PETG stringing is the fine web of plastic hairs your printer leaves between moves when you run PETG. PETG is runnier than PLA at print temperature, and a damp spool makes it worse, so it strings more than almost any other common filament. Bambu’s PETG guide ties most PETG stringing to moisture, retraction, and a nozzle that runs a little hot.
The good news is the fix is a short, predictable list, because PETG behaves the same way for everyone. Dry it, set the retraction, and back the temp off, in that order.
Wet PETG is the single biggest driver. Per Bambu’s PETG page, dry the spool at 60 to 65 C for about 4 to 8 hours before you blame the slicer.
Likely causes, ranked
| Likely cause | Fix | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Wet PETG | Dry the spool at 60 to 65 C for 4 to 8 hours, then reprint with the same settings. | hi |
| Retraction too low | Raise retraction for the Bowden tube. PETG usually wants more than PLA. | hi |
| Nozzle too hot | Drop the nozzle toward 230 C, the low end of the PETG range. | md |
| Travel too slow | Raise travel speed so the nozzle spends less time oozing across gaps. | md |
| No pressure relief | Turn on wipe while retracting, or coasting in Cura. | lo |
Fast fixes to try first
Print two towers with travel between them, then work top to bottom and reprint after each step.
Dry the PETG
Run the spool at 60 to 65 C for 4 to 8 hours in a dryer or dehydrator, then reprint.
Raise retraction
Step the retraction up for your Bowden setup and reprint, until the hairs clear.
Drop the nozzle temp
Lower the nozzle toward 230 C and reprint, since cooler PETG oozes less.
Raise travel speed
Bump travel speed so the nozzle crosses open gaps faster.
If the quick fixes stall
When drying and retraction do not clear the web, the pressure and the hardware are next.
Turn on pressure relief
Enable wipe while retracting in PrusaSlicer or Bambu Studio, or coasting in Cura.
Tune pressure advance
On Klipper or a printer that supports it, adjust pressure advance to ease filament pressure at the seam.
Print from the dryer
Run the PETG straight from a filament dryer so it stays dry through a long print.
How PETG differs
PETG prints hotter than PLA, near a 230 to 250 C nozzle and an 80 to 90 C bed per the Prusa PETG page, and it stays runnier at that heat, so it oozes and strings more. It also soaks up moisture faster than PLA, and a wet PETG spool thickens, pops, and strings badly. PLA strings far less at its lower temperature, and nylon is the only common filament that drinks water faster than PETG.
Mistakes that keep PETG stringing
A few choices fight the symptom and leave the cause.
Avoiddo not
- Tuning retraction before you dry the PETG. Wet filament strings no matter the setting.
- Running the nozzle at the top of the PETG range all the time, which oozes more.
- Forgetting to save the dry, tuned profile, so the next print reverts.
- Changing retraction, temp, and travel in one pass.
Key takeaways
- PETG strings more than PLA because it runs hotter and stays runnier.
- Dry the PETG at 60 to 65 C first, then raise retraction.
- Drop the nozzle toward 230 C and raise travel speed.
- Print PETG from a dryer on long jobs to keep it dry.
For the material-agnostic version, the stringing guide covers any filament, and the filament storage guide covers keeping PETG dry.
Related guides
Related
More in this area
Cross-reference
Sources & methodology
4 citations · reviewed 2026-07-10- 01Bambu Lab PETG Usage Guide (wiki): PETG drying and flowaccessed 2026-06-29Tier 1
- 02Bambu Lab Wiki: Printing wet or undried PETG (drying and stringing)accessed 2026-07-09Tier 1
- 03Prusa Knowledge Base: PETG (nozzle, bed, cooling, stringing)accessed 2026-07-09Tier 1
- 04All3DP: PETG stringing, three ways to prevent itaccessed 2026-07-09Tier 2