Printing Polycarbonate
In this article, I will share an explanation and the best profile using the Cura Profile Polycarbonate for Prusa i3 MK3 Printer.
If you haven’t used the latest Cura software, you can download the latest version here.
Material Settings
Polycarbonate Print Temperature
Based on my experience, the best temperature for PC printing is from 240 – 280 °C. My choice can be seen in the print table below.
Build Plate Temperature
After I did the test, I got the best Build Plate Temperature temperature for this PC print which is between 90-100 degrees.
If the temperature is too high, the surface will melt a lot.
If it is too low there will be a bigfoot so that the surface finish is not perfectly sticky.
Polycarbonate Print Speed
For the outer speed itself, I suggest from 10-60 mm/s. If the object you are printing is small, use the smallest value of 10 mm/s for example, or smaller than that.
Also the speed of the top/bottom layer. It should also be slow. I suggest the value is 20-80 mm/s. Too fast, can cause big feet or peeling off the bed.
Mesh Fixes
Here I enable mesh fixes to fix mesh errors from the stl file that may exist but I didn’t notice.

Cura Profile Esun Polycarbonate Table
QUALITY | LAYER HIGH | 0.3 mm (<1 cm object) | 0.3 mm (>1 cm object) | 0.2 mm |
---|---|---|---|---|
Shell | Wall Thickness | 0.8 – 1.4 mm | 0.8 – 1.4 mm | 0.8 mm |
Top Thickness | 0.8 – 1 mm | 0.8 – 1 mm | 1 mm | |
Bottom Thickness | 0.8 – 1 mm | 0.8 – 1 mm | 1 mm | |
Z Seam Alignment | User Specified | User Specified | User Specified | |
Z Seam Position | Back | Back | Back | |
Z Seam X | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Z Seam Y | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Seam Corner Preferences | Hide Seam | Hide Seam | Hide Seam | |
Enable Ironing | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Horizontal Expansion | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
Material | Printing Temperature | 240 °C | 250 °C | 270 °C |
Printing Temperature Initial Layer | 275 °C | 275 °C | 270 °C | |
Final Printing Temperature | 260 °C | 265 °C | 265 °C | |
Build Plate Temperature | 115 °C | 115 °C | 95 °C | |
Speed * | Print Speed | 5.0 mm/s | 60 mm/s | 60 mm/s |
Infill Speed | 5.0 mm/s | 80 mm/s | 130 mm/s | |
Outer Wall Speed | 2.0 mm/s | 25 mm/s | 15 mm/s | |
Inner Wall Speed | 5.0 mm/s | 60 mm/s | 80 mm/s | |
Top/Bottom Speed | 10 mm/s | 30 mm/s | 30 mm/s | |
Travel Speed | 10 mm/s | 120 mm/s | 110 mm/s | |
Enable Acceleration Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Print Acceleration | 800 mm/s2 | 800 mm/s2 | 800 mm/s2 | |
Wall Acceleration | 500 mm/s2 | 500 mm/s2 | 500 mm/s2 | |
Outer Wall Acceleration | 500 mm/s2 | 500 mm/s2 | 500 mm/s2 | |
Travel Acceleration | 1500 mm/s2 | 1500 mm/s2 | 1500 mm/s2 | |
Travel | Enable Retraction | No | No | Yes |
Retraction Distance | – | – | 0.4 mm | |
Retraction Speed | – | – | 35 mm/s | |
Combing Mode | All | All | All | |
Max Comb Distance With No Retract | 0.0 mm | 5 mm | 5 mm | |
Avoid Printed Parts When Traveling | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Travel Avoid Distance | 0.625 mm | 0.625 mm | 0.625 mm | |
Z Hop When Retracted | – | – | Yes | |
Z Hop Height | – | – | 0.4 mm | |
Cooling ** | Enable Print Cooling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fan Speed | 15% | 15% | 20% | |
Regular Fan Speed at Layer | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
Support | Generate Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Support Placement | Toucing Buildplate | Toucing Buildplate | Toucing Buildplate | |
Support Overhang Angle | 70° | 60° | 70° | |
Build Plate Adhesion | Build Plate Adhesion Type | Optional | Optional | Brim |
Brim Line Count | Optional | Optional | 10 | |
Mesh Fixes | Maximum Resolusion | 0.5 mm | 0.5 mm | 0.5 mm |
Maximum Travel Resolution | 0.8 mm | 0.5 mm | 0.5 mm | |
Maximum Deviation | 0.025 | 0.05 mm | 0.05 mm |
* In Printer, set Tune > Speed : 70 for best result.
** In printer, set Tune > Fan speed : 0 If the nozzle has not reached 2 cm, so that the object is not easily separated from the heated. If the fan spins fast when starting to print objects, it causes a decrease in the temperature of the heatbed, especially at the feet of the object being printed.
Special Object (Cura 5.1)
QUALITY | LAYER HIGH | 0.3 mm (Rod End Bearing) |
---|---|---|
Walls | Wall Thickness | 1.2 mm |
Print Thins Walls | Yes | |
Horizontal Expansion | -0.1 mm | |
Initial Layer Horizontal Expansion | -0.1 mm | |
Z Seam Alignment | User Specified | |
Z Seam Position | Back | |
Z Seam X | 0 | |
Z Seam Y | 0 | |
Seam Corner Preferences | Hide Seam | |
Top/Bottom | Top Surface Skin Layers | 0 |
Enable Ironing | No | |
Infill | Infill Density | 30 % |
Infill before Walls | Yes | |
Material | Printing Temperature | 250 °C |
Printing Temperature Initial Layer | 275 °C | |
Initial Printing Temperature | 245 | |
Final Printing Temperature | 255 °C | |
Build Plate Temperature | 115 °C | |
Built Plate Temperature Initial Layer | 120 °C | |
Speed | Print Speed | 60.0 mm/s |
Infill Speed | 80.0 mm/s | |
Outer Wall Speed | 15.0 mm/s | |
Inner Wall Speed | 60.0 mm/s | |
Top/Bottom Speed | 60.0 mm/s | |
Travel Speed | 150 mm/s | |
Initial Layer Print Speed | 15.0 mm/s | |
Initial Layer Travel Speed | 20.0 mm/s | |
Enable Acceleration Control | Yes | |
Print Acceleration | 800 mm/s2 | |
Wall Acceleration | 500 mm/s2 | |
Outer Wall Acceleration | 500 mm/s2 | |
Travel Acceleration | 1500 mm/s2 | |
Enable Jerk Control | Yes | |
Travel | Enable Retraction | Yes |
Retraction Distance | 1.0 mm/s | |
Retraction Speed | 45.0 mm/s | |
Combing Mode | All | |
Max Comb Distance With No Retract | 0.0 mm | |
Retract Before Outer Wall | Yes | |
Avoid Printed Parts When Traveling | Yes | |
Travel Avoid Distance | 0.625 mm | |
Z Hop When Retracted | No | |
Cooling | Enable Print Cooling | Yes |
Fan Speed | 15% | |
Regular Fan Speed at Layer | 2 | |
Mesh Fixes | Maximum Resolusion | 0.5 mm |
Maximum Travel Resolution | 0.8 mm | |
Maximum Deviation | 0.025 |
That’s what I can give you. If you get better settings for your printer, you can comment below which may be useful for others.
Hopefuly this Cura Profile Polycarbonate article is usefull.
Read more:
> Profile Cura ABS For Prusa i3 MK3 My experience