While correctly configuring every single setting in the slicer software will always yield significant benefits for the 3D printing process, some parameters, such as the print temperature and the bed temperature, play an especially vital role in obtaining successful 3D printed models.
On top of their importance, as the optimal values for these parameters depend on factors such as the filament type and the filament brand (as each brand uses a different material composition), getting the configuration correctly can be specifically challenging.
Today, we will find the optimal print and bed temperature values for the eSun brand of PLA Plus filament (eSun PLA+), which will allow us to conduct a more successful printing process with fewer potential temperature-related problems especially compared to using generic PLA+ temperature values.
So, what are the optimal print and bed temperature values for eSun PLA+?
According to the information that we have gathered from the manufacturer’s website, the optimal print temperature for printing eSun PLA Plus (PLA+) falls between the range of 205°C to 225°C.
On the other hand, while the optimal bed temperature is stated to be 60°C to 80°C, it’s also worth mentioning that a heated bed is not necessary to print with eSun PLA Plus (PLA+).
Next up, we will be examining the optimal print and bed temperature figures for eSun PLA+ in better detail, find out how to specifically calculate Cura settings for eSun PLA+, and finally take a quick look at the optimal eSun PLA+ settings for Creality’s Ender 3.
Table of Contents
What Is the Optimal Print Temperature for eSun PLA+ (PLA Plus)?
While generic PLA+ print temperature figures you can find online are often good enough to obtain decent results, using the optimal print temperature value that the manufacturer of the filament directly recommends is, without a doubt, a much better option.
A range of 205 to 225 degrees Celsius is the official recommendation of eSun for printing with their PLA+ (PLA Plus) filament, which is what we would consider optimal as the values that come straight from the manufacturer will always work best.
As 205°C to 225°C isn’t a very wide range, it should be relatively straightforward to find the exact optimal printing temperature that will work the best with your 3D printer after a few test prints of applying 5°C increments in either direction, depending on where you have started.
Please note that it’s expected for PLA Plus to print at slightly higher temperatures compared to standard PLA due to the differences in material composition, which makes the range recommended by eSun perfectly suitable for a successful printing process.
What Is the Optimal Bed Temperature for eSun PLA+ (PLA Plus)?
The bed temperature figure is another one that plays a vital role in the success of the 3D printing process, and similarly to the print temperature, it also varies based on the brand of the filament you’re using, making it a significant optimization to find the optimal bed temperature for the filament you use.
While printing eSun PLA+ (PLA Plus) without a heated bed is perfectly fine and will yield successful results as long as everything else is correctly configured, the manufacturer’s recommendation for bed temperature if you plan on using a heated bed is 60 to 80 degrees Celsius.
Our recommendation would be to use the heated bed of your 3D printer if it has one, as a heated bed will make your prints less prone to issues related to bed adhesion and create a smoother and more consistent 3D printing experience.
How to Configure eSun PLA+ (PLA Plus) Settings in Cura?
Once you find the optimal settings for a brand and type of filament, saving the configuration for later use is the next step, which Cura makes possible through the material profiles for filament-specific attributes, and print setting profiles for the print settings themselves.
Below, we have listed the steps you can follow to configure eSun PLA+ settings in Cura:
- Navigate to the Prepare tab on the top of the Cura window.
- Click the middle pane for the Material and Nozzle Size selection.
- Choose eSUN PLA+ from the Material dropdown list.
- Click the right pane to bring the Print Settings dialog on the screen.
- Click the Custom button if available; else, skip this step.
- Perform the configuration of your preference through the Print Settings section.
- Click the dropdown menu next to the Profile label, and click “Create profile from current settings/overrides.”
- Give your new profile a name, and click OK.
Once you follow these steps, the default profile for eSun PLA+ in Cura will be active, and you will have a new custom profile saved with the settings of your choice that you can further customize later on if you wish.
What Are the Optimal eSun PLA+ (PLA Plus) Settings for the Ender 3 (Pro/V2)?
As the Ender 3 is the most popular 3D printer on the market right now, there is no surprise that finding the optimal configuration that would work the best with the Ender 3 is something that naturally interests many 3D printing enthusiasts.
For the purposes of this article, we have run some tests by printing a 20 mm calibration cube at different temperatures with a spool of eSun PLA+ on a Creality Ender 3 3D printer and found the settings below to be working perfectly:
- Print Temperature: 210 degrees Celsius
- Bed Temperature: 60 degrees Celsius
- Retraction Distance: 5 millimeters
- Retraction Speed: 40 millimeters per second
While your experience may be different, as there are plenty of factors that can change the course of the 3D printing process, even when you use the same 3D printer, we believe that these values will be a great starting point, if nothing else.
Wrapping Up
Even though using the generic temperature figures for each type of filament, regardless of their brand, will take a lot less of your time and effort, it’s definitely worth it to fine-tune the values for each distinct brand and type for the best results possible, especially considering that you can save the configuration for later use.
To quickly recap, the recommendation of eSun is to use a nozzle temperature of 205°C to 225°C and a bed temperature of 60°C to 80°C for printing with their PLA Plus (PLA+), with the heated bed being entirely optional for the printing process in this case.
Since the temperatures recommended by the manufacturer are ranges rather than exact values, we highly recommend testing with different temperatures in these ranges to find the most optimal value possible in your case.
Happy printing!
Mike started his 3D printing journey with the Anet A8 when it first came out back in 2017, and has been obsessed with 3D printers ever since. Nowadays, he primarily uses his Ender 3 to print functional parts that make his life more convenient whenever possible.