<p>Your calibration shape depends on what you want to calibrate on. Among the most popular:</p>

<ul>
<li>Benchy as a general "overall" test.</li>
<li>Lattice Cubes for retraction/stringing and overall quality.</li>
<li>Two pillars to test for stringing and temperature/cooling control.</li>
<li>Spikes for retraction, stringing and temperature/cooling control.</li>
<li>Bridges for cooling control. </li>
<li>Cubes for sizing. They also allow seeing if the printer is skewed in X or Y.</li>
<li>Circles, crosshairs, and squares of just a couple layers high to determine the correct center of the print area and measure sizing.</li>
<li>Cylinders in each other to check the achievable resolution and clearance.</li>
<li>Overhang tests to test just overhangs.</li>
<li>Temperature towers for temperature and overhang.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3092557" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Impact</a><sup>1</sup> &amp; <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3118965" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bend</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:483171" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tension</a> test pieces for filament properties - if you have the setups needed.</li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p><sup>1 - I couldn't find a proper model for an <em>ISO 148-1 Charpy pendulum impact test</em> in thingieverse</sup></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-20T17:29:23.207Z
Great list, although one not mentioned is a calibration square to measure diagonals in order to test the skewness. This is typically a large square only a few layers tall.
Perplexed Dipole
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-20T20:10:28.160Z
Lots of useful stuff there.  How doe the bridge to test cooling control work though?
BanksySan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-20T20:33:11.520Z
@BanksySan If the bridge fails or sags too much, you need more cooling.
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-07T14:29:10.683Z
@Trish and print slower.
0scar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-20T16:36:10.517Z
2019-03-07T14:27:11.510Z
2019-03-07T14:27:11.510Z
Trish
<p>To check my leveling etc. is correct I was going to print a wide and thin cube.  My theory being that I should be able to spot any obvious separation of the layers.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any better shape that they print as a dry run?</p>

<calibration>
Calibration print shape
BanksySan
# Calibration print shape

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-12-20)

To check my leveling etc. is correct I was going to print a wide and thin cube. My theory being that I should be able to spot any obvious separation of the layers.

Does anyone have any better shape that they print as a dry run?

**Tags:** calibration


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-12-20. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Your calibration shape depends on what you want to calibrate on. Among the most popular:

* Benchy as a general "overall" test.
* Lattice Cubes for retraction/stringing and overall quality.
* Two pillars to test for stringing and temperature/cooling control.
* Spikes for retraction, stringing and temperature/cooling control.
* Bridges for cooling control.
* Cubes for sizing. They also allow seeing if the printer is skewed in X or Y.
* Circles, crosshairs, and squares of just a couple layers high to determine the correct center of the print area and measure sizing.
* Cylinders in each other to check the achievable resolution and clearance.
* Overhang tests to test just overhangs.
* Temperature towers for temperature and overhang.
* [Impact](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3092557)1 & [Bend](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3118965) & [Tension](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:483171) test pieces for filament properties - if you have the setups needed.

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1 - I couldn't find a proper model for an *ISO 148-1 Charpy pendulum impact test* in thingieverse

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Great list, although one not mentioned is a calibration square to measure diagonals in order to test the skewness. This is typically a large square only a few layers tall.  
> **username_0**: Lots of useful stuff there.  How doe the bridge to test cooling control work though?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 If the bridge fails or sags too much, you need more cooling.  
> **username_3**: @username_1 and print slower.  

---

