PLA Silk print settings
Silk PLA · Beginner
PLA Silk (Silk PLA) prints at 195-225°C with the bed at 50-60°C. No enclosure needed. Drying is rarely necessary.
PLA with additives that give a glossy, near-metallic sheen. It looks excellent and prints slightly weaker than standard PLA.
Settings at a glance
Ranges are typical manufacturer-published figures for this material class, not measurements we took. Always start with your filament maker’s own numbers where they differ. The price is an indicative street price for a 1 kg spool, not a live quote.
Good for
- Display pieces
- Vases and decorative prints
- Gifts
Avoid for
- Functional parts
- Prints needing sharp fine detail
The problem people actually hit
The sheen disappears with too much cooling. Turn the fan down, print a little hotter and slower than plain PLA.
Drying
Mildly hygroscopic. Dry at 45C for 4-6 hours.
Buying PLA Silk
PLA Silk is stocked by every general retailer and is largely interchangeable between reputable brands. Spend the money on tolerance and packaging rather than on a name. Typical street price is $20-40 per 1 kg spool.
Check before you order
- Diameter 1.75mm unless your printer takes 2.85mm. Check before ordering, not after.
- Published diameter tolerance. ±0.02mm is good, ±0.05mm is loose and shows up as inconsistent extrusion.
Not sure this is the right material? Compare all materials.
PLA Silk questions
- What temperature do you print PLA Silk at?
- PLA Silk prints at a nozzle temperature of 195-225C with the bed at 50-60C. Start at the lower end of the nozzle range and raise it in 5C steps until layers bond cleanly.
- Does PLA Silk need an enclosure?
- No. PLA Silk prints fine on an open-frame printer at normal room temperature.
- Do you need to dry PLA Silk?
- Mildly hygroscopic. Dry at 45C for 4-6 hours.
- What is PLA Silk good for?
- PLA Silk suits display pieces, vases and decorative prints, gifts. Avoid it for functional parts, prints needing sharp fine detail.
- How much does PLA Silk cost?
- A 1 kg spool of PLA Silk typically sells for $20-40. That is an indicative street price rather than a live figure, so check the retailer for today's cost.
PLA Silk or PLA?
PLA (Polylactic Acid) prints at 180-220°C with a 50-60°C bed and needs no enclosure. The default beginner filament. Prints cool, sticks well, warps very little, and needs no enclosure. It gives up heat resistance in exchange for all of that.
Read the PLA settings guide →After the print
The workshop steps that matter most for PLA Silk.