How much is retraction for PETG?

We recommend starting with a retraction speed of between 30-80mm/s and a retraction distance of between 2-5 mm for a Bowden setup or 1-2mm for a direct drive printer. If you are having problems with interlayer adhesion or print quality, try printing a little slower.

What should my retraction speed be?

Retraction speed

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.

What fan speed should I use for PETG?

For most prints, using a fan speed of 30–60% should suffice to prevent issues like oozing and stringing. However, only use the fan after the first few layers of the printing, as this will help to prevent warping, and remember that too high a fan speed will prevent interlayer bonding and result in a weaker PETG part.

How do you get less stringing with PETG?

Adjust retraction settings

Retraction distance: One way to reduce PETG stringing is to increase retraction distance, which means the nozzle will retract a longer section of filament before travel. Try increasing the distance in increments of 1 mm, using the stringing tower to see the effect.

What settings should I use for PETG?

PETG has a higher melting temperature than PLA so we recommend setting your hot end temperature between 235 and 250°C. ALWAYS use a fan with PETG as it tends to cool the filament in the hot end and help with retractions. Keep your retraction speed slow at 40mm/s or less. Set your bed temperature to 80-100°C .

PETG Cura Settings

How do you get good prints on PETG?

PETG will typically print at temperatures between 220 and 265 °C. But before you heat up your nozzle, remember that hot ends incorporating PTFE tubes are capped at 250 °C – anything hotter than that will damage the hot end. Nozzle temperature plays a major role in print quality.

Does PETG need cooling fan?

PETG has properties like PLA, also a high spez weight, therefor it needs cooling but depending to the print speed and the time to print one layer. Be sure, that the material will be harden when the nozzle is coming to print the next layer!

What is retraction prime?

Retraction Prime Speed is the rate at which the extruder pushes the filament into the hot end, priming it for the next layer of filament on your print in millimeters per second.

What temperature should a PETG bed be?

Unlike ABS, PETG doesn't require a heated bed, as it doesn't undergo nearly as much warping. However, it's very helpful to still heat your print bed. If you do, set it to temperatures similar to what PLA uses: 50 to 75 °C will help ensure that the extruded filament sticks.

How fast can you print PETG?

The recommended speed for 3D printing with PETG is between 60 and 100 mm/s. When you print at a higher speed, it can have a negative effect on the quality of the 3D print. When you want a higher quality end result, you can decide to print a little slower, between 30 and 60mm/sec.

How do I know if my retraction is too high?

Too much retraction results in little gaps, or even globbing due to air pockets within the print head. When your printer does not retract enough, visible oozing will occur as the nozzle travels. You will see filament stringing between features as your nozzle is not stopping material extrusion before moving.

Should I increase retraction speed?

Retraction Speed

Retraction speed should not be too low because the filament will begin to ooze from the nozzle before it reaches the exact point. It should not be too fast because the extruder motor will reach the next location quickly and the filament will extrude from the nozzle after a short delay.

What happens when retraction speed is too high?

When the retraction speed is too high, some parts of the printed object don't get enough filament. Or, even worse, the nozzle gets jammed. A retraction distance that's too high would cause blobs or zits in print and might even lead to clogs or jams.

Is PETG safe to breathe?

PETG fumes are safe to breathe. PETG comprises terephthalate, polyethylene, and glycol, which are non-toxic. Because of that, PETG does not emit harmful fumes.

Does PETG need raft?

A raft or brim is generally not required when printing PETG materials however will be ideal to improve adhesion when printing with some printing surfaces. When printing PETG, supports can either be printed in PETG or with a second dedicated support material.

How far should the nozzle be from the bed for PETG?

The ideal gap between the nozzle and bed is typically a distance of 0.1mm, this is the thickness of two pieces of paper. PETG sticks to itself very well and because of this, can stick to the nozzle during printing. To prevent this it can be beneficial to print with a slightly larger nozzle gap than you usually would.

What is maximum retraction count?

The Maximum Retraction Count determines how many retractions can occur in a certain distance (Source: mc_ott via Flux3DP Forum) This setting adjusts the number of maximum retractions on a specific area of filament. This option protects your filament from damage by retracting and priming too many times.

Should I enable retract at layer change?

Retract on layer change - Movement along the Z axis must also be considered when dealing with oozing, otherwise blobs may occur. It is recommended to leave this setting on. Wipe before retract - Moves the nozzle whilst retracting so as to reduce the chances of a blob forming.

Is PETG as strong as ABS?

For most people, there really isn't a reason to choose ABS over PETG. PETG is stronger, more durable, and it prints better. It's also available in transparent colors. ABS is only necessary if you absolutely need the 100 °C temperature resistance or its ability to be glued and painted.

Is PETG harder to print than PLA?

PETG is also considered one of the easier materials to print with, though less than PLA. A major part of that is that PETG also does not need a closed chamber. However, due to higher temperature requirements, a heated printing bed is required for PETG, limiting perhaps the choice of printers for some users.

Is PETG safe to drink from?

In general, PETG is a food-safe plastic that's commonly used for food containers and bottles for liquid beverages. Like acrylic and many other thermoplastics, PETG is fully recyclable.

Why is PETG so stringy?

PETG is especially notorious for stringing because it requires a relatively high temperature to ensure good flow. This increased temperature can encourage strings, allowing the filament to freely flow while traveling between two points.

What does retraction speed affect?

Retraction speed determines how fast the printer retracts the filament through the nozzle while changing the printing position. This is done to avoid filament leaks. If the retraction speed is set too low, you will see stringing and blobs on your models.

Is retraction necessary in 3D printing?

Why Retraction Is Important. 3D printers feature retraction to prevent unwanted filament from leaking or oozing out the nozzle. A phenomenon known as stringing, the presence of this excess filament disrupts the finished object's size and dimensions.