Nylon (PA) and carbon-fiber filled filaments are used for strong, stiff and heat-resistant parts like gears, brackets and tools. They need more from your printer than PLA or PETG, so it pays to know the requirements before you buy a spool.
About this guide: Settings come from Prusa’s official filament material guide and Prusament PA11 Carbon Fiber data. Checked in October 2026. “Check price” links go to the official store and may be affiliate links, which never changes the advice.
What you need
| Nylon (PA) | Carbon / glass fiber filled | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardened nozzle | Not required for plain nylon | Yes, the fibers wear out brass nozzles quickly |
| Enclosure | Recommended | Depends on the base material |
| Dry box | Yes | Depends on the base material |
| Nozzle temperature | 240–285 °C | 225–290 °C |
| Bed temperature | 70–115 °C | 40–120 °C |
Example: Prusament PA11 Carbon Fiber
- Nozzle 285 °C and bed 110 °C, on Prusa’s special PA nylon sheet.
- A hardened 0.4 mm nozzle.
- Print in an enclosure or a well-ventilated room. Prusa notes that polyamide gives off a strong smell and ultrafine particles.
- It is less moisture-sensitive than other nylons, but Prusa still lists drying at 90 °C for 6 hours.
Tips
- Dry before printing. Nylon soaks up moisture from the air quickly, which ruins print quality.
- Store it sealed with desiccant between prints.
- Think about orientation. Fiber-filled parts are strongest along the layers, so orient parts so the load runs along them.
Printers with a hardened nozzle out of the box include the Bambu Lab P2S and X2D. See our best enclosed 3D printers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a hardened steel nozzle?
Only for filaments with hard particles in them. Prusa calls carbon fiber, glass fiber and Kevlar fillers highly abrasive and says a hardened nozzle is necessary for them, and its nozzle guide marks wood- and metal-filled filaments for a hardened nozzle too. Glow-in-the-dark filament contains mineral pigment that wears brass as well. On a worn brass nozzle the hole widens, lines come out thicker, and parts drift off size.
For ordinary unfilled PLA, PETG and ABS, brass is fine; Prusa describes its brass nozzle as made for non-abrasive filaments. Hardened steel passes heat less well, so Prusa suggests raising the nozzle temperature by about 5–10 °C after switching. More in nylon and carbon fiber filament.
Sources: Prusa Knowledge Base.