After every corner or detail, the wall repeats its outline in fading ripples (“ghosting” or “ringing”). It's the toolhead vibrating as it brakes and changes direction.
It happens on any FDM printer. Setting names are Bambu Studio's: in Orca Slicer almost all have the same name, and PrusaSlicer or Cura usually have an equivalent.
Where do I start?
Two questions to sort out what to check. It's a guide, not a sure fix: every printer and every filament is different.
Check in this order
- The printerIf it printed fine yesterday and not today, it's almost never the profile. Check the plate, the nozzle and the room: printing at 15 °C is not the same as at 30 °C.
- The filamentA spool that has soaked up moisture gives strings, bubbles and brittle parts. Dry it before changing settings, and pick that filament's profile in the program.Filament pages
- The quick checksThe “First” list below: it's the fastest to check.Go to “First”
- The slicerOnly now, the settings below, in order. Change one thing, print a small test and compare. If you change three at once and it gets fixed, you won't know which one did it.Go to the settings
Check in this order
- The quick checksThe “First” list below: it's the fastest to check.Go to “First”
- The filamentA spool that has soaked up moisture gives strings, bubbles and brittle parts. Dry it before changing settings, and pick that filament's profile in the program.Filament pages
- The slicerOnly now, the settings below, in order. Change one thing, print a small test and compare. If you change three at once and it gets fixed, you won't know which one did it.Go to the settings
Check in this order
- The quick checksThe “First” list below: it's the fastest to check.Go to “First”
- The previewStep through the slicer preview layer by layer: that's where you spot missing supports and odd areas in this part.
- The slicerOnly now, the settings below, in order. Change one thing, print a small test and compare. If you change three at once and it gets fixed, you won't know which one did it.Go to the settings
First
- Loose belts: tighten X and Y. A well-tensioned belt gives a low, firm note when plucked. And keep the printer on something solid, not a wobbly table.
- Printers with vibration compensation (Bambu Lab machines do it in the Calibration tab) measure it themselves: repeat that calibration if you moved the printer or changed anything on the toolhead.
- Print the same part at half speed: if the ripples vanish, it's speed and acceleration.
Then, in the slicer (in this order)
- Outer wall accelerationProcess › SpeedThe outer wall is the one you see: if it accelerates less out of each corner, it vibrates less. Lower it first.
- Outer wall speedProcess › SpeedSlower, the toolhead brakes less sharply at every change of direction.
Tried everything and it's still the same? Calibrate your filament with the 8 tests, or write to us with a photo.