Guide On Ender 3 (V2/Pro) PETG Settings

If you have an Ender 3 3D printer, you may be wondering how to print PETG objects. PETG, or polyethylene terephthalate glycol, is a type of thermoplastic that is known for its strength and durability. It is often used in applications where high temperatures or chemicals are present. Thanks to its superior properties, PETG is becoming an increasingly popular material for 3D printing.

If you’re looking to print PETG objects on your Ender 3, there are a few things you need to keep in mind as described below:

Ender 3 PETG Settings: Print Temperature

PETG is a great material for 3D printing; it’s strong, durable, and easy to work with. And, unlike some other materials, it doesn’t require a heated bed to get good adhesion. However, one thing to keep in mind with PETG is that it has a relatively high print temperature.

I’d recommend the PETG Ender 3 temperature between 220°C and 240°C. This will give you the best results in terms of strength and durability. And, if you’re using a Bowden-type setup like the Ender 3, it’s important not to exceed 240°C or you could damage the printer. So, if you’re looking to get the best results with PETG on the Ender 3, make sure to set your print temperature accordingly.

I have seen a great output with high print quality at a temperature range of  220°C on my Ender 3.

What is the Ideal PETG Temperature on the Ender 3/V2/Pro that works?

If you’re printing with PETG on an Ender 3/V2/Pro, you’ll likely find that a temperature of 220°C delivers the best results. PETG is a tough and durable filament, but it can be tricky to print with. At too high of a temperature around 230 deg c and above, you’ll end up with strings and blobs on the top layers of your prints.

But if you lower the temperature just a few degrees, you’ll get much cleaner results. In my case, 220°C was the perfect sweet spot, but your mileage may vary. So if you’re having trouble printing with PETG, try adjusting the temperature until you get the results you’re looking for.

Bed Temperature

PETG filament can be a great material to print with, especially if you need something that’s strong and heat-resistant. However, one of the challenges of printing with PETG is that it needs to be done at a high temperature in order to avoid warping.

The recommended bed temperature for PETG is 60°C, but some experts suggest going slightly higher, to around 80°C. This is because the higher the bed temperature, the stronger the adhesion will be. So if you’re having trouble getting your PETG prints to stick, try cranking up the bed temperature and see if that does the trick.

For best results, start with a bed temperature of 60°C and increase it by 5°C increments until the warping stops. In most cases, this will eliminate the problem entirely. However, if you find that your prints are still warping, you may need to increase the extruder temperature by 5-10°C.

Ideal PETG Bed Temperature for Ender 3:

When printing with PETG, it’s important to choose the right bed temperature in order to achieve the strongest possible adhesion. The glass transition temperature of PETG is 80°C, so setting the bed slightly above this (at 85°C) will yield the strongest results.

Of course, every printer is different, so it’s always a good idea to experiment with different temperatures to find what works best for your particular setup. But if you’re looking for a good place to start, 85°C is a great option for PETG printing.

Build Surface

PETG does not always adhere well to the build plate. This can be a particular problem with printed objects that have large flat surfaces, as they are more likely to warp or delaminate. Blue painters tape can help to solve this problem. When applied to the build plate, the tape provides a smooth surface for the filament to adhere to, and the blue color makes it easy to see where the object will be printed. Additionally, the tape is easy to remove after printing, and it leaves no residue behind. This should be your default option. 

Kapton tape is another option that helps PETG filament to adhere better, when applied to the build plate of an Ender 3 3D printer, resulting in better prints. One advantage of using Kapton tape is that it can be easily removed and replaced when needed. Additionally, Kapton tape is available in different widths and lengths to accommodate different printers and build plates. For best results, it is recommended to apply Kapton tape to a clean and dry build plate. When using Kapton tape, be sure to align the edges of the tape for a consistent and professional looking finish.

Caution: If the initial layer height is too small, the printer may have difficulty forming an even surface, and the print may be more likely to fuse to the print bed. This can make it very difficult to remove the print without damaging it, so it’s important to start with a layer height that’s just right. 

BuildTak is an ideal surface for printing PETG with the Ender 3. The material provides excellent adhesion while allowing easy removal of the print due to its flexibility. This means that you can achieve high-quality prints with fewer imperfections. In addition, BuildTak is also heat resistant, making it ideal for use with PETG filaments. 

If your Ender 3 has a glass build plate, then you need to be extremely careful. There’s always the chance that the PETG will fuse to the glass so strongly that it removes chunks of the bed, permanently damaging it. To help prevent this, it’s always a good idea to use a thin layer of hairspray, glue stick, or specialty bed adhesive. This will help to release the PETG from the glass after printing and will protect your build plate from being damaged.

It can be difficult to know what settings to use when printing with PETG filaments. Every printer is different, and every brand of PETG filament behaves slightly differently. The best way to find the ideal PETG settings for your Ender 3 is to experiment and see what works. If you find that the printed object is difficult to remove from your Ender 3 Glass build plate, try letting the bed cool down first. In some cases, even putting the bed in the fridge for a few minutes can help it contract and make removing the PETG easier.

Can Skirt, Brim or Raft help PETG to stick to build plate?

Skirt causes warping as reported by many users, while Brim when used at 60DegC also gets warped and gets unstuck from the build plate. 

Many PETG users shared their experience that using a Brim at the bed temperature of 85DegC has produced excellent results. This has eliminated the warping completely and stuck to build plate firmly. 

A raft can further enhance the adhesion, but it leaves marks on the object being printed.

PETG Retraction Settings Ender 3/V2/Pro

The retraction settings you’ll want to use for PETG filament are a bit different than those used for other filaments. This is because PETG, in its molten state, is much more viscous than other filaments. As a result, you’ll need to enable the proper retraction settings to avoid stringing. The best way to do this is to increase the retraction distance and decrease the retraction speed. This will help to prevent stringing by ensuring that the filament is properly retracted before it has a chance to cool and solidify. 

The retraction settings for PETG are almost similar to PLA thus PLA retraction profile would do the trick. 

Below are the Cura retractions settings for PETG that can work fine. 

Recommended PETG Retraction Settings for Ender 3:

• Retraction Speed: 25 mm/s
• Retraction Count (Maximum): 10
• Retraction Distance: 6.5mm
• Extrusion Distance Window (Minimum): 10mm
• Combing Mode: ON and set to “Within Infill” (no stringing).

PETG Print Speed on Ender 3:

The printing speed for PETG on Ender 3 remains the same as that for PLA. So, PLA speed of 50mm/s will work right for PETG too.

You could also experiment between 30 – 50mm/s to improve the quality much further. 

PETG Speed Settings: Ender 3:

30mm/s – 50mm/s

Print Cooling 

A well established fact is to keep the cooling fan off while printing the PETG initial layers. This increases the bond between initial layers to the build plate. 

Once initial layers are done, then the fan should be at 100% speed to reduce stringing and increase detail.

You can also put the layer fan off, if strength and detail is not your priority throughout the printing process. This boosts up layers bonding and so the overall model strength.

PETG Speed Settings for Ender 3:

• For Detail & Precision: Keep it off during initial layers and 100% of its speed during rest of the print. 
• For Strength: Keep the fan turned off throughout printing. 

Is Enclosure Necessary for printing with PETG?

An enclosure helps to keep the temperature inside of the printer consistent and warm, which prevents warping and detachment from the build surface. When printing with PETG, an enclosure is not a necessity, but it definitely helps to reduce the risk of failed prints. PETG is simple enough to work with, but it warps more than PLA. If you live in a cooler climate, an enclosure will help to reduce the risk of warping.

PETG Settings for Printing with Ender 3

The PETG print settings are almost similar to that of PLA except for a few differences. We are summarizing the overall PETG printing profile below:

• Nozzle / Printing Temperature: 220-240°C
• Fan Speed: For detail & precision = 100% speed, for Strength = Off
• Print Bed Temperature: 85°C for best adhesion
• Print Speed: 30mm/s – 50mm/s.
• Initial Layer height: 0.2mm for best first layer adhesion.
• Retraction distance: 6.5mm

Conclusion: 

To conclude, the bed temperature of PETG should be higher than the recommended standard of 60°C. Many users have reported the warping and prints getting detached from the build plate at this temperature. 

Thus a bed temperature between 80° – 85° C has given great results for many users with PETG while printing with Glass bed. This is because, 80° – 85° C is also slightly above the glass transition temperature of PETG. 

This is not the case when you are using a BuilTak print bed. Since it is a magnetic print bed, 60°C itself will give great results. So, there is no set standard and it’s all trial and error starting from 60°C till 85° C based on the bed type. 

Apart from all these, the Ender 3 has all the capabilities to print PETG with great quality and finish. Don’t look back if you want to print PETG on Ender 3 keep going by all means.