{"id":2288,"date":"2025-06-26T14:50:29","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T04:50:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inkstation.com.au\/blog\/?p=2288"},"modified":"2025-06-26T14:50:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T04:50:29","slug":"should-you-dry-filament-before-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inkstation.com.au\/blog\/should-you-dry-filament-before-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Dry Filament Before Use?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Okay, first things first, <\/span>do you need to dry filament?<\/b> The short answer is yes, you should dry <\/span>filament<\/span><\/a> whenever it\u2019s hygroscopic or already showing signs of moisture. With that being said, knowing when and how to dry filament can make a world of difference to print quality. In the guide, we\u2019ll explore why moisture causes trouble, which materials are most at risk, when you should intervene, and more. Whether you\u2019re experimenting with flexible TPU or turning out production parts each week, a solid grasp of filament care belongs next to bed-levelling and\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

slicer profiles in every <\/span>3D printing <\/span><\/a>checklist.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Table of Contents<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Why Does Filament Need to Be Dried?<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What Happens When Filament Absorbs Moisture?<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How Moisture Affects Print Quality and Performance<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What Filaments Need to Be Dried?<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
When Do You Need to Dry Filament?<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How to Dry 3D Filament Properly<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Filament Dryer vs. Oven: What\u2019s Better?<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How Long to Dry Filament Before Printing?<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Is It Necessary to Dry Filament Every Time?<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ready to Print? Keep Your Filament Dry and Your Printer Happy<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why Does Filament Need to Be Dried?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Put simply, filament needs to be dried because wet plastic prints badly. Many 3D printer filaments act like little sponges, soaking up water from the air\u2014a property called hygroscopy. When that damp strand reaches the printer\u2019s nozzle (also called the hot end), sitting around 200 \u00b0C, the trapped water flashes into steam and blasts tiny bubbles through the softened plastic. You\u2019ll hear the effect as popping sounds and hisses, and you\u2019ll see it as uneven, wiggly extrusion with fine stringing between travel moves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Because steam disrupts flow, each new line of plastic (the \u2018bead\u2019 or \u2018road\u2019 coming out of the nozzle) can\u2019t grip the build plate (print bed) or previous layers, causing poor adhesion. Expanding bubbles also push those lines off track, so holes can shrink, walls can bulge, and the whole part may suffer dimensional inaccuracy. In short, <\/span>drying 3D filament<\/b> helps keep the plastic solid and strong.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Happens When Filament Absorbs Moisture?<\/span><\/h3>\n

You should be able to spot moisture issues early on: The nozzle may crackle or hiss, and the fresh plastic bead can puff up with tiny bubbles. Surfaces that should be shiny appear chalky or fuzzy, and parts meant to bend might just snap. Flexible materials like TPU even turn tacky in the feeder gears and slip. In bad cases, steam travels back up the PTFE or Bowden tube (the hollow guide that feeds filament to the nozzle), condenses, and drips onto the print. Every wet-then-dry cycle shortens the plastic\u2019s molecular chains, so each new layer is a little weaker than the last.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How Moisture Affects Print Quality and Performance<\/span><\/h3>\n

Moisture affects print quality by filling the softened filament with countless tiny air pockets. These pockets swell during printing, so each layer puffs up and leaves small gaps that weaken the part. Moisture also affects printer performance because the foamy, rough plastic drags along the inside of the nozzle, which can lead to clogs or uneven flow (under-extrusion). On the outside of the model, trapped steam escapes as zits, pits and thin strings of plastic that spoil the finish.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Precision may take a bit of a hit too, with expanding bubbles shoving the molten roads of plastic sideways, making one wall thicker while the opposite wall ends up thinner. When that happens, peg-and-hole joints don\u2019t fit, and gears can jam. Even the nozzle opening can wear faster as steam scours the metal. If you keep your filament dry, then you should be able to avoid all of these issues, with prints coming off the bed smoother and the right size.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What Filaments Need to Be Dried?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The temperatures and times in the above table are solid starting points, but think of them as averages rather than hard rules. Because each manufacturer tweaks its polymer recipe by adding colourants, impact modifiers or recycled content, the ideal drying temperature for your specific spool can vary by a few degrees. To avoid warping the filament or under-drying it, always check the brand\u2019s packaging before <\/span>drying 3D filament<\/b>, and adjust the settings if their guidance varies from the figures shown here.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

When Do You Need to Dry Filament?<\/span><\/h2>\n

You should dry filament whenever you notice (or expect) excess moisture, for example:<\/span><\/p>\n