How to Dial In Pressure Advance: A Complete Guide

Pressure advance (or linear advance in Marlin) is one of the most impactful calibrations you can do for your 3D printer, yet most people skip it. Here's how to get it right.

What is pressure advance?

It compensates for the pressure buildup in the hotend during extrusion. Without it, corners bulge and retractions leave blobs. With it dialed in, your prints look sharper at any speed.

How to calibrate

1. Print a pressure advance calibration tower (available in OrcaSlicer and most slicers)
2. Start at 0.0 and increase by 0.005 per layer
3. Look for the layer where corners are sharpest without gaps
4. Set that value in your printer.cfg or firmware

For direct drive extruders, typical values are 0.02–0.06. For Bowden setups, expect 0.3–0.7. Re-calibrate whenever you change filament brands or temperatures.