How to Fix Ghosting in 3D Prints

Example of 3D Print Ringing Issue — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

If you see wavy patterns or shadow-like lines in your print sections, it might have suffered from ghosting. Ghosting or ringing affects the visual appearance of the design as blurred or duplicated lines may appear on the edges, faces, or even corners, making it harder to achieve a smooth and uniform surface finish.

The issue can result from many factors, and one of the leading causes is vibrations as the printhead moves from one place to another, especially when it pauses and resumes and changes direction. Loose frames, belts, and bolts can also result in the issue, as slight movement can make the printhead lose direction. High 3D printing speed and acceleration settings can also result in the issue, and below, we describe the key things you need to consider to address the issue.

The outer perimeter is one of the places that is usually susceptible to ghosting, and by reducing the speed, you will decrease the vibrations that contribute to the issue. In addition to general 3D printing speed and outer wall speed, you should also enable and lower acceleration and jerk settings. These settings determine how quickly the printer accelerates and decelerates when changing the direction during the printing process. If it moves or changes direction quickly, it might cause vibrations. Check the Enable Acceleration Control box in the speed section to enable acceleration.

Loose or improperly tightened frames can introduce vibrations in the entire 3D printer, which leads to issues, and hence you need to ensure that you properly tighten it in place using nuts and bolts. The frame provides the structural support necessary for stable movement. When not adequately secured, it can become susceptible to vibrations generated by the print head and other moving parts, leading to issues. You should also check the belt and ensure that it’s moderately tightened, not too loose or too tight.

Placing the printer on a sturdy table helps ensure that it doesn’t vibrate during 3D printing and that the frames remain strong during the process. You can also install rubbers to help absorb vibrations from the moving parts like the motors. Most 3D printers have them, but in case yours doesn’t have them, you can place them strategically, like in the corners, so that it can distribute support evenly.

You can buy steel and rubber stepper motor vibration dampers from Amazon that come with screws too to help you secure it easily. If you own a Prusa i3 Mk3, you can download and 3D print the thicker and sturdier vibration damper from Thingiverse and install it. As you install dampers, ensure that the rubbers are the same size to avoid having one area of the printer tilted towards one side, which can cause other issues. If you are using an Ender 5, you can download and 3D print a bed support upgrade from Thingiverse to help hold the bed in place and help avoid any vibrations from the bed.

If the hotend temperature is not consistent, there might not be a uniform flow of the filament from the nozzle, and this will lead to variations in extrusion which will later result in ghosting. You should consider performing PID tuning. PID stands for proportional, integral, and derivative which are the control algorithm helpful in achieving precise and consistent temperature by minimizing the difference between the actual hotend temperature and the set temperature.

Sammy Ekaran is a freelancer writer for Tom's Hardware. He specializes in writing about 3D printing tutorials and guides. You can find more of his work on various publications, including Makeuseof, All3dp, and 3Dsourced.

How to Fix Ghosting in 3D Prints

1. Reduce the Printing Speed

2. Properly Tighten the Frame, Belt, Bolts, and Nuts

3. Use a Sturdy Table and Rubbers to Stabilize the 3D Printer

4. Properly Optimize Your 3D Model

5. Use a Consistent Hotend Temperature