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Troubleshooting
1. Retraction distance
The most important retraction setting is the retraction distance. This determines how
much plastic is pulled out of the nozzle. In general, the more plastic that is retracted from the
nozzle, the less likely the nozzle is to ooze while moving. Most direct-drive extruders only
require a retraction distance of 0.5-2.0mm, while some Bowden extruders may require a
retraction distance as high as 15mm due to the longer distance between the extruder drive
gear and the heated nozzle. If you encounter stringing with your prints, try increasing the
retraction distance by 1mm and test again to see if the performance improves.
2. Retraction speed
The next retraction setting that you should check is the retraction speed. This determines
how fast the filament is retracted from the nozzle. If you retract too slowly, the plastic will
slowly ooze down through the nozzle and may start leaking before the extruder is done
moving to its new destination. If you retract too quickly, the filament may separate from the
hot plastic inside the nozzle, or the quick movement of the drive gear may even grind away
pieces of your filament. There is usually a sweet spot somewhere between 1200-6000
mm/min (20-100 mm/s) where retraction performs best. Thankfully, EasyPrint has already
provided many pre-configured profiles that can give you a starting point for what retraction
speed works best, but the ideal value can vary depending on the material that you are using,
so you may want to experiment to see if different speeds decrease the amount of stringing
that you see.
3. Temperature is too high
Once you have checked your retraction settings, the next most common cause for
excessive stringing is the extruder temperature. If the temperature is too high, the plastic
inside the nozzle will become extremely viscous and will leak out of the nozzle much more
easily. However, if the temperature is too low, the plastic will still be somewhat solid and will
have difficulty extruding from the nozzle. If you feel you have the correct retraction settings,
but you are still encountering these issues, try decreasing your extruder temperature by 5-10
degrees. This can have a significant impact on the final print quality. You can adjust these
settings by clicking ―Edit Process Settings‖ and selecting the Temperature tab. Select your
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