Short answer
To print ABS, run it hot and enclosed: a 245 to 265 C nozzle, a 90 to 100 C bed, a chamber that stays warm, and part cooling kept low. ABS shrinks fast as it cools, so the enclosure is not optional for anything bigger than a test cube. Print it away from your living space, because the fumes are real.
The settings that make ABS stick
ABS prints at the warm end of the filament range. The nozzle runs 245 to 265 C and the bed 90 to 100 C, and the part-cooling fan stays off, because fast cooling splits the layers. A heated, enclosed chamber holds the printed part warm so it shrinks evenly instead of pulling off the bed. A brim or a draft shield protects the first layer. These starting points follow the Polymaker PolyLite ABS datasheet, which lists a 245 to 265 C nozzle, a 90 to 100 C bed, and the cooling fan off.
| Likely cause | Fix | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Corners lift off the bed (warping) | Raise the bed toward 100 C, close the enclosure, and add a brim. Clean the sheet first. | hi |
| Layers split or crack (delamination) | Drop part cooling to near zero and warm the chamber. ABS needs to stay hot as it stacks. | md |
| Poor first-layer adhesion | Level for a light drag, heat the bed, and use a glue stick or ABS juice on glass. | hi |
| Stringing between moves | Tune retraction for your extruder and drop the nozzle toward the cool end of the range. | lo |
How to print ABS step by step
Prep and level the bed
Clean the PEI or glass with isopropyl alcohol and level for a light paper drag at all four corners. Heat the bed to 90 to 100 C.
Apply a release aid
On glass, a thin glue-stick layer or an ABS-juice wipe stops the part both sticking too hard and lifting at the corners.
Set the temperatures
Nozzle to 255 C and bed to 95 C is a safe middle. Close the enclosure so the chamber holds warm.
Keep cooling low
Run the part fan off for the first layers, then no more than 10 to 20 percent. Fast cooling splits ABS layers.
Add a brim and dry the filament
A 5 to 8 millimeter brim anchors wide parts. Dry ABS at around 80 C if it pops or strings.
Avoid these ABS mistakesdo not
- Printing large parts without an enclosure, the main cause of warping
- Running part cooling high, which splits the layers
- Printing ABS in a closed bedroom with no ventilation
- Skipping the brim on a part with a wide base
For the material itself, the ABS guide covers properties and safety, and ASA is the outdoor-grade alternative that prints almost the same way. The warping guide goes deeper on bed adhesion, and the filament overview gives the wider field.
Related guides
Related
Sources & methodology
4 citations · reviewed 2026-07-09- 01Polymaker PolyLite ABS product information sheet (PIS v1.2 PDF)accessed 2026-07-09Tier 1
- 02Chemical Insights Research Institute (UL): 3D printing emissionsaccessed 2026-06-29Tier 1
- 03Kim et al., Frontiers in Toxicology (2022): ABS VOC and ultrafine-particle measurementaccessed 2026-06-29Tier 1
- 04All3DP: All 3D-printing filament types explained (ABS)accessed 2026-06-29Tier 2