3D printing calculator
Find your printing speed.
Tune your geometry. See what your flow limit allows.
Extrusion geometry
Enter a positive nozzle diameter for a width suggestion.
A starting point. Your geometry stays editable.
Slider range: 0.04 to 0.60 millimeters, in 0.04 millimeter steps. Type any positive exact value in the number field.
Slider range: 0.20 to 1.20 millimeters, in 0.01 millimeter steps. Type any positive exact value in the number field.
Need a finer value? Type it in.
Line speed at flow cap
For a 0.20 mm layer × 0.45 mm line.
Bead cross-section
0.0814 mm²Thinner layers and narrower lines allow more speed at the same flow cap.
Applies to extrusion at these settings. Travel moves are unaffected.
How this works
Volumetric flow is the volume of filament extruded per second. A flow cap can limit printing speed to help preserve the surface finish you want. Enter a flow you have chosen for your filament, or work backward from a target speed.
FlowQ = A × v
Line speedv = Q ÷ A
Rounded bead: A = h(w − h) + πh²/4, where h is layer height and w is line width. The model has a rectangular center and semicircular ends, and requires w ≥ h. The rectangle option uses A = w × h.
Nozzle diameter provides setup context. It does not enter the area equation. The width suggestion starts from 1.125 × nozzle diameter: an editable starting point you apply yourself and tune for your setup. Nozzle size does not constrain either geometry input.
The layer slider’s 0.04 mm increment is a convenience; suitable increments depend on your printer. Exact typed dimensions can be finer and can exceed the slider ranges.
A calculated speed applies to the specified geometry. Adaptive layers, variable line widths, and gap fill can have smaller cross-sections and therefore permit higher speeds at the same flow cap. Bridges can use different geometry. Feature speeds, cooling, acceleration, and printer limits may reduce actual speed. Slicer extrusion and flow adjustments can also differ.
References: Prusa’s volumetric speed guide, OrcaSlicer’s bead model, and CuraEngine’s rectangular model.