How to tune ironing settings for Bambu Lab owners in 2026

A step by step way for Bambu Lab owners to tune ironing settings, from a test plate to a final print, with the tools that can help.

By TexHouse · 2026-10-09

TexHouse is published by the makers of LunarWerx 3D Print, Vector3D and MeshyDL, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Ironing is a finishing pass that smooths flat top surfaces, and tuning it means testing settings to find a result that works for your printer and filament.

Option	What it does for ironing
LunarWerx 3D Print	Works out ironing settings for your printer, material and finish and exports a 3MF file. ^[1]	The tools are free to use. ^[2]
Your slicer's own ironing settings
Manual test prints

What you need before you start

Ironing is a finishing pass where the nozzle moves back over a flat top surface to smooth it. Tuning means finding the settings that give a smooth top on your printer with your filament. Settings that work for one material often look wrong on another, so plan to tune per material.

Have these ready before you begin:

Your printer model and nozzle size. Any tool that suggests settings needs to know what hardware you run.
The filament you want to smooth. Note the brand, the colour and the type. A glossy filament and a matte one can show ironing marks very differently.
A clean build plate. Dust and finger oils can cause marks that look like ironing faults.
A part with flat top surfaces. Ironing only acts on flat tops, so a part with a large flat face is a way to check your result.
Your slicer project. Keep the project file open so you can change ironing settings for the surfaces you want to print.
A notepad or a tool that records results. You will compare several small prints, so write down which settings made each one.

Keep one change at a time in mind. If you change speed and flow together, you will not know which one helped.

Step by step

Pick one material and one finish goal. Decide whether you want the smoothest top or just a cleaner top. Tune one filament at a time.
Print a small test plate first. A test plate holds several small flat pads, each with different ironing settings. Compare the pads and note which settings give the finish you want. LunarWerx 3D Print makes a 9-pad or 16-pad test plate around your settings, and you mark each pad as worked or not. ^[3]
Start from sensible base settings. Use your slicer defaults or a tool that suggests settings for your printer, material and finish. LunarWerx 3D Print works out ironing settings for your printer, material and finish. ^[1]
Look at each pad in good light. Tilt the plate and check for gloss differences, ridges, gaps and scuffs. Run a fingertip lightly over the pad and notice any roughness.
Record what worked. Mark each pad as worked or not. LunarWerx 3D Print makes a test plate where you mark each pad this way. ^[3]
Narrow the range and print again. If the best pads sit near each other, test settings closer to that result. Change only one setting at a time.
Apply the result to your real part. Ironing should only touch the flat tops you care about. You can also click flat top surfaces, and the export adds an extra part over each picked surface. ^[4]
Keep the rest of the project intact. For an uploaded Bambu or Orca project, LunarWerx 3D Print adds per-object ironing settings and keeps the rest of the file unchanged. ^[5]
Save your winning settings. Write down the material, the printer and the settings so the next print starts from a known good point.

Tools that can do it

Details about other tools are not covered here, so check each tool's own documentation before relying on it.

Your slicer's own ironing settings. You can check the slicer's own ironing options before you print.

Manual test prints. You can build your own small pads in the slicer and change one setting per pad. This needs no extra tool, but you must track the results yourself.

LunarWerx 3D Print. It is a set of browser tools that work out ironing settings for your printer, check a part for injection moulding and design 3D-printable foam inserts. ^[6] For ironing, it works out settings for your printer, material and finish and exports a ready 3MF file. ^[1] It makes a 9-pad or 16-pad test plate and you mark each pad as worked or not. ^[3] The tools are free to use. ^[2]

Common mistakes to avoid

Changing several settings at once. You cannot tell which change helped. Move one setting between pads.
Tuning on one material and reusing it everywhere. Results can shift with filament type and colour, so repeat the test plate for each material you use.
Judging by a quick glance. Light angle hides and shows flaws. Tilt the pad and check it under a bright light.
Printing on a dirty plate. Marks from oils or dust can be mistaken for ironing faults. Clean the plate first.
Ironing every surface. Ironing acts on flat tops, so pick the ones that matter instead of applying it to the whole model. You can click flat top surfaces, and the export adds an extra part over each picked surface. ^[4]
Not recording results. Without notes you will repeat the same test later. Mark each pad and keep the winning settings with the material name.
Overwriting a working project. Keep a copy of your original file before applying new settings, so you can return to it.
Trusting a tool without checking its limits. If a tool's documentation does not say it supports your printer or file type, check before you rely on it.

Frequently asked questions

What is ironing in 3D printing?

Ironing is a finishing pass where the nozzle moves back over a flat top surface to smooth it. It only affects flat tops, so a part with large flat faces shows the result best. Tuning ironing means finding the settings that give a clean, even top for your printer and filament.

How to test ironing settings without wasting a full print

Print a small test plate with several pads, each with different settings, then compare them in good light. LunarWerx 3D Print makes a 9-pad or 16-pad test plate around your settings, and you mark each pad as worked or not. ^[3]

Can ironing be applied to only some surfaces on a print?

You can also click flat top surfaces, and the export adds a modifier part over each one. ^[4] For an uploaded Bambu or Orca project it adds ironing settings for each object and keeps the rest of the file unchanged. ^[5]

Is there a free tool to work out ironing settings?

LunarWerx 3D Print works out ironing settings for your printer, material and finish and exports a 3MF file. ^[1]

Does ironing need retuning for every filament?

Yes, it is a good idea. Gloss, colour and material type can change how ironing looks, so a setting that works on one filament may not suit another. Run a small test plate for each material, record which pads worked, and keep the winning settings noted with the filament name for later prints.

The tools are free to use. ^[2]

Try LunarWerx 3D Print

Sources

LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)