Before you start changing several settings at once or taking the toolhead apart, check the table below. Most problems after a filament change have a few typical causes.
Filament manufacturer's guidance comes first. Every manufacturer has its own formulations and publishes its own parameters – nozzle, bed and chamber temperature, drying, cooling. Even the same material (e.g. PETG) from two brands may need different settings. Treat the values in this guide as a starting point: check the technical data sheet (TDS) and the spool label first, and if something is missing, ask the filament manufacturer for guidance.
| Symptom | Most common causes | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Strings between parts (stringing) | wet filament, temperature too high, too little retraction | drying → −5 °C → retraction test |
| Corners lift (warping) | bed too cold, draught, no enclosure for ABS/ASA/PA, dirty plate | wash the plate, raise bed temp., close the enclosure, add a brim |
| Print comes off the bed | Z offset too high, grease on the plate, first layer too fast | Z offset, wash the plate, slower first layer |
| Gaps in walls, weak top layer | flow too low, max flow exceeded, temperature too low | flow and max volumetric speed calibration |
| Bulging corners | missing or wrong pressure advance, flow too high | pressure advance calibration |
| Crackling, bubbles, rough surface | moisture in the filament | drying |
| Brittle prints, layers splitting | temperature too low, too much cooling, wet material | temperature tower, less cooling |
| Nozzle clogs | too much retraction, sitting hot too long, contaminated filament, filled material in too small a nozzle | reduce retraction; for CF/GF a hardened nozzle of at least 0.4 mm |
| Fast nozzle wear | fibre-filled materials (CF, GF) on a brass nozzle | hardened or carbide nozzle |
One change at a time
Change one parameter at a time and write down what you changed. If you change five things at once, you will not know what helped – or what broke it.
Leave the printer profile alone
If the printer printed well with one filament and badly with a new one, the problem is almost certainly the filament or its profile, not the machine. Do not change kinematics, machine speeds or firmware to “rescue” a new material.
When to call service
When the problem appears with different, proven filaments, when the mechanics make unusual noises, when heating or sensor errors appear, or when the nozzle clogs despite correct settings. Then see our service or write to us.
Back to the new filament checklist.
