PVA (dissolvable) print settings
Water-soluble support material. Prints easily, but ruins itself in humid air.
Nozzle 190–210 °C
Bed 45–60 °C
Part cooling 40–70 %
Enclosure Not needed
Drying 45 °C for 6 h
Shrinkage Not usually relevant — it is washed away
Density 1.23 g/cm³
Enclosure: Prints fine in open air.
Bed surface & adhesion
As PLA.
Retraction starting points
Direct drive 0.5–2 mm
Bowden 3–6 mm
Retraction speed 25–45 mm/s
Dry the filament first — with these, stringing is far more often moisture than retraction, and no retraction value fixes a wet spool.
Good for
Dissolvable support for PLA and PETG on a dual-extruder printer Interior geometry that no support angle can reach Watch out for
The most hygroscopic filament in common use — store it sealed, always Wet PVA foams in the nozzle and clogs; dry before every print Expensive per gram — use it for interfaces only, not whole support towers Problems this material is prone to
Other filaments
These are widely-published starting points for the generic material, not a specification. Individual spools vary by brand, colour and additive package — always defer to the figures printed on your spool.
Every number on this page is in the app too — next to the calculators that use it, working offline at the printer.
Get it on Google Play