Workshop · quick reference
Drying & storing filament
Damp filament prints badly and turns brittle. This card says which material to dry when – and how to keep moisture out in the first place.
Many plastics draw water from the air. During printing it flashes to steam at the hot nozzle: crackling, bubbles, rough surface, strings – and in the worst case, at high heat the water breaks the polymer chains and the part becomes permanently weaker. Drying and dry storage prevent this.
Drying table
| Material | Moisture hunger | Temperature | Duration |
|---|
| PVA (support) | very high | 45 °C | long, sensitive |
| PA / Nylon | high | 70–80 °C | 8–12 h |
| PC | high | 70–90 °C | 6–12 h |
| TPU / TPE | medium–high | 50–65 °C | 4–8 h |
| PETG | medium | 60–65 °C | 4–6 h |
| ASA | low–medium | 60–70 °C | 4 h |
| ABS | low | 60–70 °C | 4 h |
| PLA | low* | 40–45 °C | 4–6 h |
* PLA draws little water but is sensitive to hydrolysis: damp + hot = chain scission. Always dry below softening, otherwise the windings stick together.
How to spot damp filament
During printing
- crackling/popping at the nozzle
- steam/bubbles in the strand
- lots of strings (stringing)
- rough, matte surface
In the result
- poor layer adhesion
- part breaks easily/brittle
- uneven flow
- fluctuating diameter
Store it right
✓ Do
- sealed box + desiccant (silica gel)
- humidity indicator visible
- opened spools straight back in the box
- print sensitive materials from a dry box
✗ Don't
- leave spools out in the room
- store in a damp cellar/bathroom
- dry above the softening temperature
- "looks dry" – when in doubt, dry it