Find the Right Print Temperature with a Temperature Tower
Contents
If the filament box says "190–220 °C", it is up to you to decide where in that thirty-degree range to print. A temperature tower lets you make that decision by measuring instead of guessing. You print a single model where each section is printed at a different temperature, and compare stringing, bridges and layer bonding side by side.
Why do you need it?
The temperature range on a filament box is usually wide, for example "190–220 °C". Even the same type of filament behaves differently by brand, color and additives. The wrong temperature leads to these problems:
- Too high: Stringing, drooping overhangs, a shiny and bubbly surface.
- Too low: Layer separation, under-extrusion, a matte and rough surface, extruder clicking.
Choosing a model
Temperature tower models can be found on free model sites. A good tower has these in each block:
- An overhang or an angled surface.
- A short bridge.
- Two small separate pillars to show stringing.
- A readable temperature label on the side.
Many slicers also have a ready-made calibration menu. In OrcaSlicer and Bambu Studio, the "Calibration > Temperature" menu builds the tower automatically and adds the temperature changes itself. For PrusaSlicer and Cura you need a plugin or to add G-code by hand.
Set the temperature range
Use the range on the filament box and choose 5 °C steps. Typical ranges:
| Filament | Tower start (bottom) | Tower end (top) |
|---|---|---|
| PLA | 225 °C | 190 °C |
| PETG | 250 °C | 225 °C |
| ABS / ASA | 260 °C | 230 °C |
| TPU | 240 °C | 215 °C |
The tower usually starts at a high temperature at the bottom and cools as it rises. This way the lowest blocks stick well to the bed.
Adding the temperature changes
If there is no ready-made calibration menu, you add the temperature change at the height where each block begins.
- Cura: Use the "ChangeAtZ" script from "Extensions > Post Processing > Modify G-Code". Add a separate script for each block and enter the height and temperature.
- PrusaSlicer: After slicing, add custom G-code at the right height with the "+" on the layer slider, such as
M104 S215. - Get the starting height of the blocks from the model's description and check it in the slicing preview.
Make sure you add the change at the exact starting height of each block, not at a single layer. A wrong height makes the label and the temperature mismatch.
Print settings
- Print the tower with the settings you will use in real prints: the same speed, layer height and fan.
- Leave the retraction settings at their normal values. Do not change any other setting while printing the tower; otherwise you cannot tell what caused the differences.
Reading the results
After the print, examine the tower under good light and look at these for each block:
- Stringing: Are there strings between the pillars? It decreases at low temperature.
- Overhang: Is the angled surface drooping or curling? It is usually better at low temperature.
- Bridge: Is the underside of the bridge flat or sagging?
- Surface: Is the side surface smooth, shiny or matte?
- Layer bonding: Try breaking the blocks off the tower by hand. Blocks printed at low temperature break more easily.
Which temperature should you choose?
There is no single "right" temperature; you choose according to your goal:
- Display part: The temperature with the least stringing and the cleanest surface. Often the lower-middle part of the range.
- Strong functional part: The upper-middle part of the range, where layer bonding is strong.
- Fast printing: A higher temperature. As speed goes up, the filament needs more heat to melt.
A good rule of thumb: pick the lowest temperature where stringing and overhangs are acceptable and layer bonding is strong.
Save the results
Save the temperature you found for each filament as a separate filament profile in the slicer. Put the brand, color and temperature in the profile name. Even different colors of the same brand can behave 5–10 °C differently.
Should I print a temperature tower for every new spool?
A new spool of the same brand and color usually behaves the same. Printing a tower when you try a new brand or a different type is enough.
Do you print a tower for bed temperature too?
The effect of bed temperature shows up mostly in the first layer. So instead of a tower for the bed, it is more practical to do single-layer test prints at a few different temperatures.