Stringing is one of the things which can be really frustrating. It can happen for different reasons. But sometimes you just can`t get rid of it. Like printing PETG on a bowden setup. But here are a few things to look at and maybe help you with this.

Flow

Do a flow tower. If your flow is too high, even changing retraction distance and ~speed will not solve your stringing problems.

Retraction

Retraction settings and speed are an important part of controlling stringing. But also the kind of setup your printer has:

• Bowden setup with standard hotend (tube goes on hotend and reaches nozzle)
• Bowden setup with an all metal hotend (tube goes in heatbreak for a short distance)
• DirectDrive setup with an extruder and small PTFE tube to hotend
• Combined DirectDrive dual geared with hotend

For all kind of setups AND type of filament, settings are different.

PLA

With a standard hotend, you can use a higher retraction, like 5 to 8mm. If you use bowden setup with an all metal hotend, you are limited to the retraction distance of 2.5mm to prevent clogs in the cooling part of your heatbreak.

A DualGear Direct Drive with an all metal hotend is not needed for PLA, but will give you more options in speeding up your prints. Retraction would then be something like 0.5 to 1.0 mm @ 30-50 mm/s.

PETG

On a standard bowden setup, you can`t get completely stringfree prints. You can use a higher retraction, like 5 to 8mm. If you use bowden setup with an all metal hotend, you are limited to the retraction distance of 2.5mm to prevent clogs in the cooling part of your heatbreak.

A DualGear direct drive with an all metal hotend is really the best way of printing PETG.
Retraction can be set to 0.5 to 1.0 mm @ 30-50 mm/s.

TPU

For TPU, a good dual gear direct drive is really important. It`s almost impossible to print Flexibles like TPU on a bowden setup. TPU 95A is doable, but it`s not if you go softer like 90A or lower.

ASA/ABS

With a standard hotend, you can use a higher retraction, like 5 to 8mm.

If you use bowden setup with an allmetal hotend, you are limited to the retraction distance of 2.5mm to prevent clogs in the cooling part of your heatbreak.

It’tain’teasier to print with a quality DualGear Direct Drive All Metal Hotend setup. Retraction would then be something like 0.5 to 1,0 mm @ 15-45 mm/s.

General

You should try a retraction tower for speed and distance in this window for a dualdrive-allmetal setup.

Moisture

Wet filament can give you stringing, because the moisture blows out as steam. You can see if the stringing is moisture related, if you have a pit or pock mark at the point of stringing. General rule (also for new-out-of-the-box), DRY your filament!

Temperatures

Lowering the printtemperature will help against stringing, but could also give you other problems. You will have to test with that.