3D Printer Calibration: What to Calibrate and in What Order

8 min read · Updated November 2026

Calibration tests depend on each other. Tune retraction before flow and you'll be tuning it again later. Tune flow with an unstable hotend temperature and the result won't hold. Doing the tests in the right order saves hours.

Here's an order that works for most FDM printers. Before you start, make sure your first layer sticks well enough for test prints. You'll fine-tune it properly at step 8.

1. PID tune the hotend and bed

PID tuning teaches your printer how to hold a steady temperature. If the temperature swings, every test after this one gives inconsistent results. Run it for the hotend at your usual printing temperature, then for the bed. Most firmware has a built-in command for it.

2. Extruder steps (e-steps or rotation distance)

This makes sure that when the printer asks for 100 mm of filament, it gets 100 mm. Mark the filament, extrude a set length, and measure what actually went through. Many printers ship close enough that this needs little change, but it's worth checking once, and again after any extruder change.

3. Temperature tower

Every filament has a best temperature, and it differs between brands and even colours. A temperature tower prints sections at different temperatures so you can compare layer bonding, bridging and stringing side by side.

4. Flow rate (extrusion multiplier)

Even with correct extruder steps, different filaments flow slightly differently. Too much flow gives blobby, rough top surfaces; too little gives gaps between lines. Print a flow test and pick the setting with the smoothest top surface.

5. Pressure advance (linear advance)

When the print head speeds up and slows down, pressure in the nozzle lags behind. Pressure advance compensates for that, giving sharper corners and even line widths. It depends on your flow and temperature, which is why it comes after them.

6. Retraction

Retraction pulls filament back during travel moves to stop stringing. Tune distance and speed with a retraction test. With pressure advance already set, you'll usually need less retraction than before.

7. Maximum volumetric speed

Your hotend can only melt so much plastic per second. Beyond that limit, prints under-extrude no matter what your speed settings say. Find the limit for each filament and set it in your slicer so it never asks for more.

8. First layer and Z offset

Now fine-tune the first layer. Lines should be slightly squished, touching each other with no gaps, and smooth to the touch. A good first layer is the biggest single factor in whether a print succeeds.

9. Input shaping (resonance compensation)

If your firmware supports it, input shaping reduces the ringing or ghosting you see near sharp features at high speeds. It lets you print faster without losing quality. Some printers measure this automatically with an accelerometer.

10. Dimensional accuracy

Finally, print a calibration cube or a test part with known dimensions and measure it with calipers. If parts that need to fit together come out too tight or too loose, this is where you'll find out.

When to recalibrate

• A new filament brand or type: temperature, flow, pressure advance and retraction (steps 3 to 7).
• A nozzle or hotend change: PID tune, flow and pressure advance.
• An extruder change: extruder steps, then everything after it.
• A firmware update: check that your saved values carried over.
• Prints suddenly look worse: check maintenance first, like belts, nozzle wear and a clean build plate, before recalibrating.

Write it down

The most common calibration mistake isn't doing a test wrong. It's forgetting the result. Keep a log of every test and its settings, and a list of the final values that work for each printer and filament. The next time you buy that filament, setup takes a minute instead of an evening.

Printing in resin instead? Calibration works differently there, centred on exposure time. The Resin Printer Calibration Log is built for it.