Step 2 of 9
PID Tuning
Tune your printer's PID values to stabilize hotend and bed temperatures for consistent results.
⏱
Time
15–20 min
📊
Difficulty
Beginner
⚡
Impact
Critical
ℹ️
Why this matters: Without stable temperatures every other calibration becomes unreliable. A nozzle fluctuating by ±10°C can completely invalidate Temperature Tower, Flow Rate and Pressure Advance results.
1
Follow These Steps🔥
Heat up
Preheat hotend to printing temperature and bed to printing temperature.
⌨️
Run PID Tuning
Use the commands on the right in your printer's console or terminal.
📈
Wait for completion
The printer will heat, stabilize and calculate the best PID values automatically.
💾
Save & verify
Run SAVE_CONFIG to write new values to printer.cfg.
⭐ Pro Tip
Run PID after changing any thermal component, cooling fan setup, or enclosure configuration for best results.
2
PID Commands°C
% fan
⚠️ Fan must run at print speed during hotend PID — set to the same % you use when printing.
1. Enable part cooling fan at print speed
M106 S255; fan at 100% — same as during printing2. Run PID calibration
PID_CALIBRATE HEATER=extruder TARGET=220; takes ~5–10 minutes3. Save values
SAVE_CONFIG; writes new PID to printer.cfgℹ️
Note: Replace TARGET=220 with your normal printing temperature. The process takes ~5–10 minutes.
✓
What to expect
The temperature should stabilize with minimal fluctuation (±1–2°C) around the target after PID tuning.
⊗Common Mistakes
⊗Running PID with part cooling fan enabled
⊗Running PID in a cold room, then printing in an enclosure
⊗Tuning only the nozzle and forgetting the bed
⊗Using wrong target temperature (use your actual print temp)
⊗Not saving the new PID values after calibration
→Next Step
Temperature Tower
Dial in the best temperature for your filament after stabilizing PID.
Go to Temperature Tower →