Filament Guide

PA (Nylon) Filament Guide

The engineering choice. Extremely tough, slippery, and fatigue-resistant.

Last updated: March 2026

TL;DR
  • Strongest FDM filament — self-lubricating, survives thousands of flex cycles without fatigue
  • Extremely hygroscopic: must dry before every print session or quality tanks
  • Needs 250-270°C nozzle, 80-100°C bed, enclosure recommended to prevent warping
  • PA6 is stronger but harder to print; PA12 is easier and less moisture-sensitive
PA (Nylon)
Polyamide - PA6, PA12, PA66 and variants
The engineering choice. Extremely tough, slippery, and fatigue-resistant.
Advanced Engineering

Nylon's been around since 1935 (DuPont) and it's everywhere — toothbrush bristles, climbing rope, mechanical gears. It's tough, self-lubricating, and won't fatigue-fail like PLA or PETG under repeated bending. Parts that would crack in PETG after a hundred flexes will survive thousands in nylon.

The problem: nylon absorbs moisture from air like a sponge. Leave it out for a few hours and print quality falls off a cliff — bubbly, rough, weak. You need a drybox. Not optional.

PA6 is more affordable but absorbs more moisture and warps worse. PA12 is easier to live with — less hygroscopic, less warp, worth the extra cost.

Chemistry
Polyamide - repeating amide (-CO-NH-) linkages. PA6, PA12, and PA66 are common grades.
Invented
1935 by Wallace Carothers at DuPont - first fully synthetic fiber
Print Temp
Nozzle: 240-270°C[1]
Bed: 70-90°C
Enclosure recommended
Heat Resistance
HDT ~50-85°C under load (PA6/PA12); melting point 170-220°C
Moisture Sensitivity
Extremely hygroscopic - dry immediately before use. Drybox required.[1]
Self-lubricating
Yes - very low friction. Excellent for gears, bushings, and bearings.
Pros
  • Absurdly tough — gears, hinges, and snap-fits that won't break
  • Self-lubricating surface - ideal for moving parts
  • Better heat resistance than PLA/PETG - melting point 178-260°C
  • Good chemical resistance to oils and fuels
  • Semi-flexible - bends without breaking
  • Dyeable post-print with fabric dye
Cons
  • Extremely hygroscopic - moisture ruins prints
  • Warps significantly - enclosure near mandatory
  • Requires careful drying[2] (75-85°C for 8-12 hours)
  • More expensive than PLA/PETG
  • Parts change dimension with humidity over time
  • Difficult bed adhesion - needs glue stick + PEI

Best Used For

Gears & pulleys Bushings & bearings Snap-fit hinges Tool handles Under-bonnet parts Wear-resistant components Industrial jigs & fixtures Brackets under thermal load

Niche Tips

Drybox printing is the only way. Run filament directly from a sealed container with desiccant into the extruder. Overnight drying before printing is not enough - PA re-absorbs moisture within 30 minutes of exposure to open air.
PA12 is strictly easier than PA6 for hobbyists: lower moisture absorption, less warping, similar strength. Worth the price difference.
Fabric dye trick: Nylon accepts Rit or similar fabric dye beautifully. Submerge parts in hot dye solution for vivid, permanent color.
Nylon's self-lubricating property means it needs no oil when used as a gear or bushing - but also means it doesn't bond well with adhesives. Use friction fits or mechanical fasteners.

Storage & Humidity

Target: below 15% RH - the strictest of all common filaments. Nylon is the most hygroscopic material covered here. PA6 can absorb over 3% of its weight in moisture within hours of open-air exposure. This causes severe bubbling, weak layer adhesion, and extreme stringing.
Drying: 75-85°C for 8-12 hours minimum. PA12 requires less drying time than PA6 due to lower equilibrium moisture content.
Drybox printing is effectively mandatory. Run filament directly from a sealed container with desiccant into the extruder during printing. Even a freshly dried spool begins re-absorbing moisture within 30 minutes of open-air exposure.
A food dehydrator set to 80°C is the most practical drying tool. Oven drying works but requires careful monitoring - most home ovens run hotter than indicated at low settings.

Bed Adhesion

Best surfaces: Garolite (FR4/G10 fiberglass sheet) - the definitive solution for PA. PEI with a glue stick also works. Garolite is available as a cheap cut-to-size sheet and simply clips to your bed - no adhesion aids needed, no brim needed.
Recommended bed temp: 70-90°C. An enclosure is strongly recommended - Nylon warps aggressively. A brim of 5-10mm is near-mandatory for anything larger than a small part.
On standard PEI, a glue stick layer is required for Nylon. Without it, prints either don't stick at all or bond so strongly the sheet is damaged on removal.
Garolite tip: a 200×200mm sheet of FR4/G10 from an electronics supplier costs £5-15 and is the single best upgrade for printing Nylon. Clip it to your build plate with binder clips - Nylon adheres perfectly and releases cleanly when cool without any adhesion aid.

Variants & Special Types

PA6 vs PA12PA6 is stronger and more heat resistant but harder to print (more moisture sensitive, higher temps). PA12 is easier to print with less warping. PA12 is the more common consumer variant.
PA-CFNylon with carbon fiber - the gold standard for strong, stiff engineering parts. Available as PA6-CF and PA12-CF in various fiber percentages (CF10, CF15, CF20). Hardened nozzle and dry filament management essential.
PA-GFNylon with glass fiber (GF15, GF25, GF30 - number is fiber percentage). Better impact resistance than CF, less stiff but tougher. Reduced warping vs plain PA. Also requires hardened nozzle.
PA6-CS20 FR V0Ceramic sphere reinforced, flame retardant PA6. Very specialized - for aerospace and automotive flame-rated enclosures. One of the most exotic consumer-available filaments.

References

  1. Prusa Knowledge Base - Polyamide (Nylon). Print temperatures, moisture sensitivity, and enclosure requirements. help.prusa3d.com/article/polyamide-nylon_167188
  2. Bambu Lab Wiki - Filament Guide Material Table. Drying temperatures and printing parameters for engineering filaments. wiki.bambulab.com/en/general/filament-guide-material-table
  3. All3DP - 3D Printing Materials Guide. Mechanical properties and material comparisons. all3dp.com/1/3d-printing-materials-guide-3d-printer-material/

Recommended Gear

Enclosure 3D printer enclosure Nylon warps severely without an enclosed build chamber. Non-negotiable for prints larger than a few centimetres. CHECK PRICE →
Dryer High-temp filament dryer Nylon is extremely hygroscopic - the most moisture-sensitive common filament. Needs drying at 75-85°C for 8-12 hours. Standard dryers often can't reach the required temperature. CHECK PRICE →
Build Surface G10/Garolite build plate The best build surface for Nylon. Nylon bonds to G10 during printing and releases cleanly when cooled. Far more reliable than glue stick or tape. CHECK PRICE →
Adhesion Bed adhesive (Magigoo/Layerneer) Specialty adhesives formulated for Nylon provide strong first-layer grip without damaging the build surface. Apply thin and reapply every few prints. CHECK PRICE →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does nylon need to be dried before printing?
Yes, absolutely. Nylon is one of the most hygroscopic filament materials and absorbs moisture from the air within hours. Wet nylon produces bubbling, rough surfaces, poor layer adhesion, and dramatically weaker parts. Dry nylon at 75-85°C for 8-12 hours before printing, and ideally print from a dry box.
Is nylon stronger than PETG?
Nylon is significantly tougher and more impact-resistant than PETG, with better fatigue resistance for parts under repeated stress. PETG is stiffer and easier to print. For gears, hinges, snap-fits, and parts that flex repeatedly, nylon is the stronger choice. For general-purpose functional parts where ease of printing matters, PETG is sufficient.
Can I print nylon without an enclosure?
Small nylon parts can sometimes be printed without an enclosure, but results will be inconsistent. Nylon shrinks significantly as it cools, causing warping and layer splitting in open air. An enclosure that maintains 40-50°C ambient temperature is strongly recommended for reliable nylon printing, especially for parts larger than a few centimeters.
What bed surface works best for nylon?
Nylon bonds poorly to most common bed surfaces. PEI works but benefits from a thin layer of glue stick as a release agent (nylon can bond too aggressively to bare PEI). Garolite (G10/FR4) sheets provide excellent adhesion for nylon without adhesive. Glass with glue stick also works. Bed temperature of 70-90°C is typical.

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