Stringing & Retraction
Stringing (also known as oozing or "hairy prints") is a common FDM 3D printing defect where thin, spiderweb-like strands of plastic are left trailing across open voids as the heated nozzle travels between printing locations.
What Causes Stringing?
Stringing occurs when gravity and residual melt-chamber pressure cause molten plastic to drool out of the nozzle during non-extruding travel moves. Excessive hotend temperature and wet, hygroscopic filaments (especially PETG and TPU) dramatically increase stringing.
Fixing Stringing with Retraction & Wipe
Slicers prevent oozing by tuning Retraction Distance (pulling filament back 0.8mm–2mm on direct drive extruders), Retraction Speed (20–40 mm/s), Z-Hop, and Wipe While Retracting routines.
Post-Processing Costs
Removing stringing from batch prints requires manual labor with a heat gun or deburring knife. Tuning slicer profiles to prevent stringing directly lowers labor overhead on production jobs.
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