Step 7 of 9
Retraction
Eliminate stringing and oozing by releasing pressure before travel moves.
⏱
Time
15–30 min
📊
Difficulty
Intermediate
⚡
Impact
High
ℹ️
Why this matters: Retraction does not suck plastic back. Retraction releases pressure. Less pressure means less oozing during travel moves.
1
Understand Retraction📈
Pressure builds up
While extruding, pressure is built up inside the hotend. Filament acts like a spring.
💧
Oozing occurs
When the nozzle moves, that pressure pushes plastic out — creating strings and blobs.
⬆️
Retraction releases pressure
Retracting the filament releases the pressure, reducing oozing during travel moves.
✅
Clean travels
With the right settings, travels stay clean and parts look better.
⭐ Pro Tip
More retraction is not always better. Too much can cause clogs, heat creep and longer print times.
2
Retraction CalculatorTypical range: 0.2–1.5 mm
mm
Start low (0.5mm) and increase by 0.2mm until stringing stops.
mm/s
mm/s
Higher travel speed = less ooze time = less stringing
3
What to Look For✅
Good Retraction
No or very little stringing between towers. Clean travel moves. Minimal ooze at start of lines.
⚠️
Too Little Retraction
Stringing, wisps or blobs between towers. Increase distance or speed by small increments.
⊗
Too Much Retraction
Gaps at start of lines, thin walls, or inconsistent extrusion. Decrease distance or speed.
Retraction Test Example
Too Little
Lots of stringing
Just Right
Clean travels
Too Much
Gaps & blobs
⊗Common Mistakes
⊗Using too much retraction
⊗Trying to fix wet filament with retraction
⊗Trying to fix temperature issues with retraction
⊗Increasing retraction forever instead of diagnosing
⊗Ignoring travel speed and combing settings
⭐Pro Tip
More retraction is not always better. Too much retraction can cause:
🔥 Heat creep
🔧 Clogs
⚙️ Grinding
⏱ Longer prints
→Next Step
Skew Correction
Fix X/Y axis misalignment and get perfectly square prints.
Go to Skew Correction →✉️CN3D Insider
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