{"id":359,"date":"2021-11-03T20:29:27","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T20:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3dprintbeast.com\/?p=359"},"modified":"2023-01-19T18:37:59","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T18:37:59","slug":"cura-tpu-settings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are the Most Optimal TPU Settings for Cura? (Detailed)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>While TPU isn&#8217;t the most popular type of filament around, its elasticity, strength against impact, and resistance against low temperatures, solvents, and oils make it a fantastic choice for many projects where functionality is the primary purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That being said, as TPU is one of the more challenging filaments to print compared to a mainstream choice such as PLA, correctly configuring your slicer software is essential to ensure that you get the best results possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, we will take a deep dive into how you can configure Cura as optimally as possible to print TPU filament, as the correct configuration is one of the first and most vital steps to produce a high-quality print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what are the most optimal TPU settings for Cura?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Below are the Cura settings we recommend using for printing TPU:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Print Speed &#8211; 20 to 30 mm\/s<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Print Temperature &#8211; 220 to 250 degrees Celsius<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Layer Height &#8211; 0.16 mm (for a 0.4 mm nozzle)<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Initial Layer &#8211; Height: 0.28 mm | Temp &#8211; 225-255 degrees Celsius | Bed Temp &#8211; 50-60 degrees Celsius<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Retraction &#8211; Distance &#8211; 2 mm | Speed &#8211; 20mm\/s<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Travel Speed &#8211; 150 mm\/s to 200 mm\/s<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Bed Temperature &#8211; 50 to 60 degrees Celsius<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Cooling Speed &#8211; Off, or 20-40%<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In the upcoming sections, we will delve deeper into each of the settings in greater detail and explain how you can activate TPU-specific settings in Cura to ensure that your settings for different filament types don&#8217;t get mixed with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_57_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-662d6e72a5621\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-662d6e72a5621\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#What_Are_the_Most_Optimal_TPU_Settings_for_Cura\" title=\"What Are the Most Optimal TPU Settings for Cura?\">What Are the Most Optimal TPU Settings for Cura?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#Print_Speed\" title=\"Print Speed\">Print Speed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#Print_Temperature\" title=\"Print Temperature\">Print Temperature<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#Layer_Height\" title=\"Layer Height\">Layer Height<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#Initial_Layer\" title=\"Initial Layer\">Initial Layer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#Retraction\" title=\"Retraction\">Retraction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#Travel_Speed\" title=\"Travel Speed\">Travel Speed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#Bed_Temperature\" title=\"Bed Temperature\">Bed Temperature<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#Cooling_Speed\" title=\"Cooling Speed\">Cooling Speed<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#How_to_Activate_the_TPU_Settings_in_Cura\" title=\"How to Activate the TPU Settings in Cura?\">How to Activate the TPU Settings in Cura?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/#Wrapping_Up\" title=\"Wrapping Up\">Wrapping Up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_the_Most_Optimal_TPU_Settings_for_Cura\"><\/span>What Are the Most Optimal TPU Settings for Cura?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As each major setting plays a vital role in how your TPU printing process will turn out, we will look at each of these settings separately in this section, discuss how different values impact the printing process, and share our recommendations with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Print_Speed\"><\/span>Print Speed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To start things off, let&#8217;s talk about print speed, which is one of the first things that come to mind when we think of slicer settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For TPU, we recommend configuring the Print Speed in Cura to a value in the range of 20 to 30 mm\/s, as a flexible material such as TPU requires slower speeds to prevent jamming.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>While these speeds may seem slow, flexible filaments can easily compress and cause a nozzle jam, which would ruin the whole printing process.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As always, we recommend experimenting with different values depending on the signs you see to find the fastest print speed value where problems don&#8217;t occur to obtain the quickest print times possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Print_Temperature\"><\/span>Print Temperature<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Print temperature is another major factor that can easily make or break the printing process, making it vital to configure it correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>On average, it&#8217;s possible to print TPU with print temperatures in the range of 220 to 250 degrees Celsius, which should be a good starting point to use in Cura.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>That being said, the best way to find out the optimal print temperature is to get this information from the filament&#8217;s packaging or the manufacturer&#8217;s website, where the manufacturer should denote a print temperature value.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the primary sign of a too-low print temperature is adhesion problems, a too-high print temperature often presents itself in the form of blobbing, oozing, and stringing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Layer_Height\"><\/span>Layer Height<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Next up is layer height, which is the parameter that determines how tall each layer of the model will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>As layer height depends on nozzle size, we will be assuming a 0.4 mm nozzle size, which is the most standard.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We recommend setting the layer height parameter in Cura to a low value of 0.16 mm for TPU, which will allow you to achieve a balance between print quality and consistency.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As TPU prints better at lower speeds, a small layer height helps to slow the printing process down by reducing the amount of plastic the printer extrudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Initial_Layer\"><\/span>Initial Layer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Initial layer settings are essential to ensure that the first layer of the print is optimal, which sets the foundation for the rest of the model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here are the initial layer settings we recommend for printing TPU in Cura:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Printing Temperature Initial Layer &#8211; +5 degrees of the Print Temperature<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Bed Temperature Initial Layer &#8211; 50 to 60 degrees Celsius<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Initial Layer Height &#8211; 0.28 mm<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, we used higher values for layer height and the printing temperature and activated bed heating for the first layer with these parameters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a nutshell, all of these values serve the purpose of strengthening bed adhesion, which is vital to ensure that the model sticks to the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Retraction\"><\/span>Retraction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Retraction settings are some of the most overlooked but at the same time some of the most vital slicer settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/tpu-retraction-settings\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"940\">retraction settings<\/a> we recommend for printing TPU in Cura for direct drive printers:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Enable Retraction &#8211; Enabled<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Retraction Distance &#8211; 2 mm<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Retraction Speed &#8211; 20 mm\/s<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While these values should do the job in most cases, you may need to decrease retraction speed or disable retraction if you are experiencing clogging and jamming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>As retraction settings can show a great deal of variance between different printers, experimentation is usually the only way to obtain optimal values that will work for you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Travel_Speed\"><\/span>Travel Speed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While it doesn&#8217;t impact the printing process as directly as the print speed, travel speed is another significant parameter that you will need to configure correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We recommend setting the travel speed parameter in Cura to a value between 150 mm\/s to 200 mm\/s for printing TPU.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the most part, it&#8217;s a good idea to keep travel speed as high as possible to obtain quick print times and eliminate stringing issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, since a travel speed that is too high can cause artifacts, it&#8217;s vital to find a balanced value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bed_Temperature\"><\/span>Bed Temperature<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bed temperature is another factor that plays a vital role in both bed adhesion and layer adhesion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We recommend setting the bed temperature parameter in Cura to a value in the range of 50 to 60 degrees Celsius for printing TPU.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While low temperatures can cause adhesion issues, the telltale sign of a too high bed temperature is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/elephant-foot-cura\/\">elephant foot<\/a>, where the lower layers of the model get crushed by the upper layers due to not being able to solidify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cooling_Speed\"><\/span>Cooling Speed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, let&#8217;s look at cooling speed, which is a parameter that goes hand-in-hand with printing temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We recommend turning the cooling fan setting off or setting it to a low value, such as 20-40% in Cura, for printing TPU.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/tpu-cooling\">As TPU isn&#8217;t a type of filament prone to warping, cooling is often unnecessary<\/a> and will only contribute to adhesion issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Activate_the_TPU_Settings_in_Cura\"><\/span>How to Activate the TPU Settings in Cura?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before configuring Cura for TPU with the settings of your choice, a vital step is to activate the TPU settings to ensure that Cura loads the default configuration for TPU filament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><strong>Start by clicking the Prepare tab on the top of the Cura window.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Click the middle pane, where you can see information about the nozzle size and the material.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Click the material dropdown, and choose the TPU 95A option from the Generic category.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>If a popup asks you to discard or keep changes, click the Discard button (as this will delete your current settings, ensure that you have them saved in a profile).<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>After following these steps, your custom settings will be combined with Cura&#8217;s default values for TPU for parameters that you don&#8217;t modify yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wrapping_Up\"><\/span>Wrapping Up<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While configuring the settings to be as optimized as possible requires a good deal of effort and time spent on experimentation, the values we have provided should provide a good starting point that will get you started on the right foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To quickly recap, here are the settings we recommend using for printing TPU filament with Cura:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Print Speed &#8211; 20 to 30 mm\/s<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Print Temperature &#8211; 220 to 250 degrees Celsius<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Layer Height &#8211; 0.16 mm (for a 0.4 mm nozzle)<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Initial Layer &#8211; Height: 0.28 mm | Temp &#8211; 225-255 degrees Celsius | Bed Temp &#8211; 50-60 degrees Celsius<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Retraction &#8211; Distance &#8211; 2 mm | Speed &#8211; 20mm\/s<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Travel Speed &#8211; 150 mm\/s to 200 mm\/s<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Bed Temperature &#8211; 50 to 60 degrees Celsius<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Cooling Speed &#8211; Off, or 20-40%<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As always, since the optimal settings can differ between printers and use cases, you should feel free to modify the settings in ways that you think will work better for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Happy printing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While TPU isn&#8217;t the most popular type of filament around, its elasticity, strength against impact, and resistance against low temperatures, solvents, and oils make it a fantastic choice for many projects where functionality is the primary purpose. That being said, as TPU is one of the more challenging filaments to print compared to a mainstream &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/cura-tpu-settings\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">What Are the Most Optimal TPU Settings for Cura? (Detailed)<\/span> Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2281,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2282,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359\/revisions\/2282"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dprintbeast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}