Stringing fixes, what should I change first, temp, retraction, or cooling?

[KujaGarland]

I’m still confused about the basics of stringing because everyone says a different “first thing” to tweak. Some people say drop temp, some say retraction, some say crank the fan, and I feel like I’m just randomly spinning dials in Cura and PrusaSlicer until something looks better.

A specific moment that made me both happy and more confused: I printed the same small test piece twice this week. First run had light stringing between two towers. I lowered temp a bit and it actually looked noticeably cleaner, which felt super satisfying. Then I tried a different print right after and the stringing came back, even though I didn’t change anything else. So now I’m like… okay, was it temp, was it travel moves, or does it depend on the model?

If you had to pick a simple order of operations, what do you adjust first to fix stringing without chasing settings forever? Retraction distance or speed, nozzle temp, travel speed, cooling, or something else?

 

[Chapman_Armor]

Stringing feels random until you realize it’s basically heat plus ooze plus travel behavior. I’d tweak in this order. Temperature down a bit, then retraction distance, then retraction speed, then look at travel moves like combing and z hop. Different models can absolutely trigger different stringing even with the same settings. Are you printing PLA, PETG, or something else, and are you using Cura or PrusaSlicer right now.

 

[Alan]

Yes, it can depend on the model. Some prints have long travel moves across open air, lots of little hops, or slow travel that gives ooze time to happen. If your second model had longer travels, you can get stringing even with the same settings. That’s why travel speed and avoiding crossing perimeters can matter after you lock temp and retraction.