Layer height for a 0.4 mm nozzle: 0.08 to 0.32 mm, 0.20 mm first layer

Layer height scales with the nozzle: the usable band is 20% to 80% of its diameter, which on a 0.4 mm nozzle is 0.08 to 0.32 mm around a 0.20 mm standard. Bambu Lab stops at 70%, or 0.28 mm.

What layer height should you use with a 0.4 mm nozzle?

Use 0.20 mm with a 0.4 mm nozzle. It is the default preset in Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer and OrcaSlicer, and in UltiMaker Cura for the UltiMaker S5 and Creality printers. Drop to 0.08 to 0.12 mm for fine detail, or rise to 0.24 to 0.28 mm for drafts. The usable range is 0.08 to 0.32 mm.

Thinner layers cost time. Bambu Lab’s wiki prints one model in 1 h 19 min at 0.08 mm, 36 min 14 s at 0.20 mm and 28 min 27 s at 0.28 mm. Prusa advises against going under 0.10 mm: 0.07 and 0.05 mm layers add little quality for much longer prints.

Where to set it:

• Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer: Process > Quality > Layer height
• PrusaSlicer: Print Settings > Layers and perimeters > Layer height
• UltiMaker Cura: Print settings > Quality > Layer Height

Layer height presets for a 0.4 mm nozzle in each slicer

Slicer and printer	Presets for a 0.4 mm nozzle	Default
Bambu Studio, Bambu Lab X1, P1 and A1 series	0.08mm Extra Fine, 0.12mm Fine, 0.16mm Optimal, 0.20mm Standard, 0.24mm Draft, 0.28mm Extra Draft, plus High Quality versions of 0.08 to 0.16 mm and 0.20mm Strength	0.20mm Standard
Bambu Studio, Bambu Lab H2D, H2S, P2S and X2D	0.08 to 0.24 mm, topping out at 0.24mm Standard	0.20mm Standard
PrusaSlicer 2.9, Original Prusa MK4S and Prusa CORE One	0.10mm FAST DETAIL, 0.15mm and 0.20mm SPEED and STRUCTURAL (the CORE One adds BALANCED)	0.20mm SPEED
PrusaSlicer 2.9, same printers with the High Flow 0.4 mm nozzle	The above plus 0.25mm SPEED, 0.25mm STRUCTURAL and 0.28mm DRAFT (the CORE One also gets 0.25mm BALANCED)	0.20mm SPEED (CORE One: 0.20mm BALANCED)
OrcaSlicer 2.4, generic Klipper printer	0.08mm Extra Fine, 0.12mm Fine, 0.15mm and 0.16mm Optimal, 0.20mm Standard, 0.24mm Draft, 0.28mm and 0.32mm Extra Draft	0.20mm Standard
UltiMaker Cura 5.13, UltiMaker S5 with AA 0.4 core and PLA	Extra Fine 0.06 mm, Fine 0.1 mm, Normal 0.15 mm, Fast 0.2 mm, Extra Fast - Experimental 0.3 mm	Fast, 0.2 mm
UltiMaker Cura 5.13, Creality printers with generic PLA	Super Quality 0.12 mm, Dynamic Quality 0.16 mm (adaptive), Standard Quality 0.20 mm, Low Quality 0.28 mm	Standard Quality, 0.20 mm

Full-step layer heights on a T8 lead screw

On a T8 lead screw, the layer heights that land on whole motor steps are the multiples of 0.04 mm: 0.08, 0.12, 0.16, 0.20, 0.24, 0.28 and 0.32 mm. A T8 screw moves Z 8 mm per turn (2 mm pitch, 4 starts), and the Creality Ender 3 V2’s Klipper config sets rotation_distance: 8 on Z. With a 1.8° motor (200 full steps per turn), one full step is 8 ÷ 200 = 0.04 mm.

Common preset heights that fall between full steps:

Layer height	Full steps on a T8 axis	Nearest full-step heights
0.10 mm	2.5	0.08 or 0.12 mm
0.15 mm	3.75	0.16 mm
0.25 mm	6.25	0.24 mm
0.30 mm	7.5	0.28 or 0.32 mm

Prusa’s layer height calculator explains the risk: an axis switched off between full steps jumps to the nearest one and adds error, and the effect occurs “to some extent” with the motors on. Prusa says the check matters most on imperial lead screws and for unusual heights on metric ones. For other Z drives, run the layer height calculator.

What is the highest layer height for a 0.4 mm nozzle?

A 0.4 mm nozzle tops out at 0.32 mm (80% of its diameter) in OrcaSlicer’s and Prusa’s guidance, and UltiMaker Cura warns above that. Bambu Lab caps it at 0.28 mm (70%) in its wiki and printer profiles. PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer and Bambu Studio refuse to slice any layer above 0.40 mm, the nozzle diameter.

OrcaSlicer’s wiki explains the 80% line: above it, layer adhesion problems become more likely and print quality drops.

Slicer	Limit for a 0.4 mm nozzle	Above the limit	Above 0.40 mm
Bambu Studio	0.08 to 0.28 mm, in Printer settings > Extruder > Layer height limits	Warns “Layer height exceeds the limit” and offers Adjust (back to 0.28 mm) or Ignore	Refuses: “Layer height cannot exceed nozzle diameter”
OrcaSlicer	0.08 to 0.32 mm on its generic printer profiles, same place	Same warning and Adjust or Ignore choice	Refuses with the same error
PrusaSlicer	Min 0.07 mm, Max 0.30 mm on the MK4S and CORE One 0.4 mm profiles	Max caps only variable layer height and support layers	Refuses: “Layer height can’t be greater than nozzle diameter”
UltiMaker Cura	Warns above 0.32 mm (80% of the nozzle) and below 0.04 mm	Warning only	No hard maximum

On a Bambu Lab printer, 0.29 to 0.32 mm layers need Ignore at that prompt or a higher Max in Layer height limits. For the full prompt and both buttons, see what the layer height limit error means.

When the hotend becomes the limit

A taller layer pushes more plastic per second at the same speed: Bambu Lab gives flow as layer height × line width × print speed. Bambu Studio prints inner walls and sparse infill on a 0.4 mm nozzle with 0.45 mm lines, and PrusaSlicer’s MK4S presets use 0.45 mm too. At that width:

Layer height	100 mm/s	150 mm/s	200 mm/s
0.20 mm	9.0 mm³/s	13.5 mm³/s	18.0 mm³/s
0.24 mm	10.8 mm³/s	16.2 mm³/s	21.6 mm³/s
0.28 mm	12.6 mm³/s	18.9 mm³/s	25.2 mm³/s
0.32 mm	14.4 mm³/s	21.6 mm³/s	28.8 mm³/s

Every filament profile sets a Max volumetric speed. Divide it by layer height × line width for the fastest speed it allows:

Filament profile	Max volumetric speed	Fastest at 0.20 mm	Fastest at 0.28 mm	Fastest at 0.32 mm
Bambu Studio, Generic PLA	12 mm³/s	133 mm/s	95 mm/s	83 mm/s
PrusaSlicer, Prusament PLA, MK4S standard nozzle	15 mm³/s	167 mm/s	119 mm/s	104 mm/s
Bambu Studio, Bambu PLA Basic, X1 Carbon	21 mm³/s	233 mm/s	167 mm/s	146 mm/s
PrusaSlicer, Prusament PLA, MK4S High Flow nozzle	24 mm³/s	267 mm/s	190 mm/s	167 mm/s

Bambu Lab’s wiki says a taller layer needs a slower speed so the hotend can fully melt the filament, and that Bambu Studio slows any line that would exceed the filament’s limit. Its 0.28mm Extra Draft preset runs inner walls and sparse infill at 200 mm/s. That is 0.28 × 0.45 × 200 = 25.2 mm³/s, above Bambu PLA Basic’s 21 mm³/s, so those lines drop to 21 ÷ 0.126 = 167 mm/s. Against the 233 mm/s cap at 0.20 mm, you print 29% fewer layers but each capped line runs 29% slower: the taller layer saves no time on those lines.

UltiMaker’s S5 profiles raise the PLA nozzle temperature by 5 °C for 0.2 mm layers and 10 °C for 0.3 mm. Check your own layer height, line width and speed in the volumetric flow calculator, and your line widths in the line width calculator.

What first layer height should you use with a 0.4 mm nozzle?

Use a 0.20 mm first layer with a 0.4 mm nozzle. It is the first layer in every Bambu Studio and Prusa preset for that nozzle and OrcaSlicer’s default. OrcaSlicer’s wiki recommends 0.25 mm and a maximum of 65% of the nozzle, 0.26 mm. PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer and Bambu Studio refuse any first layer above 0.40 mm.

Slicer and profile	First layer height, 0.4 mm nozzle
Bambu Studio, every 0.4 mm preset from 0.08 to 0.28 mm	0.20 mm
PrusaSlicer, MK4S and CORE One presets, including 0.28mm DRAFT	0.20 mm
OrcaSlicer	0.20 mm by default and in the generic presets. The wiki recommends 0.25 mm, at most 0.26 mm (65%)
UltiMaker Cura, UltiMaker S5	0.2 mm, or the layer height if larger: 0.3 mm with Extra Fast
UltiMaker Cura, Creality printers	The layer height: 0.12 mm with Super Quality, 0.20 mm with Standard, 0.28 mm with Low. Dynamic Quality uses 0.20 mm
UltiMaker Cura, generic printer	0.3 mm. Cura warns below 0.1 mm or above 0.32 mm

PrusaSlicer’s tooltip gives the reason for a thicker first layer: it helps adhesion and forgives a build plate that is not perfectly flat. To change it:

1. Set the height: Process > Quality > Initial layer height in Bambu Studio, First layer height in the same place in OrcaSlicer, Print Settings > Layers and perimeters > First layer height in PrusaSlicer, Initial Layer Height under Quality in UltiMaker Cura.
2. Stay between 0.20 and 0.26 mm. On a T8 axis, 0.24 mm is a whole number of full steps (6); 0.25 and 0.26 mm are not.
3. Recalibrate the first layer (Z offset) afterwards: Prusa says a new first layer height will most likely need a fresh calibration.