PETG Retraction Settings: Total 3D Printing Guide (Do This!)

PETG is a notoriously difficult 3D material. It has a high melting point, which means that it takes longer to cool down once printed.

Material oozing from the nozzle during non-extrusion movements can stick to the printed part, leading to stringing. A way to avoid this is by calibrating retraction. 

The right PETG retraction settings vary based on the extruder type. There are two important settings to consider – retraction speed and retraction distance.

Retraction speed typically varies from 25mm/s to 45mm/s. The retraction distance should be around 0.6mm to 14mm.

Beyond extruder type, the filament quality, its level of moisture, and even the slicer and printer you’re using can all affect retraction. Moreover, you should also consider the retraction speed.

Let’s see what settings to use for perfect prints.

Best PETG Retraction Settings For 3D Printing

The main factor influencing retraction settings is the type of extruder your printer has. There are two possibilities – Bowden or direct drive. 

Bowden extruders are located on the printer’s frame and feed the filament into the hot end through a flexible tube. For effective retraction, Bowden extruders require a slower speed and larger retraction distance. 

Direct drive extruders are located right on top of the hot end, feeding filament directly into it. The shorter path requires a shorter extrusion distance but a faster speed. 

The table below shows the best PETG retraction speed and distance intervals: 

Extruder Type	Retraction Speed	Retraction Distance
PETG retraction settings Bowden	25mm/s to 40mm/s	6mm to 14 mm
PETG retraction settings direct drive	35mm/s to 45mm/s	0.6mm to 2.8mm

The exact retraction setting can vary based on the equipment you have and PETG quality. For this reason, you should start from the lower threshold of both speed and distance and work your way up in small increments until there is no stringing. 

Keep in mind that PETG stringing can happen due to reasons other than retraction.

Hence, if you reached the highest speed and distance recommended for the extruder type you have, you might want to investigate and fix the other potential causes.

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Factors To Consider For PETG Retraction Settings

Beyond the printer and extruder type, there are various factors that can affect retraction settings. Let’s check them out. 

Z Hop

The first factor to consider when determining the right retraction settings is the use (or lack) of Z hop. 

Z hop is a setting found in Cura – and present under different names in other slicers – that, when enabled, moves the hot end up or the print bed down to put more distance between the nozzle and the print.

This feature can help solve stringing and other over-extrusion issues, such as zits and blobs on prints. It is particularly useful when printing with challenging materials like PETG. 

Increasing this value by only 0.5mm can sometimes make the difference between layer clearance and oozing. 

However, keep in mind that Z hop enabled can generate more oozing, which could be an issue if you’re using poor quality or wet filament. In these cases, disabling Z hop might be best.

Fan Speed 

PETG is a difficult material because it has a high glass transition point and requires cooling, but cooling it too fast could result in layer separation. Using the right fan speed can prevent oozing and stringing alike.

Typically, a fan speed between 30% and 60% – based on environmental conditions and other filament-related factors – is ideal for avoiding printing problems. 

As a rule of thumb, you should set a higher retraction distance and speed for a lower level of cooling and vice versa. If the fan is at a higher speed, you can slow down the retraction speed and shorten the retraction distance.

Filament Quality 

Finding the right retraction settings when using poor-quality PETG is even more challenging.

Too much retraction can lead to filament stripping and under-extrusion. Too little retraction could result in excessive stringing and oozing. 

Sadly, you can’t always know whether the material is of good or poor quality until you print something. 

Low-quality filament can result in nozzle and extruder clogging, especially if your printer has a Bowden extruder, poor-quality prints even if the printer is calibrated correctly, lower tensile strength, and faster filament deterioration. 

If you bought high-quality material but have stored it incorrectly, know that you could run into the same troubles.

To keep PETG filament in top conditions, store it in a dedicated filament box or an airtight bag. If you have to store it in a bag, add a few packets of silica gel to get rid of moisture.

Place the filament in a cool and dark spot. Sunlight and UV rays can deteriorate PETG. 

Before use, avoid leaving the filament out of the box or bag for a long time, and don’t dry the spool out in the sun.

Filament Moisture Level

Wet PETG filament can ooze, present adhesion issues, and string regardless of the retraction settings you’re using. 

For this reason, you should always dry the filament before printing. There are various ways to do this, but for the best results, you should use a specific filament dryer.

This device features pre-programmed settings for various filament types. More advanced units can even detect the moisture level in the filament and alert you when it’s ready to use.

Alternatively, you can dry PETG in the kitchen oven, in a food dehydrator, or even on the printer’s heated bed if you can’t use any other method.

Room Temperature 

Another thing that can affect retraction is room temperature.

Ideally, you should keep the printer in a room with a constant temperature between 77°F and 86°F. Temperatures lower than 77°F cool down the material too fast, resulting in delamination. 

Temperatures over 86°F have a negative impact on cooling. They can also be responsible for oozing and stringing.

To prevent this, you should set a higher retraction distance and speed if the room temperature is high and vice versa if the room temperature is on the lower side.

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How To Get The Best Retraction Settings For PETG

Finding the right retraction settings can take some trial and error, regardless of the printer you use.

With this in mind, here are the steps to finding the best settings for you.

1. Consider Extruder Type 

As explained, the most important thing to check before adjusting retraction is the type of extruder you have. You can usually figure it out by looking at the machine.

It is easy to see the extruder on the print frame in Bowden setups or right on top of the hot end in direct drive printers. 

If you can’t figure it out on your own, check the printer manual or search for your printer model online. 

Generally, Ender 3 printers have Bowden setups, whereas direct drive extruders are more common in Prusa printers. Exceptions apply to both brands, so you must still check before proceeding.

2. Consider Room Temperature 

The next thing that can affect filament extrusion and retraction is room temperature.

You should keep the printer in a room with constant temperature and away from open doors and windows. If that’s not possible, consider using an enclosure. 

While you can adjust extrusion based on whatever environmental temperature, you may find that the best results when printing with PETG are obtained at around 77°C.

3. Consider Printer Calibration 

You can now check the printer calibration based on the values input in the slicer software. The most important parameters to consider are the nozzle temperature and fan settings. 

PETG is typically printed at a temperature between 230°C and 250°C. The actual setting is usually calibrated based on the filament quality and printer type, so you should start calibrating retraction based on this setting. 

A lower temperature generally needs slower retraction, whereas a higher temp requires faster retraction. 

We talked about the fan settings above. Keep cooling between 30% and 60% for the best results. Ideally, you should calibrate the cooling fan after you’ve decided on a nozzle temperature. 

That’s because a hotter nozzle extrudes a hotter filament, which requires faster cooling (and a faster fan speed), while a cooler nozzle requires a slower fan speed.

4. Check Filament Quality 

After checking the room temperature and calibrating the printer, consider the filament quality. You should run a small test print without changing retraction settings and see how it goes.

If the filament presents poor adhesion, you have to slow down retraction and possibly increase the nozzle temperature or slow down cooling. 

If the filament is sticky, oozy, and stringy, you need faster extrusion and possibly a lower nozzle temperature or faster cooling.

5. Adjust Retraction Settings 

With everything above in mind, you can now adjust the retraction settings for proper PETG printing. 

Based on your observations during the test, set the lowest or highest retraction speed and distance. Raise or lower the speed by 1mm/s at a time, and do the same with the distance, increasing or diminishing it by 0.5mm at a time. 

Work your way up or down (based on the initial settings) until there is no stringing but the filament adheres properly. 

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PETG Retraction Settings For Prusa And Ender 3 (Pro/V2)

As mentioned, the type of printer you have can influence retraction settings. 

Two of the most common printer types for home or casual use are the Ender 3 and Prusa. 

PETG traction settings on Ender 3 are typically identical between the Pro and V2 models. These printers have a Bowden extruder type and, according to Creality, require a retraction distance of around 6mm and a retraction speed of 40mm/s or less. 

Obviously, lots of factors can influence retraction, with some users finding that they might need a lower retraction distance of about 4mm at 40mm/s speed. 

Common Prusa printers, such as the MINI, produce the best results at around 2.5mm of distance and 30mm/s speed with Z hop disabled. With Z hop enabled, you may want to increase the retraction distance up to around 6.2mm. 

Prusa’s default retraction settings are 3.2mm distance at 70mm/s speed, so work your way from there until you find the sweet spot for the exact filament type you’re using.

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Final Thoughts

PETG retraction settings vary from around 6mm to 14mm of distance and 25mm/s to 40mm/s speed for printers with a Bowden extruder. On direct drive printers, the retraction distance should be between 0.6mm and 2.8mm, while the retraction speed should vary between 35mm/s and 45mm/s.

Beyond these general rules, you must consider the printer brand, filament quality, environmental conditions, and other calibration settings. We hope this guide can help you find the right PETG retraction settings for you.