The MK4's Nextruder unlocks excellent multi-material performance. Here are the best filaments and optimized settings for every material.
Best Overall PLA
Prusament PLA — optimized for MK4, ±0.02mm tolerance, QC report included
Best Value PLA
Polymaker PolyTerra or eSUN PLA+ — great quality at lower price
Best for Outdoor Parts
Prusament ASA — better than ABS, less warp, UV stable, MK4-optimized
The Prusa MK4 introduced the Nextruder — a redesigned direct-drive extruder with a load cell for automatic first-layer calibration and improved filament handling. Combined with Input Shaper (vibration compensation), the MK4 can print PLA at 200+ mm/s without quality loss — something impossible on original Prusa i3 designs.
MK4 Advantages for Filament
Limitations to Know
Nozzle
215°C (Prusament) 200–215°C (third-party)
Bed
60°C
Speed
100–200 mm/s (Input Shaper)
Retraction
1.0mm / 40mm/s
Use PrusaSlicer profile "Prusament PLA" for best results. Third-party PLA may need 5°C lower.
Nozzle
230–240°C
Bed
85°C
Speed
60–100 mm/s
Retraction
0.8mm / 45mm/s
PEI textured sheet grips PETG well. Apply glue stick to prevent over-adhesion on smooth PEI.
Nozzle
255–265°C
Bed
100°C
Speed
50–80 mm/s
Retraction
1.0mm / 40mm/s
Recommended over ABS on open-frame MK4. Close doors if available, avoid drafts.
Nozzle
250°C
Bed
110°C
Speed
40–60 mm/s
Retraction
1.0mm / 40mm/s
Requires Prusa Enclosure or DIY box. Use ABS slurry or glue on bed.
Nozzle
220–235°C
Bed
50°C
Speed
25–40 mm/s
Retraction
0.5mm / 25mm/s
Nextruder handles TPU well. Keep speed low. Flexible PEI sheet recommended.
Nozzle
250–265°C
Bed
85–90°C
Speed
40–60 mm/s
Retraction
1.0mm / 35mm/s
Dry before printing. Textured PEI or Garolite sheet. Enclosure recommended.
| Brand | Type | Tolerance | Price | MK4 Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prusament PLA | PLA | ±0.02mm | €25/kg | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Prusament PETG | PETG | ±0.02mm | €27/kg | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Prusament ASA | ASA | ±0.02mm | €30/kg | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Polymaker PolyTerra | PLA | ±0.03mm | €22/kg | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Bambu Lab PLA | PLA | ±0.03mm | €25/kg | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| eSUN PLA+ | PLA | ±0.05mm | €18/kg | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Hatchbox PLA | PLA | ±0.05mm | €22/kg | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Use PrusaSlicer "Speed" print profiles
PrusaSlicer includes pre-tuned high-speed profiles for the MK4 with Input Shaper enabled. These are optimized per-material — start here rather than manually tuning speeds.
High-speed works best with quality filament
At 150-200 mm/s, diameter inconsistencies cause extrusion problems. Prusament or Polymaker (tight tolerances) produce cleaner results at high speed than budget filaments.
PETG and flex: slower is better
Input Shaper helps with ringing on rigid materials but doesn't help PETG stringing at high speed. Cap PETG at 80-100 mm/s and TPU at 30-40 mm/s regardless of IS settings.
Engineering materials: disable high-speed
For Nylon, ASA, and PA-CF, print at normal speeds (40-60 mm/s). These materials benefit more from layer adhesion (slower, hotter) than speed.
| Use Case | Prusa MK4 | Bambu A1 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| PLA everyday printing | ✅ Excellent (200mm/s IS) | ✅ Excellent (500mm/s) |
| PETG functional parts | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Good |
| Flexible (TPU) | ✅ Good (Nextruder) | ⚠️ Good (requires AMS Lite bypass) |
| ABS/ASA | ⚠️ Needs enclosure add-on | ❌ Open frame (A1 Mini) |
| Nylon/Engineering | ✅ With enclosure | ❌ Not recommended open |
| Multi-material | ⚠️ MMU3 add-on (~€300) | ✅ AMS Lite included |
| Repairability | ✅ Fully open source, parts available | ⚠️ Partially open |