PLA on Prusa MK4

Nozzle Temp

210 °C

Range: 190 – 230 °C

Bed Temp

55 °C

Range: 25 – 60 °C

Print Speed

70

mm/s · max 120

Layer Height

0.20

mm · max 0.32

Fan Speed

100 %

1st layer: 20 %

1st Layer Speed

25

mm/s

Retraction

0.9 mm

@ 35 mm/s

Nozzle Type

Brass

Standard

Retraction Note

• PrusaSlicer's Nextruder profiles include optimised retraction — start with built-in presets.

Settings

Recommended

Range

Nozzle Temperature

200 – 215 °C

190 – 230 °C

Bed Temperature

50 – 60 °C

25 – 60 °C

Print Speed

60 – 90 mm/s

up to 120 mm/s on this printer

First Layer Speed

20 – 35 mm/s

slower is better for adhesion

Layer Height

0.16 – 0.24 mm

0.08 – 0.32 mm

Fan Speed (Normal)

100 %

–

Fan Speed (1st Layer)

0 – 30 %

–

Retraction Distance

0.9 mm

Direct drive

Retraction Speed

35 mm/s

–

Nozzle Type

Brass (standard)

Brass is fine; hardened optional

Dry Filament

40 – 45 °C for 4 – 6 h

print from a dry box in humid weather

Enclosure

Not required

Not required — helps in a cold or draughty room

Support Material

PVA, PETG (interface)

–

Printing Notes

PLA Basic shares its print window with OzFDM PLA+ but is a little stiffer and more brittle, so it suits display pieces and prototypes rather than parts that flex.

It is the cheapest way to dial in a new printer — run your first-layer and flow calibration on PLA Basic before moving to anything expensive.

The Nextruder's short filament path keeps retraction around 1 mm — a fraction of what a Bowden machine needs, and close to PrusaSlicer's stock value.

Input Shaper is enabled by default on the MK4, so the speeds above are achievable without the ringing you would get on an older machine.

Slicer: PrusaSlicer. Dry the filament at 40 – 45 °C / 4 – 6 h before a long print — every figure above assumes dry filament.

Troubleshooting

Brittle parts that snap along layer lines — Raise the nozzle 5 °C and drop cooling to 80 % on tall thin parts. PLA Basic is less forgiving of over-cooling than PLA+.

Stringing — Dry the roll and drop to 200 °C. Stringing in PLA is almost always heat or moisture, not retraction.

Poor first layer — PLA Basic likes a 60 °C bed even though it will stick at 25 °C. Warm the bed properly and slow the first layer.