Pressure Advance Test for PrusaSlicer – Klipper, Prusa, Marlin, RRF | HexCalibr

A small hexagonal pressure advance tower that opens in PrusaSlicer with one PA value per band already set: no profile edits, a guided reading and a scorecard that picks the value for you.

Step-by-step guide

Photos, the scorecard and how to store the value for each firmware: hexcalibr.ui4.eu/pressure-advance.html
Scorecard: hexcalibr.ui4.eu/pressure-advance-scorecard.html

What it does

A hollow hexagon with three blades, printed in 4.6 mm bands. Each band has its own pressure advance (linear advance) value, and band 1 is always 0, so you see what "too low" looks like on your own printer. The blades end in 90° and 45° tips after long straight walls. Too little PA makes the tips bulge; too much makes them round and gappy.

Why HexCalibr

• No profile edits. Open the project and your profiles stay as they are. The file sets the test speed and writes the PA command at each band.

• Guided reading. The guide shows what "too low", "right" and "too high" look like, with photos of real prints.

• Scorecard. Score the tips band by band on the online card; the rule picks your value.

Which file to download

PrusaSlicer writes the PA command into the G-code exactly as stored in the file, so each firmware family has its own files. Fine is the usual range; print coarse first if you have no idea of your value.

• Klipper: klipper-dd (direct drive: fine 0–0.08, coarse 0–0.20) · klipper-bowden (fine 0–0.8, coarse 0–1.6)

• Klipper IDEX (e.g. RatOS): klipper-dd_…_T0 and _T1, one file per toolhead

• Prusa Buddy (MK4/MK4S, MK3.9/MK3.5, Core One, XL): buddy-dd (fine 0–0.08, coarse 0–0.20) · MINI/MINI+: buddy-bowden (fine 0–0.48, coarse 0–1.0)

• Marlin 2 with linear advance (and MK3/MK3S): marlin-dd (fine 0–0.16, coarse 0–0.40) · marlin-bowden (fine 0–1.6, coarse 0–2.0)

• RepRapFirmware (Duet): rrf-dd (fine 0–0.16, coarse 0–0.40) · rrf-bowden (fine 0–0.8, coarse 0–1.6)

Quick steps

1. Download the single .3mf for your firmware and extruder (not "Download all" as a ZIP).

2. In PrusaSlicer 2.9 use File › Open project, never Import.

3. Slice, check that the layer slider shows one marker per band (hover one: the PA command for your firmware), then print at the temperature from the temperature tower.

4. Score the bands on the scorecard, then store the value as the guide shows for your firmware.

The printer keeps the top band's value until it is set again (restart, or your filament start G-code). On Klipper, Mainsail and Fluidd show a short "PA test finished" message at the end: just close it.

A real result

PETG on a RatRig V-Core 4 IDEX (Klipper, Orbiter 2.5 direct drive, Rapido UHF). The coarse file (0–0.20) showed the tips starting to wear from 0.10 and clearly eaten from 0.15. The fine file (0–0.08) showed a row of small blobs on the tips in the lowest bands, gone from 0.04: that is the value I use.

IDEX and multi-tool

Calibrate each toolhead on its own: the _T0 / _T1 files send the value to the right extruder on Klipper IDEX printers. On the Prusa XL the value goes to the tool that prints the tower.

Share your Make

Printed it? Post a Make with a photo of your best and your worst band, and say which value you chose. Makes help other people read their own tower.

Watch the trailer

License and credits

CC BY-SA 4.0. HexCalibr by Matteo Beretta. If you share or remix it, credit "HexCalibr by Matteo Beretta", link back to this page, and keep the same license. The HexCalibr name and logo are not covered by the license: please give modified versions a different name. The official, always-updated files are on this page. Original design; the methods owe a lot to Ellis' Print Tuning Guide and CNC Kitchen (see License and credits).

Not affiliated with or endorsed by Prusa Research, Rat Rig, Duet3D, the Klipper or Marlin projects, or any other brand named here. All trademarks belong to their owners.

Version 1.3 · made for PrusaSlicer 2.9 (2.7 minimum).

🇮🇹 Italiano

Torre esagonale per il pressure advance che si apre in PrusaSlicer con un valore di PA per fascia già impostato, senza modificare i profili. Scegli il file del tuo firmware (Klipper, Prusa Buddy, Marlin, RepRapFirmware) e del tuo estrusore (direct drive o bowden), aprilo con File › Apri progetto, stampa e valuta le fasce sulla scheda punteggio. Guida completa in italiano: hexcalibr.ui4.eu/it/pressure-advance.html