Rapid decline in print quality
Hi,
I have build my MK4s and not being the biggest techie was very happy it worked just fine on the first prints. But that totally detitorated.
That was the quality I got. But two days later the same print looks like that:
I tried a Benchy . It was a mess (the earlyer prints were ok).
Same filament. I reset the printer. Did all calibrations again. I have no idea whats the problem...
RE:
moisture. Try a fresh spool out of the bag and ideally it should be good as new.
Look for ways to keep it dry (sealed bag, desiccant, oven drying). It's a very common problem with PLA. The process is reversible so you can dry it, check the forum.
RE: Rapid decline in print quality
I had ChatGPT look it up (below is AI response, looks meaningful though):
Yes — that print strongly looks like a moisture problem in the PLA filament.
Here’s what points to it:
🔍 Visual clues
The surface is rough, bubbly, and uneven, almost like it was foamed.
Layers don’t bond cleanly and have stringy, blobby extrusions instead of smooth roads.
The print is matte and irregular, not the usual glossy look of dry PLA.
Those are classic symptoms of steam bubbles forming as water in the filament vaporizes in the hotend, causing micro-explosions and inconsistent flow.
🔥 Quick confirmation
You can check in a few ways:
Listen while printing — moist filament pops and hisses as the moisture boils.
Check extrusion: if it spits or smokes slightly, that’s moisture.
Try drying a few meters of filament for 4 h at 45–50 °C and reprint — if it looks dramatically better, moisture was the cause.
💧 Typical moisture sources for PLA
Absorbed humidity (PLA is mildly hygroscopic).
Storage in open air for days or weeks.
Long periods in a cold, humid basement.
🧑🔬 Drying guidelines FilamentTempDurationNotesPLA45–50 °C4–6 hIn food dehydrator, filament dryer, or oven with thermometerPETG65–70 °C6 hMore heat-tolerantABS80 °C4 hDon’t exceed 85 °C to avoid softening the spool 🧰 Prevention
Store filament in a sealed box with silica gel or a vacuum bag.
Keep the spool in a dry box during printing if your room is humid.
Even the first picture is showing signs of moisture - dry the filament.
But I suspect the later prints are exhibiting a second, fairly common, newbie problem 'though the moisture is masking it; so dry the filament, print again, and if the print is still a little off come back and we'll take another look.
Cheerio,
RE: Rapid decline in print quality
Hey. Unfortuenately a change to New filament did not do the trick. What might bemüht that other newbie problem?
RE: Rapid decline in print quality
Hey. Unfortuenately a change to New filament did not do the trick. What might bemüht that other newbie problem?
The other filament you changed to, was it dry? How is it stored?
- Bob Marley
RE: Rapid decline in print quality
Well, it was a prusament straight out the box (still sealed).
RE:
New <> dry.
Typically the amount of drying needed varies with the season and with individual air treatment. Some filaments always need drying but PLA can often be used without during summer (air conditioning) and winter (central heating) 'though it usually needs drying during the change of seasons. Machines and filaments used in outbuildings almost always need driers.
Even new Prusament may need drying; it was packed dry but the dessicant can only keep it dry for a few weeks.
Cheerio,