I experimented with these 5 slicer settings before swapping filament, and my print quality jumped instantly

Published Oct 7, 2026, 11:01 AM EDT Anmol has been interested in tech for close to two decades now and has been covering all things tech for more than a decade. He started his journey with a blog post, when Google Blogger used to be cool and has covered everything from Windows Phone to Windows 11. Anmol has written for MSPoweruser and Neowin in the past, and is always keen to get his hands on the latest gadgets. When not doomscrolling, you would find him playing video games, reading or catching up on football. 3D printing as a hobby has grown and evolved over the years, and so have the hardware and software to support it. Being able to design something on your computer and have it in your hands in a few hours is nothing short of extraordinary. However, even as the hobby becomes mainstream and players like Bambu Lab introduce user-friendly printers, there is still a lot to consider before pressing the print button. While it can be easier to blame the filament, moisture, and other external factors, you can often tackle some problems by configuring your slicer correctly. Temperature tuning your existing filament A temp tower will tell you more than a new spool will Almost all the filaments either print a temperature range or provide a number in the print profile. While it is usually good to go out of the box, sometimes you may need to fine-tune the temperature settings. This is where a temperature tower comes in handy. A temperature tower helps you dial in the exact temperature settings you should use to get the best print and finish on your models. The good thing is that most new printers and modern slicers already come with a temperature tower ready to print. The tower is usually built in sections with different temperatures, letting you print it in one go and pick the best settings. I ran mine and found my PLA filament was 5 degrees Celsius, too hot for clean overhangs on the Bambu Lab A1. Once I dialed in the temperature, the same spool was able to print with no issues. Flow dynamics calibration Run this before you blame your filament for blobs 3D printers work by pushing filament through the extruder into the hot-end, where it melts, then extruding it onto the build plate. To do so, pressure needs to build up inside to push the hot filament through the nozzle. However, when the pressure is incorrect or inconsistent, it results in micro-blobs on the print or on the nozzle. To fix this, run a flow dynamics calibration to find the optimal pressure advance value to configure in your printer for the best finish. Once you have the right values, plug them into your slicer, and you should see a difference. Flow rate can vary based on your printer nozzle, filament type, or the material, so it is always recommended to run this test when changing the nozzle or material. The good news is that most modern slicers allow you to save multiple print profiles so you don't have to remember the settings for each nozzle and material. Retraction test Tune your retraction settings before going out and buying a new filament Filament stringing is one of the most common issues with 3D printing and also the one that can be solved quickly with a few test runs. Retraction tuning is one way to dial in how much filament retracts when the print head moves along the axes in open space. One good way to test this, however, is to note the default settings, then print a stringing test model while adjusting settings to find the optimal numbers. You can also check your printer manufacturer's documentation, as some, like Creality, have published their recommended settings for different materials. This can usually serve as a starting point for running the calibration test in the slicer, then tweaking it until you get the best results. Max volumetric speed The setting that can help improve the surface quality The maximum volumetric speed is the physical limit of how fast a 3D printer's hot end can melt plastic and extrude it through the nozzle before the extruder motor skips gears, or you get gaps in your print. Most slicers provide an easy way to test max volumetric speed by printing a test model from the calibration menu. Once it prints, you can check the height at which the print started breaking or was under-extruded. Measure the height from the base to that point using a caliper. Once done, go into your slicer preview and select the flow color scheme. Scroll down to the height you just measured, and you should be able to see the flow number, which you can plug into the filament settings. You can also do this manually by using the following formula: Filament Max Volumetric Speed = Start + (Height Measured ∗ step) So, taking the example from the above screenshot, the calculation would be: 5 + (12.8mm * 0.5) = 11.4mm³/s, which is almost the same as the flow rate of 11.42mm³/s in the screenshot. Wall loops and line width More strength without needing engineering-grade filament Wall loops and line width are two settings that can be the difference between a sturdy and a brittle print. They are also settings people overlook or tweak before buying expensive, engineering-grade filament. Both of these settings can be easily accessed from the print process settings and provide a way to increase the thickness to provide more load-bearing strength to prints without needing a special filament. The slicer has no specific test for this, but you can adjust the settings and test print models to see what works best for you. You can also experiment with the various infill patterns to see what works best for you. There are various infill patterns to choose from, but the most commonly used is Gyroid, as it provides strength across all axes while also being easy to print, as it doesn't cross over, hence preventing the tool head from scraping or knocking it off the plate. Your filament probably isn't the problem Credit: It is easier to go out and buy a new spool of filament when things don't go your way while printing, but it can sometimes be bad, not only for your time but financially as well. On the other hand, the aforementioned slicer settings only cost a few grams of filament and a bit of your time. In return, you can have a well-tuned machine with settings perfectly dialed in for your printer and preferences, giving you a better result. Of course, these aren't magic and can't fix everything wrong with your print. Sometimes, buying a new brand or roll of filament is the best approach, but it shouldn't be the first thing you do when things go wrong.