Nylon
AdvancedPolyamide (PA)
Nylon is one of the strongest and most versatile engineering filaments available. It is tough, slightly flexible, and has excellent wear resistance — ideal for gears, bearings, and mechanical parts. The challenge: it is extremely hygroscopic and must be kept dry at all times.
⚠ IMPORTANT: Dry Your Filament Before Every Print
All filaments — including Nylon — absorb moisture from the air. Printing with wet filament causes stringing, bubbling, weak layer adhesion, and poor surface finish. This is the single most overlooked cause of bad prints.
Always dry your filament per the manufacturer's recommendations printed on the spool label before printing, especially if the spool has been open for more than a few days or stored in a humid environment. Read our complete filament drying guide →
About the Temperatures & Speeds Listed Below
The print temperatures and speeds shown on this page are general industry ranges — not a one-size-fits-all prescription. Every printer brand and model has different capabilities. A Bambu Lab X1C can print PLA at 500 mm/s; an Ender 3 with a Bowden extruder performs best at 40–80 mm/s.
Always follow your specific printer manufacturer's recommended settings and the temperature range printed on your filament spool label. Start at the lower end of the range and dial in from there.
Material Properties
Nylon Variants Explained
Nylon isn't one material — it's a family. Every variant below starts from the same base chemistry but is modified for a different job. Click through for full settings and brand picks on each.
Extremely tough, durable engineering thermoplastic with excellent wear resistance and low friction. Highly hyg...
Engineering nylon with significantly lower moisture absorption than PA6 (0.5% vs 2.5-3%). More dimensionally s...
Elite engineering composite combining nylon toughness with carbon fiber stiffness. Dramatically reduced warpin...
Nylon reinforced with glass fibers. Electrically insulating (unlike carbon fiber variants), high stiffness, ex...
Best For
- Gears & mechanical parts
- Bearings
- Hinges
- Structural components
- Industrial prototypes
Avoid For
- Humid environments without drying
- Beginners
- Decorative prints
Pro Tips
- 01Dry for 12+ hours at 70°C before every print
- 02Store in vacuum-sealed bags with desiccant
- 03Use a hardened steel nozzle for carbon-fiber variants
- 04Enclosure is essential for large prints
Dialed-In Print Profiles
These profiles are starting points based on community-tested settings for each printer. Your results may vary depending on your specific filament brand, ambient temperature, and printer condition. Always run a test print and adjust as needed. Speeds shown reflect what these printers are capable of — entry-level machines should use the lower end of any range.
⚠ Dry 12+ hours at 70°C. Enclosure required. Use Bambu's PA profile.
Print Speed by Printer Tier
Print speeds vary dramatically by printer. The speeds listed in product specs (like "500 mm/s") are maximum capabilities — not recommended everyday speeds. Use this table as a general guide and always follow your printer manufacturer's recommended settings.
High-acceleration direct-drive systems. Follow manufacturer slicer presets.
Good performance at moderate speeds. Follow slicer presets for best results.
Start slow and tune up. Follow your printer manufacturer's recommended settings.
Quick Specs
Buy Nylon Filament
Recommended brands: Hatchbox, eSUN, Polymaker, Bambu
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