What limits print speed?

The main bottleneck is the extruder volumetric flow rate — how fast the hot end can melt and push out plastic. A standard V6 hot end maxes out around 10-15 mm3/s. High-flow hot ends like the Revo or Rapido can reach 30-50 mm3/s.

What is a good starting speed for PLA?

For a standard hot end, 50-60 mm/s at 0.2mm layer height is safe. High-speed printers with good cooling can reach 150-300 mm/s or more.

Does faster printing reduce quality?

It can. Faster speeds mean more vibration (ghosting), less cooling time per layer, and more pressure in the nozzle. Use input shaping and adequate part cooling to mitigate quality loss at higher speeds.

3DPrintCalcs

Print Speed Calculator — Maximum Speed from Flow Rate

Calculate maximum print speed based on your extruder volumetric flow rate and layer dimensions.

Layer Height

Line Width

Max Volumetric Flow

Hot end max flow rate

How We Calculate This

Formula

Cross-section = Layer height x Line width (mm2)
Max speed = Max volumetric flow / Cross-section
Recommended speed = Max speed x 0.8 (20% safety margin)

The volumetric flow rate is the key constraint. If you push faster than the hot end can melt, you will get under-extrusion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

Layer Height Calculator

Find optimal layer heights based on your nozzle size and desired quality.

Infill Calculator

Estimate material usage and print time for different infill percentages and patterns.

Wall Thickness Calculator

Calculate wall thickness from number of perimeters and nozzle/line width.

Print Time Estimator

Estimate total print time from layer count, speed and travel moves.

Nozzle Size Calculator

Determine suitable nozzle sizes for your desired detail level and print speed.

Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates. Always verify settings with test prints before committing to final prints.