Filament. Brands definitely differ in what temperature works best so it’s a good idea to find out what personally works for your situation.
You can print something called a Temperature Tower. This is basically a tower that prints towers at different temperatures as it moves up the tower.
You can also choose to download your own model outside of Cura if you use another slicer by downloading this Temperature Calibration Tower from Thingiverse.
Whether you have an Ender 3 Pro or V2, your printing temperature should be mentioned by the filament manufacturer on the side of the spool or packaging, then you can test the perfect temperature by using a temperature tower.
Do keep in mind though, stock PTFE tubes that come with a 3D printer usually have a peak heat resistance of around 250°C, so I’d recommend upgrading to a Capricorn PTFE Tube to keep heat resistance at up to 260°C.
It’s also great for solving filament feeding and retraction issues.
What is the Best Print Bed Temperature for Nylon?
The best print bed temperature for Nylon is between 40-80°C, with the optimal build plate temperature being 60-70°C for most brands. Nylon has a glass transition temperature of 70°C, the temperature it softens at. eSUN Carbon Fiber Filled Nylon has a bed temperature of 45°C-60°C while OVERTURE Nylon is 60°C-80°C.
Different bed temperatures work fine for different brands so you want to test these bed temperatures to determine the one that works best for you. Using something like an enclosure helps to keep the heat within your 3D prints.
Using an enclosure is a good way to control temperature fluctuations. I'd recommend getting something like the Creality Fireproof & Dustproof Enclosure from Amazon.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
What is the Best Fan Speed For Nylon?
The best fan speed for Nylon is 0% or a maximum of 50% because it is a filament that is prone to warping due to being a high temperature filament. You also want to make sure that there aren’t many drafts or wind blowing on the print. Using an enclosure is a good idea to protect your Nylon 3D prints from warping.
A user who started printing with their cooling fan off had issues printing small parts and overhangs easily as they were getting droopy and deformed since there was no time to cool down a bit.
The parts came out strong when they turn up their fan speed to 50% A higher fan speed lets the Nylon cool faster so it doesn’t droop or move around which results in better surface details.
What is the Best Layer Height for Nylon?
The best layer height for Nylon with a 0.4mm nozzle, is anywhere between 0.12-0.28mm depending on what kind of quality you are after. For high quality models with a lot of detail, a 0.12mm layer height is possible, while quicker & stronger prints can be done at 0.2-0.28mm.
0.2mm is the standard layer height for 3D printing in general because it’s a great balance of quality and print speed. The lower your layer height, the better your quality will be, but it increases the number of overall layers which increases the overall print time.
Depending on what your project is, you may not care about the quality so using a layer height like 0.28mm and above would work great. For other models where you care about the surface quality, a layer height of 0.12mm or 0.16mm is ideal.
Michael Dwamena is the founder of 3D Printerly, a platform dedicated to simplifying 3D printing for hobbyists and professionals alike. Owns over 20 3D printers (filament and resin) and has plenty experience 3D printing. Michael has authored over 900 articles, helping millions navigate the exciting world of 3D printing.
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