By 
Buying quality 3D printer filament is just the start. How you store it and dial in your settings makes a massive difference to your success rate. Plenty of people blame their printer when actually it’s how they’re handling the material.
Here’s how to get consistent results instead of fighting with failed prints.
Storage Matters More Than You’d Think
Filament absorbs moisture from the air. This causes real printing problems. You’ll see stringy prints, poor layer adhesion, weird bubbling or popping sounds, and disappointing results.
Different materials absorb moisture at different rates. Nylon absorbs water quickly. PLA is relatively resistant but still affected. PETG falls somewhere in the middle.
The solution is proper storage. Keep filament in airtight containers with desiccant packets. Those vacuum-sealed bags should stay sealed until you’re ready to use the spool.
If you live somewhere humid, this matters even more. Brisbane, Sydney coastal areas, tropical climates. A filament dryer becomes basically essential.
Drying Wet Filament Works
If your filament has absorbed moisture, you can dry it out. Filament dryers work brilliantly. Set the right temperature, leave it for several hours, done.
Food dehydrators work fine too if you set appropriate temperatures.
You’ll know when filament is wet because prints show stringing, the filament might steam or pop, and layer adhesion won’t be strong. After drying, these issues disappear.
Dialling In Your Settings
Manufacturer recommendations for temperature and speed are starting points, not gospel. Your specific printer, your environment, even the colour affects what works best.
Begin with the suggested settings, print a temperature tower to find the best temperature, and then change the speed and retraction. You might have to make some changes to what works on someone else’s printer.
This calibration takes a while to do at first, but it will save you a lot of trouble later.
Don’t be afraid to adjust settings between different colours either. Pigments affect how plastic melts, so your perfect settings for white PLA might need adjustment for black.
Preventing Tangles
Nothing’s more frustrating than a print failing because your filament snagged. This happens when the filament end wraps under other loops, creating a tangle.
Always secure the filament end properly when you’re finished printing. Most spools have holes designed for this. Never let the end loose.
If you notice resistance during printing or hear your extruder clicking, check for tangles immediately.
Understanding Colour and Material Variations
Even within the same material type, different colours print differently. Black filament typically needs slightly higher temperatures than lighter colours. Whites might need different cooling. Pigments affect thermal properties.
Specialty filaments like silk, metallic, or those with additives definitely need setting adjustments. The additives change how the material flows and bonds.
Switching between filament brands might also require tweaking settings. PLA from one supplier isn’t necessarily identical to PLA from another.
Getting the Same Results Every Time
Consistency is the most important thing for reliable 3D printing. Use high-quality filament from trusted sources, store it correctly, dry it when necessary, and set the settings correctly.
Once you have these basics down, printing becomes a lot more predictable. You don’t have to keep figuring out why prints aren’t working.
Write down which settings work for each brand and type of filament. Create a library of references so you don’t have to start over every time.
When you test quality filament from Australian suppliers on real printers, you know that the material isn’t the problem. You can concentrate on getting your settings and technique just right.
Having a good printer and good filament isn’t enough for 3D printing to work. It’s about knowing how to use your materials correctly, calibrating them correctly, and gaining experience so you can fix things when they don’t go as planned.
Comments