Creality: strings between parts (stringing), the material profile and wet filament

Symptom

On a Creality printer, thin strings appear between parts of the print or between prints on the same plate, sometimes with oozing, bubbles, holes, a rough surface or missing material.

Likely causes, from most to least likely

1. The slicer material profile does not match the filament: Creality notes that, for example, printing a non-Hyper PLA with the Hyper PLA profile causes stringing, missing material or poor infill.
2. Wet filament: when heated, the water turns into vapour inside the nozzle, the plastic gets runnier and you get strings, oozing, holes and bubbles.
3. The filament does not feed smoothly: a deformed Teflon tube or worn or damaged extruder gears.

Checks to tell which one it is

• Check which material profile is selected in the slicer and whether it matches the filament's brand and type.
• Check whether the filament bubbles as it comes out or the spool has been left open for a long time: that points to moisture.
• Check that the Teflon tube is not squashed or kinked and that the extruder gears have no worn teeth.

Before you start

Before taking anything apart, cleaning or adjusting it, switch the printer off and unplug it, unless a step says otherwise, and do not touch the nozzle, the heater block or the bed until they have cooled down. If in any doubt about electricity, heat or moving parts, stop and ask a professional.

Step-by-step fix

1. Pick the profile of the filament you use

   In the slicer, if you are not using Creality Hyper filament, choose the generic profile for its type (for example Generic PLA). With third-party filaments, Creality notes that this profile does not guarantee the best result and you may need to tune it.

   Check: Stringing drops clearly on the next print.

   If that does not fix it: Dry the filament (next step).

2. Dry the filament

   Dry it before printing with Creality's values for its dryer: PLA at 55 °C, PETG at 60 °C, ABS or ASA at 65 °C and TPU at 70 °C, for 8 to 12 hours. Check first that the spool can take that temperature: otherwise it can deform or melt.

   Check: The filament no longer bubbles and the print has fewer strings and no holes.

   If that does not fix it: Check the filament feed (last step).

3. Keep it dry while printing

   With PLA, PETG, ABS or ASA, Creality recommends printing from a dry box when ambient humidity is above 50 %; with TPU, PC or PA, always. An unheated dry box, a heated dryer or the CFS will do.

   Check: The spool keeps printing just as cleanly on long prints.

   If that does not fix it: Dry the spool again before the next print.

4. Check the feed

   Replace the Teflon tube if it is deformed and check the extruder gears: they must have no damaged teeth and be fitted flush and not skewed.

   Check: The filament feeds without jerks and the print is not missing material.

   If that does not fix it: If the gears are damaged or skewed, contact Creality after-sales service.

Prevention

• Store spools closed and dry; in high humidity, print from a dry box or from the CFS.
• Use the slicer profile of the material you are actually printing.
• Always dry the filaments that need it (TPU, PC, PA) before printing them.

Still not fixed?

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Printers it applies to

Creality's FDM printers: CR-10 SE, CR-10 Smart, CR-10 Smart Pro, Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 S1, Ender 3 S1 Plus, Ender 3 S1 Pro, Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 V3, Ender 3 V3 KE, Ender 3 V3 Plus, Ender 3 V3 SE, Ender 3 V4, Ender 5 Max, Ender 5 S1, Hi, K1, K1 Max, K1 SE, K1C, K2, K2 Plus, K2 Pro, K2 SE, K3 and SPARKX i7.

Official sources

This guide summarises the official documentation linked here:

• Ender-3 V3: Stringing / Lack Of Filament / Infill · Creality
• Filament Pre-Printing Guide: Drying · Creality
• Ender-3 V3: Extruder Abnormality / Extruder Jam / Extruder Abnormal Noise · Creality