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For a normal OrcaSlicer filament-and-printer calibration, run Temperature → Max Volumetric Speed → Pressure Advance → Flow → Retraction. Add Tolerance when parts must fit, and use Cornering, Input Shaping, or VFA only when the related artifact or mechanical issue matters. The order is deliberate: each test establishes settings that make the next result more trustworthy.
The recommended OrcaSlicer calibration order
OrcaSlicer’s current Calibration Guide places the core tests in this sequence:
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| Order | Calibration test | What it establishes | Problem it helps prevent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Temperature | Nozzle and bed temperatures suited to the filament | Poor viscosity, inconsistent flow, weak adhesion or excessive oozing |
| 2 | Max Volumetric Speed | The filament’s usable maximum flow rate | Under-extrusion when the slicer asks for more flow than the hotend can melt |
| 3 | Pressure Advance | Compensation for pressure changes in the nozzle | Blobs, gaps and other artifacts during acceleration and deceleration |
| 4 | Flow | The amount of filament actually extruded | Dimensional errors and weak or overpacked layers |
| 5 | Retraction | A retraction length that limits travel stringing | Stringing and oozing between separate features |
Run the core sequence for each meaningful filament profile, because temperature, melt capacity and extrusion behavior belong to the material as well as the machine. Repeating every test after every minor slicer change is unnecessary, but a new filament type or major hardware change can invalidate earlier values.
Why this order matters
Temperature comes first
Temperature changes filament viscosity, how readily the material flows, and how well the first layer adheres to the bed. A temperature tower printed at an unsuitable baseline can make later tests look better or worse for the wrong reason. Establish a workable nozzle and bed temperature before judging speed or extrusion settings.
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Maximum volumetric speed sets the ceiling
Maximum volumetric speed identifies how much material the hotend and filament combination can melt and deliver over time. If the slicer requests a higher flow rate than that ceiling, the print can under-extrude even when the nominal flow ratio is correct. Set this limit before pressure advance and flow so those tests are not contaminated by a hidden melt-capacity limit.
Pressure advance handles changing nozzle pressure
Pressure advance compensates for the pressure changes that occur as the toolhead speeds up, slows down and changes direction. It is intended to reduce artifacts associated with those transitions. OrcaSlicer also presents adaptive pressure advance as an advanced method for optimizing behavior across different speeds and geometries; use it only when you understand the additional variables it introduces.
Flow measures extrusion amount after the ceiling is known
Flow tuning adjusts how much filament is commanded for a given line. It affects dimensional accuracy and layer adhesion. Performing it after the maximum volumetric speed and pressure-advance work means the test is measuring extrusion amount rather than compensating for a speed limit or pressure transient.
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Retraction is last in the core sequence
Retraction controls how much filament is pulled back during travel moves. OrcaSlicer recommends tuning it after flow and pressure advance, when the other extrusion-related settings are already established. Otherwise, stringing can be caused by an incorrect flow or pressure setting and lead you to choose an unnecessarily large retraction.
How to run the core sequence
- Prepare a stable baseline. Load the filament profile you intend to calibrate, make sure the printer is mechanically ready, and use the same nozzle, layer settings and cooling assumptions throughout the series. Keep notes of every selected value.
- Run Temperature. Evaluate the printed temperature steps for surface quality, bridging or overhang behavior, visible oozing and bed adhesion. Choose a temperature that gives a balanced result rather than optimizing one feature while creating another failure.
- Run Max Volumetric Speed. Increase the tested flow until the specimen shows the onset of under-extrusion, then choose a safe value below that limit. The selected value is a ceiling for the filament profile, not a promise that every model should be printed at that rate.
- Run Pressure Advance. Compare corners and acceleration changes for artifacts caused by pressure variation. Save the value that produces the cleanest transitions under the tested conditions. If you use adaptive pressure advance, treat it as a separate, advanced calibration approach rather than mixing its result with a single fixed value.
- Run Flow. Select the extrusion amount that produces accurate lines and consistent layer bonding without visibly overpacking surfaces. Keep the maximum-volumetric-speed ceiling active while doing this test.
- Run Retraction. Print the retraction tower and choose the shortest setting that produces the cleanest result. Details for reading the tower are below.
- Leave calibration mode correctly. After the calibration process, create a new project. OrcaSlicer’s guide explicitly instructs users to do this to exit calibration mode.
Change one variable at a time. If a specimen fails for a reason unrelated to the setting being tested—for example, a loose part or an obvious nozzle leak—fix that condition and rerun the affected test instead of carrying a misleading value forward.
Retraction towers: choosing the value
Read the tower by section
A retraction tower contains sections printed with different retraction lengths. Inspect all sections and select the shortest length that produces the cleanest result. The goal is not the largest number; excessive retraction can add unnecessary travel motion and may create its own extrusion problems.
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Use the Calib_Retraction_tower comment in the G-code preview to map a physical section to its retraction length. Do not rely solely on the visible ; retract command: the page warns that this command may not show the full effective amount when retract-before-wipe is enabled.
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Use the correct starting range
| Extruder arrangement | Documentation starting range | Increment |
|---|---|---|
| Most direct-drive extruders | 0–2 mm | 0.1 mm |
| Bowden extruders | 1–6 mm | 0.2 mm |
These are documentation starting ranges, not universal answers. The useful value depends on the printer, filament and travel behavior.
When a low value is enough
If a low-oozing material is clean from the first tower section, the guide says that approximately 0.2–0.4 mm may be sufficient. Do not increase retraction merely because a larger value is common on another printer.
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When stringing persists
Heavy stringing is not automatically a request for more retraction. Dry the filament first, then check that the nozzle is installed correctly and is not leaking. Moisture and a leak can continue to produce strings even when the retraction setting is reasonable.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Optional tests: run them for a specific reason
The guide lists additional calibration tests beyond the numbered core sequence. Choose them according to the defect you are trying to solve rather than treating every test as mandatory.
| Test | Use it when you need to investigate | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Tolerance | Whether mating parts and dimensional features fit together | Goal-driven; the guide lists it but does not place it in the numbered sequence |
| Cornering (Jerk/Junction Deviation) | Artifacts around sharp corners and direction changes | After the core extrusion settings, when corner defects remain |
| Input Shaping | Ringing caused by mechanical vibration | Advanced mechanical compensation step |
| VFA speed test | Finding speeds associated with resonance or visible vertical fine artifacts | Additional investigation after the core sequence |
Tolerance
Tolerance is not a universal “next step” for every printer. Use it when a functional part must mate with another part, slide over a shaft, or hold a specified clearance. Because the guide does not assign it a numbered position, treat it as a dimensional-fit check driven by the project’s requirements.
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Cornering
Cornering calibration addresses behavior at sharp direction changes. If corners show artifacts after pressure advance and flow are sensible, investigate the printer’s jerk or junction-deviation behavior with this test. It is not a substitute for correcting an incorrect extrusion profile.
Input shaping
Input shaping is an advanced calibration intended to reduce ringing by compensating for mechanical vibration. Use it when ringing or echoing appears on walls and the machine’s mechanics are otherwise sound. Because it changes motion behavior, perform it as a deliberate mechanical-tuning step rather than folding it into the filament flow sequence.
VFA
OrcaSlicer lists a VFA speed test for finding resonance speeds. Run it when vertical fine artifacts or speed-dependent surface patterns point to a resonance issue. Record the speeds that create the problem and avoid or manage them through the printer’s motion settings.
Diagnosing a bad calibration result
- Under-extrusion only at high speed: Recheck Max Volumetric Speed. The flow value may be acceptable while the requested melt rate is too high.
- Blobs or gaps at corners: Revisit Pressure Advance before changing flow. The defect may come from pressure changes during acceleration rather than an incorrect total extrusion amount.
- Uniformly thick or thin walls: Recheck Flow after confirming the volumetric ceiling. Do not use retraction to correct a steady extrusion error.
- Stringing across travel moves: Inspect the retraction tower, but first rule out wet filament and a leaking or incorrectly installed nozzle.
- Ringing on otherwise well-extruded walls: Investigate Input Shaping or VFA rather than increasing retraction or changing flow.
- Parts do not assemble: Run Tolerance calibration and evaluate fit using the actual clearances required by the design.
- Several tests look inconsistent: Keep the material, nozzle, cooling and mechanical state constant. A changed baseline makes comparisons unreliable, so rerun the affected test after correcting the setup.
What to save in the filament profile
For each calibrated material, preserve the selected nozzle and bed temperatures, maximum volumetric speed, pressure-advance value, flow value and retraction settings. Note whether the extruder is direct drive or Bowden, because the documented retraction starting ranges differ substantially. Keep optional tolerance, cornering, input-shaping and VFA decisions tied to the printer or project conditions for which they were measured.
The Calibration Guide search result is marked edited April 8, 2026, while the OrcaSlicer wiki home result is marked edited October 10, 2026. Calibration guidance can change, so check the current in-app guide or wiki when a later OrcaSlicer version presents different test names or ordering.
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