{
  "question": "How do I calibrate flow rate and pressure advance for a new filament?",
  "slug": "flow",
  "useCase": "troubleshooting",
  "useCaseLabel": "Troubleshooting",
  "updated": "2026-10-15",
  "shortAnswer": "Calibrate each new spool in order: a temperature tower inside that spool’s nozzle range, then flow rate, then pressure advance or linear advance, then a maximum volumetric speed. The consensus names OrcaSlicer’s calibration tools for that sequence. Do not reuse another filament’s advance value.",
  "recommendedMaterials": [
    "pla",
    "petg"
  ],
  "printerConsiderations": [
    "OrcaSlicer is the name in this consensus. This page does not paste its menu paths or a sample K factor.",
    "Maximum volumetric speed is the last step, and it is the limit the speed guide already treats as real. None of these four rows store mm³/s.",
    "Pressure advance on a direct drive will not match a Bowden value. The P1S and P1P records are direct drive. Calibrate on the extruder you will print with."
  ],
  "pros": [
    "The order is the whole answer: temperature, flow, advance, volumetric limit.",
    "Each tower is boxed in by the nozzle range on the row, so a 190 °C (374 °F) step is legal on one PLA and illegal on another."
  ],
  "cons": [
    "No ranked filament stores a flow ratio or a pressure-advance value. The table cannot show the result of the test.",
    "A temperature tower uses several setpoints. Only the setpoints inside the stored range count."
  ],
  "community": "The consensus is to calibrate per filament: a temperature tower, flow rate, pressure advance or linear advance, and maximum volumetric speed. OrcaSlicer calibration is the tool named for that work.",
  "related": [
    "blobs",
    "ooze",
    "speed",
    "pla_print"
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Can I skip the tower if the spool lists 190–230 °C (374–446 °F)?",
      "a": "The range is the window, not the best single temperature. The tower picks a point inside it. Prusament PLA’s window is 205–225 °C (401–437 °F), so a generic PLA tower that starts at 190 °C (374 °F) is the wrong test for that spool."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is flow rate the same as pressure advance?",
      "a": "No. Flow rate is how much plastic the slicer asks for. Pressure advance is how the pressure is timed at corners and seams. Blobs that survive a good flow value are the advance step, written up on the blobs page."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "PolyLite PLA technical data sheet",
      "url": "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/7299/7945/files/PolyLite_PLA_TDS_EN_V5.4.pdf",
      "kind": "datasheet"
    },
    {
      "title": "PolyLite PETG technical data sheet",
      "url": "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/7299/7945/files/PolyLite_PETG_TDS_EN_V5.4.pdf",
      "kind": "datasheet"
    },
    {
      "title": "Bambu PLA Basic technical data sheet V3.0",
      "url": "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0584/7236/6216/files/Bambu_PLA_Basic_Technical_Data_Sheet_bf3411ce-be39-4db7-9669-1b4671d2196b.pdf?v=1734060943",
      "kind": "datasheet"
    },
    {
      "title": "Community source, r/FixMyPrint xco8l7",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/FixMyPrint/comments/xco8l7/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    },
    {
      "title": "Community source, r/BambuLab 15gsovs",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/comments/15gsovs/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    },
    {
      "title": "Community source, r/FixMyPrint 1613uzc",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/FixMyPrint/comments/1613uzc/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    },
    {
      "title": "Community source, r/FixMyPrint 1hvl2f1",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/FixMyPrint/comments/1hvl2f1/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    },
    {
      "title": "Community source, r/BambuLab 16n0nja",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/comments/16n0nja/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    }
  ],
  "recommendations": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "note": "PolyLite PLA stores 190–230 °C (374–446 °F), so the temperature tower stays inside that band. Drying is 55 °C (131 °F) for 6 h. Volumetric flow is not stored.",
      "brand": "Polymaker",
      "product": "Polylite PLA",
      "material": "PLA",
      "url": "/brand/polymaker/polylite-pla",
      "nozzle": "190–230 °C (374–446 °F)",
      "bed": "25–60 °C (77–140 °F)",
      "pricePerKg": null,
      "datasheetUrl": "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/7299/7945/files/PolyLite_PLA_TDS_EN_V5.4.pdf",
      "affiliateUrl": null
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "note": "Prusament PLA stores a tighter nozzle, 205–225 °C (401–437 °F). A tower that starts at 190 °C (374 °F) is already outside this row. No volumetric flow is stored.",
      "brand": "Prusament",
      "product": "PLA",
      "material": "PLA",
      "url": "/brand/prusament/pla",
      "nozzle": "205–225 °C (401–437 °F)",
      "bed": "40–60 °C (104–140 °F)",
      "pricePerKg": null,
      "datasheetUrl": null,
      "affiliateUrl": null
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "note": "PolyLite PETG stores 220–250 °C (428–482 °F) and a bed of 70–90 °C (158–194 °F). Run a new tower. A PLA flow percentage is not a PETG flow percentage.",
      "brand": "Polymaker",
      "product": "Polylite PETG",
      "material": "PETG",
      "url": "/brand/polymaker/polylite-petg",
      "nozzle": "220–250 °C (428–482 °F)",
      "bed": "70–90 °C (158–194 °F)",
      "pricePerKg": null,
      "datasheetUrl": "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/7299/7945/files/PolyLite_PETG_TDS_EN_V5.4.pdf",
      "affiliateUrl": null
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "note": "PLA Basic’s sheet lists 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) and a print speed under 300 mm/s. The catalog does not store a maximum volumetric flow. The speed cap on the sheet is not a mm³/s limit.",
      "brand": "Bambu Lab",
      "product": "PLA Basic",
      "material": "PLA",
      "url": "/brand/bambu-lab/pla-basic",
      "nozzle": "190–230 °C (374–446 °F)",
      "bed": "35–45 °C (95–113 °F)",
      "pricePerKg": null,
      "datasheetUrl": "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0584/7236/6216/files/Bambu_PLA_Basic_Technical_Data_Sheet_bf3411ce-be39-4db7-9669-1b4671d2196b.pdf?v=1734060943",
      "affiliateUrl": null
    }
  ]
}