Few things are more frustrating than a print covered in fine hairs of plastic. Stringing happens when molten filament oozes out of the nozzle during travel moves, leaving thin strands between parts. The fix is almost always a combination of retraction, temperature, and travel settings.
What Retraction Does
Retraction pulls the filament back slightly before the nozzle travels, relieving pressure so plastic does not ooze. Too little retraction leaves strings; too much can cause clogs or under-extrusion at the start of the next line. The sweet spot depends on the material.
| Material | Retraction Distance | Retraction Speed |
|---|---|---|
| PLA+ | 1-3 mm | 30-40 mm/s |
| PETG | 2-4 mm | 30-40 mm/s |
| ABS | 1-2 mm | 30-40 mm/s |
| TPU 95A | 0-1 mm | 20-30 mm/s |
Other Ways to Fight Stringing
- Lower the nozzle temperature a few degrees, hotter plastic oozes more
- Enable "wipe" and increase travel speed so the nozzle moves before it can ooze
- Keep filament dry, wet filament strings far more
- Use "combing" so travel moves stay inside printed areas
Test Before You Commit
Print a small two-pillar retraction test and adjust one variable at a time. Start with retraction distance, then temperature, then speed. Once the strings disappear, save the profile and reuse it for every future print in that material.
Dialing in retraction is tedious, but it turns good prints into great ones.