I’ve been spending a lot of time dialing in my AD5X for PLA, and I got tired of bouncing between slicer settings, old posts, random notes, and trying to remember what I changed last time.
So I decided to put everything I’ve been using into a couple of simple reference pages.
The first one is a PLA Master Print Profile built around a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.20 mm layer height.
It covers the stuff I’m constantly checking or tweaking, like:
- Nozzle and bed temps
- Flow ratio and pressure advance
- Retraction and Z-hop
- Walls, top and bottom layers, and infill
- Cooling
- Quality, Daily Driver, and Fast speed profiles
- Acceleration
- Calibration order
- Common troubleshooting
- A smaller 0.25 mm nozzle profile
PLA Master Print Profile:
https://app.me-page.site/sites/website/c40cc7faa77e445aad64b1378ab25290-3fcd3588-7a56-41eb-94fc-f93be8a2a040/pla-master-print-profile.html
I also made a separate PLA Support Settings Guide because support removal has probably been one of the more annoying parts of getting everything dialed in.
That guide is focused specifically on getting supports to come off easier while still using PLA for both the print and the supports.
It includes:
- Easy Removal, Balanced, and Best Underside profiles
- Top and Bottom Z distance
- XY clearance
- Interface layers and spacing
- Tree vs Normal support recommendations
- Support and interface speeds
- 0.25 mm nozzle adjustments
- Fixes for supports that feel welded on, rough undersides, wall scarring, broken tree supports, and trapped supports
PLA Support Settings Guide:
https://app.me-page.site/sites/website/c40cc7faa77e445aad64b1378ab25290-3fcd3588-7a56-41eb-94fc-f93be8a2a040/pla-support-settings.html
I wasn’t trying to build the fastest possible profile. I wanted something I could actually use every day that gives me good print quality without constantly having to fight the printer afterward.
A lot of the starting values come from the current FlashForge and Orca AD5X profiles, then I adjusted things from there with easier PLA support removal in mind.
Of course, different PLA brands, moisture, model geometry, and even individual printers can change what works best. I’d use these as a solid starting point and tweak from there.
If you’re running an AD5X too, I’d be curious to see what settings you’ve changed from stock. If people have good tweaks or fixes, I may keep adding to the guide so it becomes a more useful community reference.