Voron ABS Printing Guide — Perfect Prints Every Time
Materials Printing ABS
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is the material Voron printers were designed to print. It offers excellent layer adhesion, high temperature resistance (glass transition ~100°C), good impact strength, and the ability to be post-processed with acetone vapor smoothing. But ABS is also notorious for warping, cracking, and producing fumes that require ventilation. Last updated: May 2025.
This guide covers everything you need to print ABS successfully on your Voron: why an enclosure is mandatory, recommended temperatures, bed adhesion methods, warp prevention, slicer profiles for OrcaSlicer and SuperSlicer, material selection (ABS vs ASA), and post-processing techniques. We include real settings that work on Voron V2.4, Trident, V0.2, and Switchwire printers.
Why Enclosures Are Mandatory for ABS
ABS shrinks by approximately 0.6-0.8% as it cools from its extrusion temperature (~250°C) to room temperature. This shrinkage, combined with the polymer's internal stress from the printing process, causes warping. The two critical factors that prevent warping are: (1) maintaining a stable chamber temperature above the material's glass transition temperature during printing, and (2) eliminating drafts that cause uneven cooling.
On a Voron, the enclosure serves three purposes:
- Draft-free environment: Even a 2°C temperature difference across a 200mm part can cause enough differential shrinkage to lift corners. The enclosure blocks breezes from room HVAC, open windows, and people walking past.
- Chamber temperature maintenance: Aim for 45-60°C inside the enclosure during printing. Below 45°C, ABS begins to warp on large parts. Above 65°C, you risk heat-soaking the electronics and stepper motors (TMC2209s are rated to 85°C, but sustained 70°C+ chamber temperatures reduce their lifespan). The ideal target is 50-55°C.
- Slow, even cooling: After the print finishes, the chamber should cool down slowly. Opening the enclosure immediately creates a thermal shock that can crack large parts. Leave the printer closed until the chamber temperature drops below 40°C.
Chamber heating tips: On a V2.4 or Trident, the heated bed alone often reaches 50-55°C chamber temperature with the enclosure closed. If you're in a cold room or have a large 350mm build, you may need supplemental chamber heating. The Nevermore filter (charcoal recirculation) helps distribute heat evenly. A small 40W PTC heater mounted in the electronics bay with a thermostatic controller is a common upgrade for cold-weather printing.
Print Temperature Settings
| Parameter | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bed Temperature | 100-110°C | 100°C for standard ABS, 105-110°C for high-temp blends like KVP ABS |
| Hotend Temperature | 240-260°C | 240-250°C for eSun ABS+, 250-260°C for Polymaker ABS and ASA |
| Chamber Temperature | 45-60°C | Target 50-55°C; above 60°C risks stepper motor overheating |
| Part Cooling Fan | 0-20% | Start at 0%, add only for overhangs >45° or bridges |
| Print Speed | 80-150 mm/s | Voron typical; reduce to 60-80mm/s for large flat parts prone to warping |
| First Layer Speed | 20-30 mm/s | Slow and patient for good adhesion |
Bed Adhesion Methods
Getting ABS to stick to the bed is the most common frustration for new Voron builders. Here are the proven methods, ranked from easiest to most reliable:
- PEI Spring Steel Sheet (Textured): This is the Voron standard and the best all-around option. Textured PEI provides mechanical grip as the ABS cools and contracts into the surface texture. Clean with isopropyl alcohol between prints. When adhesion drops (typically after 50-100 prints), scuff the surface with fine (0000) steel wool or a green Scotch-Brite pad. Compatible with the Voron's magnetic bed. Bed temp: 100-105°C.
- Magigoo (or Layerneer Bed Weld): Apply a thin layer to clean PEI before printing. The adhesive dries clear and provides excellent grip for ABS. Reapply every 3-5 prints. Works well with both smooth and textured PEI. The release agent in the formula makes part removal easy once the bed cools. Bed temp: 100°C.
- ABS Slurry: Dissolve ABS scrap in acetone to create a thick paste, then brush a thin layer onto the bed. This is the most reliable adhesion method for large warpage-prone parts. The slurry creates a chemical bond between the part and the bed surface. Con: messy to apply, leaves residue on the bed that requires acetone cleaning, and can leave a textured finish on the bottom of your part. Bed temp: 105-110°C.
- Hairspray (Aussie Freeze or Aqua Net): Apply a light coat to clean PEI or bare glass. Less reliable than Magigoo or slurry for large ABS parts, but works well for smaller prints. Reapply every 2-3 prints. Cheaper than dedicated bed adhesives. Bed temp: 100°C.
- Garolite G10/FR4: An alternative build surface that provides excellent ABS adhesion without adhesive. Requires a dedicated G10 sheet mounted on the magnetic bed. The surface is slightly textured and provides good mechanical grip. Less temperature-sensitive than PEI. Clean with isopropyl alcohol. Bed temp: 105-110°C.
Our recommendation: Textured PEI with Magigoo for daily printing. ABS slurry for large, flat parts like Voron V2.4 deck panels or Trident base plates. Garolite G10 as a long-term alternative if you're tired of reapplying adhesives.
Warp Prevention Strategies
Warping occurs when the bottom layers cool and contract faster than the upper layers, causing the corners to lift. Here are the most effective strategies ranked by impact:
- Chamber preheating: Let the chamber reach 45-50°C before starting the print. This means preheating the bed to 100°C and waiting 15-30 minutes (depending on build volume) for the chamber to stabilize. Use a chamber thermistor to monitor the temperature and start the print with a
TEMPERATURE_WAITmacro:TEMPERATURE_WAIT SENSOR="temperature_sensor chamber" MINIMUM=45 MAXIMUM=60
- Brim (recommended): A 5-10mm brim on all parts that have sharp corners or large flat surfaces. In OrcaSlicer, set Skirt and Brim → Brim Type → Outer Brim, Brim Width 8mm, Brim Gap 0.0mm. The brim anchors the corners to the bed and prevents lifting. Remove with a deburring tool or hobby knife after printing.
- Mouse ears: For stubborn corners, add circular "mouse ear" tabs (10-15mm diameter disks) at each corner in your CAD model. These provide additional adhesion surface exactly where it's needed. Snap them off after printing and sand the remnants.
- Part orientation: Orient parts so that long axes run diagonally across the build plate (not parallel to the bed edges). This minimizes the length of continuous straight lines, reducing cumulative shrinkage stress. Avoid sharp inside corners — add 3-5mm fillets to all internal corners in CAD.
- Reduce first layer height: A 0.2mm first layer height (vs 0.25-0.3mm for PLA) presses the ABS more firmly into the bed texture, improving mechanical grip. Combined with a 0.44mm extrusion width, the first layer is squished flat and anchored well.
- Slow down perimeters on the first few layers: In OrcaSlicer, set "Slow down for overhangs" and "Slow down first N layers" to 3-5 layers at 50% speed. This gives the bottom layers more time to cool evenly.
Layer Adhesion — Getting Strong Parts
ABS is known for excellent layer adhesion, but only when printed at the right temperature in the right environment. The key factors:
- Hot chamber temperature improves bonding: When the chamber is at 50-55°C, each new layer is deposited onto a surface that's still warm. This allows the polymer chains to diffuse across the layer boundary (a process called reptation bonding), creating a near-monolithic part. At 30°C chamber temperature, the same part will have visible layer lines and fail along layer boundaries under stress.
- Higher hotend temperature = better layer adhesion: Within reason, printing at 250-255°C produces stronger layer bonds than 240°C. The higher temperature increases polymer mobility at the melt boundary. For functional parts that need maximum strength (e.g., Voron printed parts), use 255°C.
- Minimum cooling for best adhesion: The part cooling fan should be at 0% for the vast majority of ABS prints. If the fan blows cool air onto the part, it rapidly cools the deposited layer, preventing proper bonding with the next layer. Only use the fan for steep overhangs (>45°) or bridges, and keep it below 20%.
- Volumetric flow limits: ABS flows differently than PLA. At 250°C, most Voron hotends max out at 18-22 mm³/s with ABS (vs 45-50 mm³/s with PLA). If you see underextrusion at high speeds, reduce your volumetric flow limit in the slicer to 18 mm³/s before blaming layer adhesion.
Recommended Slicer Profiles for Voron
Both OrcaSlicer and SuperSlicer have excellent Voron profiles built in. Here are the key settings to verify or adjust:
| Setting | OrcaSlicer | SuperSlicer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filament / Print preset | Voron V2 0.4 ABS | Voron V2 0.4 - ABS | Select the built-in Voron profile |
| Nozzle diameter | 0.4mm | 0.4mm | Standard for most ABS parts |
| Layer height | 0.24mm | 0.25mm | Good balance of speed and quality for ABS |
| First layer height | 0.20mm | 0.20mm | Slightly compressed for better adhesion |
| Extrusion width | 0.44mm | 0.44mm | Slightly wider than nozzle for better bonding |
| Hotend temp (ABS) | 245°C | 245°C | Start here, adjust ±5°C per filament brand |
| Bed temp | 105°C | 105°C | Drop to 100°C if using smooth PEI |
| Chamber temp setpoint | 50°C | 50°C | Set in printer.cfg chamber temperature sensor |
| Part cooling fan speed | 0% | 0% | Enable fan only for overhangs (20% max) |
| Max volumetric speed | 18 mm³/s | 18 mm³/s | Reduce to 15 for small nozzles or low temps |
| Print speed (perimeters) | 120 mm/s | 120 mm/s | Reduce to 80 for large flat parts |
| Print speed (infill) | 150 mm/s | 150 mm/s | Infill speed doesn't affect surface quality |
| Retraction length | 0.8mm | 0.8mm | Direct drive (Voron standard) |
| Retraction speed | 40 mm/s | 40 mm/s | Faster retractions reduce stringing |
| Brim type | Outer brim | Outer brim | 5-10mm width for ABS parts |
| Z hop when retracted | 0.4mm | 0.4mm | Prevents nozzle dragging through ABS |
ABS Types — Which to Choose
- eSun ABS+: The most popular ABS for Voron builds. Lower shrinkage than standard ABS (0.4-0.6% vs 0.6-0.8%), reduced odor, and better layer adhesion at slightly lower temperatures (240-250°C). Prints cleaner with less stringing than most ABS blends. Excellent value at $18-22/kg. The go-to recommendation for Voron parts.
- Polymaker ABS: Premium ABS with excellent consistency and dimensional accuracy. Prints at 250-260°C. Very low odor compared to budget ABS. Slightly higher impact strength than eSun ABS+. More expensive at $28-35/kg. Best for functional parts that need maximum strength.
- KVP ABS: High-temperature ABS blend with a glass transition temperature of ~108°C (vs ~100°C for standard ABS). Prints at 255-265°C with a 105-110°C bed. Excellent for parts that will be used in high-temperature environments (enclosures, chamber components). Less common and harder to source. Price: $25-32/kg.
- ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate): The UV-resistant alternative to ABS. ASA has similar print characteristics but is UV-stable, making it the better choice for Voron parts that will be near windows or used outdoors. Slightly higher layer adhesion than ABS. Prints at 250-260°C, bed at 100-105°C. The main difference: ASA benefits from slightly more part cooling (10-30% fan speed) to improve surface finish and reduce stringing. Polymaker ASA is the most popular brand. Price: $28-38/kg.
ASA vs ABS — which should you choose? For Voron printed parts, ASA is the technically superior choice because Vorons are often placed near windows (for ventilation) and the parts need UV stability. However, ASA is more expensive and slightly trickier to print (higher stringing tendency). eSun ABS+ is the practical choice for most builders — it prints easily, costs less, and the parts will last years indoors. Choose ASA if your printer lives in a sunlit room or you want colors that won't fade.
Post-Processing ABS Parts
Acetone Vapor Smoothing
Acetone vapor smoothing dissolves the outer surface layer of ABS, creating a glossy, injection-molded-like finish. It also improves water resistance by sealing the layer lines. The process: place the printed part on a platform in a sealed container with a small amount of acetone at the bottom. Warm the container to 30-40°C (a heated bed works well). The acetone vaporizes and condenses on the cooler part surface, smoothing it. Time: 5-30 minutes depending on desired smoothness. Remove and let the acetone evaporate for 2-4 hours. Caution: acetone is flammable and toxic — use in a well-ventilated area away from ignition sources. Do NOT vapor-smooth Voron structural parts (gantry mounts, motor mounts) as the smoothing reduces the outer layer's mechanical strength.
Sanding and Finishing
For parts that need a matte finish or precise dimensions: start with 120-grit sandpaper to remove layer lines, progress to 220, 400, then 600-grit for a smooth surface. Wet sanding (using water with a drop of dish soap) reduces dust and gives a finer finish. After sanding, wash the part with soap and water to remove dust. ABS can be painted with acrylic or enamel spray paints — use a primer first (Rust-Oleum or Krylon plastic primer). Paint adhesion to sanded ABS is excellent.
Annealing ABS Parts
Annealing improves the heat resistance and dimensional stability of ABS parts. Place the printed part in an oven at 80-90°C (below the glass transition temperature) for 1-2 hours, then let it cool slowly in the oven (door ajar) over 2-3 hours. This relieves internal stresses from the printing process. Expect 0.3-0.5% shrinkage in all dimensions during annealing. Do NOT anneal parts that need tight tolerances (Voron printed parts like AB drive units, extruder bodies) unless you've accounted for the shrinkage in your CAD model.