How to Fix Ghosting and Ringing in 3D Prints
Ghosting (also called ringing or echoing) creates ripple patterns on vertical surfaces near sharp features. Here's what causes it and how to fix it with speed, acceleration, and input shaper calibration.
Ghosting (also called ringing, echoing, or vertical rippling) appears as wave-like patterns on vertical surfaces, especially after sharp corners or features. It looks like the print is shaking as it goes around a corner — because it is.
Root cause: When the printhead accelerates sharply (like changing direction at a corner), the vibration resonates through the frame and causes the nozzle to oscillate slightly. This oscillation is imprinted on the part as waves.
Cause 1: Print Speed Too High
The most common cause. Faster acceleration = more vibration.
Fix: Reduce print speed, particularly for perimeters. Try:
- Perimeter speed: 50–60mm/s max
- Reduce acceleration in slicer: 500–1000 mm/s²
In Cura: Print Speed → Outer Wall Speed → reduce to 50mm/s In PrusaSlicer: Perimeter Speed → reduce to 50mm/s
Cause 2: High Acceleration
Most slicers default to 3000–5000 mm/s² acceleration. This is fine for fast printers with rigid frames but causes ghosting on less rigid printers.
Fix: Reduce acceleration to 500–1500 mm/s².
In Cura: Advanced → Acceleration Control → enable and set to 800mm/s² In PrusaSlicer: Printer Settings → Machine Limits → Max Acceleration
Cause 3: Mechanical Issues
Loose belts, loose eccentric nuts, or play in the motion system amplify vibration.
Check:
- Belt tension: Belts should be taut but not over-tensioned. Pluck them — they should sound like a low bass note, not a slack thud
- Eccentric nuts: On Ender-style printers, tighten until there's no play but wheels still turn freely
- Stepper motor mounts: Check all bolts
- Print bed: On bed-slingers, a loose bed mount amplifies Y-axis ghosting
Cause 4: Frame Rigidity
On larger/older printers, frame flex contributes to ghosting. Solutions:
- Add bracing (printed or purchased frame braces)
- Tighten all frame bolts
- Place printer on a vibration-dampening mat or concrete surface
Cause 5: Direct Drive / Bowden Choice
Heavy direct drive extruders increase mass on the X carriage, increasing resonance. If you're adding a direct drive conversion and see new ghosting, you may need to reduce speed and acceleration to compensate for the added mass.
Advanced Fix: Input Shaping (Klipper)
If you're running Klipper firmware, input shaping eliminates ghosting through resonance compensation. The printer measures its own resonance frequency using an accelerometer and applies a filter to cancel vibrations.
How to enable:
- Connect an ADXL345 accelerometer to your printer
- Run
SHAPER_CALIBRATEin Klipper - The system measures resonant frequencies and recommends a shaper type (MZV, EI, or 2HUMP_EI)
- Apply the recommended settings to
printer.cfg
Input shaping can allow 2–3x higher print speeds without ghosting.
Printers with built-in input shaping:
- Bambu Lab (all models) — calibrated at factory, recalibrate periodically
- Prusa MK4 — built into IS firmware
- Creality K1/K2 — included
Marlin: Jerk and Acceleration Settings
On Marlin-based printers (most Ender/Creality/Anycubic), reduce both:
- Jerk: Default 10mm/s → try 5–7mm/s
- Acceleration: Default 500–3000 → try 500–800mm/s²
In Cura, enable "Jerk Control" and set X/Y jerk to 5–8mm/s.
Quick Fix Checklist
- Reduce perimeter speed to 50mm/s
- Reduce acceleration to 800–1000mm/s²
- Tighten belts
- Check eccentric nuts
- Tighten all frame bolts
- Enable input shaping (if Klipper or supported firmware)