Last updated: October 25, 2026

How to find the right nozzle temperature (with a temperature tower)

The spool says "190 to 230°C". That's a 40-degree range, and where you land in it changes everything: too hot and you get strings and droopy overhangs, too cold and your layers split apart. A temperature tower is a small test print that answers the question in one go. Here's how to print one and read it, step by step.

Why nozzle temperature matters so much

OrcaSlicer's own guide says no other calibration has as big an effect on print quality as temperature. The temperature changes how runny the plastic is, which changes how it flows out of the nozzle and how well each layer fuses to the one below.

Too hot: fine strings between parts, blobs, saggy bridges, drooping overhangs, and sometimes a dull or rough surface.
Too cold: weak layers that split when you bend the part, gaps or thin walls, and sometimes a clicking extruder (the motor that pushes the filament).

Every brand, color and even spool can behave a little differently, which is why the number on the box is a range, not a single setting.

Step 1: Find the range for your filament

Look on the spool label, the box or the maker's website for the recommended nozzle temperature. That range is your safety fence: the tower should stay inside it. If you've lost the label, your slicer's generic profile for the material (for example "Generic PLA" or "Generic PETG") is a reasonable starting point. Our PLA vs PETG guide lists typical ranges for both.

Step 2: Set up the tower in your slicer

You don't need to design anything. Most slicers can build the tower for you and change the temperature automatically at each block.

Bambu Studio: open the Calibration menu in the top bar and choose Temperature. Pick your filament and the range, then slice. Bambu Lab's wiki notes that on some setups, especially non-Bambu printers, you first need to turn on Developer Mode in Preferences before the calibration menu shows up.
OrcaSlicer: Calibration → Temperature. Enter the start and end temperatures and it builds the tower in 5°C steps. It scales the tower to your nozzle size automatically.
Cura: there's no built-in tower, so install the free AutoTowers Generator plugin from Cura's Marketplace, restart Cura, then go to Extensions → Auto Towers and pick a temperature tower. It handles the temperature changes for you, with no scripts to add.
PrusaSlicer: the official version doesn't have a built-in tower yet. Download a temperature tower model from Printables or MakerWorld that comes with ready-made G-code for your printer, or use OrcaSlicer just for this test.

Set it up hottest at the bottom, coolest at the top, in 5°C steps. The slicer tools do this by default. Hotter plastic bonds better, so the base stays strong and stuck to the bed while the weaker cool blocks sit on top. For PLA, Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer suggest 230 down to 190°C; for PETG, try the top and bottom of the range on your spool.

Use the filament you actually want to tune, and dry it first if it's been sitting out. Damp filament strings and pops at every temperature, which makes the tower impossible to read. See how to dry filament.

Step 3: Print it and check it's working

Start the print and glance at the printer's screen when it moves from the first block to the second. The target nozzle temperature should drop by 5°C. If it doesn't change, the temperature commands didn't make it into the file, so stop, re-slice with the tower tool, and try again. A tower takes roughly an hour on most printers, depending on how many blocks you choose.

Step 4: Read the tower block by block

Let it cool, take it off the bed and look at it in good light. Most towers have a temperature label on each block, plus an overhang, a bridge and some little cones or spikes. Check each block for:

Stringing: fine hairs between the cones or spikes. Usually worse at the hot end.
Overhangs: the angled underside should be smooth. Drooping or curling edges point to too much heat.
Bridges: the flat span across a gap should be tight, not sagging.
Surface: even, consistent walls. A filament that's supposed to be shiny but comes out dull may want a little more heat.
Layer strength: try to snap the tower apart with your fingers (wear safety glasses for PETG, it can splinter). Blocks that break cleanly and easily between layers are too cold.

With plain PLA the differences can be subtle. With PETG, TPU and silk or matte PLA they're usually obvious.

Step 5: Pick your temperature

Choose the block with the fewest problems overall. If two or three blocks look equally good, OrcaSlicer suggests the middle of that good range, and the higher end if you plan to print fast. A simple rule of thumb: go a little cooler for display pieces (fewer strings), a little warmer for functional parts that need to be strong.

Step 6: Save it so you never test again

Put the number into your filament profile in the slicer (the nozzle temperature for the first layer and for other layers), and save it under a name like "Brand PLA Black 215". Write the temperature on the spool with a marker too. You only need to re-run the tower when you change brand or material, switch nozzle size, or start seeing new stringing or weak layers.

Quick reference: what the tower tells you

What you see on a block	What it means	Do this
Lots of fine strings, droopy overhang	Too hot	Look higher up the tower (cooler)
Clean surface, tight bridge, few strings	Good temperature	Pick this one
Snaps easily between layers, gaps in walls	Too cold	Look lower down the tower (hotter)
Every block strings and pops	Damp filament, not temperature	Dry the spool, then reprint
All blocks look identical	Temperature may not have changed	Check the screen during the print (step 3)

Sources

Checked October 25, 2026: OrcaSlicer Wiki, Temp Calibration and Calibration Guide; Bambu Lab Wiki, Calibration (Temperature, Developer Mode); AutoTowers Generator for Cura; Deslice, Calibrate: Temperature.

Your next step

Got your number? If you still see strings at the best temperature, the next fix is retraction, covered in how to fix stringing. If even the hottest block has gaps or thin walls, work through how to fix under-extrusion.

Frequently asked questions

What is a temperature tower in 3D printing?

A temperature tower is a test print made of stacked blocks, where each block is printed at a different nozzle temperature, usually 5 degrees C apart. When it finishes you compare the blocks side by side and pick the temperature that gave the cleanest result for that spool.

What nozzle temperature should I use for PLA?

Start with the range printed on your spool, because brands differ. Many PLA spools list something around 190 to 230 degrees C, and Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer suggest 230 down to 190 degrees C for a PLA tower. A temperature tower tells you where in that range your printer and spool do best.

Should the tower start hot or cold?

Hot at the bottom, cooling as it goes up. The slicer tools in Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer build it that way. Hotter plastic bonds better, so the bottom of the tower stays strong and stuck to the bed while the cooler, weaker blocks are up top.

Two blocks look the same. Which temperature should I pick?

OrcaSlicer suggests using the middle of a range that looks good, and the higher end if you plan to print faster. A common beginner rule is to pick the cooler of two equally good blocks for less stringing, and the warmer one for parts that need strength.

Do I need a temperature tower for every spool?

Not every spool. Run one when you try a new brand or material, change nozzle size, or start seeing stringing or weak layers you did not have before. Write the winning temperature on the spool or save it as a filament profile so you only test once per filament.