PrusaSlicer Retraction Settings (Stop Stringing)

Retraction settings in PrusaSlicer live under Printer Settings > Extruder 1, in the Retraction group. The values that matter most are Length, Retraction Speed, and Lift Z. Retraction sits in printer settings rather than print settings because the right numbers depend on your extruder type: direct-drive and Bowden machines need very different lengths.

Where to set it

1. Open the Printer Settings tab.
2. Select Extruder 1.
3. Adjust the fields under Retraction.

The settings that matter

• Length: how far filament is pulled back on travel. Direct-drive: start around 0.6 to 1 mm. Bowden: start around 3 to 5 mm.
• Retraction Speed: how fast it pulls back. Around 25 to 40 mm/s is a safe range; too fast can grind filament.
• Lift Z: raises the nozzle on retraction so it clears the print during travel. Use 0.2 to 0.4 mm when travel moves are scarring the surface. See Z hop for detail.
• Wipe while retracting: moves the nozzle along the last path while retracting, which helps clear ooze.

Tuning to stop stringing

Change one value at a time and print a stringing test between changes:

1. Raise Length in small steps until strings disappear.
2. Keep Retraction Speed reasonable, not maxed out.
3. Enable Wipe while retracting.
4. If strings persist, drop the nozzle temperature a few degrees, since over-hot filament oozes regardless of retraction.

Why this matters for a print farm

Retraction is tied to the printer and its extruder, so the right values differ across a mixed fleet. Getting them right once per machine profile, and keeping them there, is what stops one drifting printer from stringing an entire batch.

Printago holds each printer's tuned retraction in its own profile and applies it automatically, so a mixed fleet of direct-drive and Bowden machines each print clean without anyone matching settings per job. See the printer compatibility page and print farm slicing.