Ghosting be gone: mastering acceleration and jerk for crisp prints
Tame ghosting by fine‑tuning acceleration and jerk, turning shaky outlines into razor‑sharp edges.
Lowering acceleration and jerk eliminates ghosting without sacrificing overall speed.
What happened
I noticed faint, wavy ripples on the sides of a tall vase printed on my Prusa i3 MK3S+. After running a quick accel test, I lowered the acceleration from 3000 mm/s² to 1500 mm/s² and the jerk from 20 mm/s to 8 mm/s. The next print was ghost‑free.
Why it matters
Ghosting not only mars aesthetics but can hide early signs of mechanical wear. By addressing it through firmware settings, you preserve part quality and extend printer life without hardware swaps.
How to think about it
Start with the manufacturer’s default, then reduce acceleration by 30‑40 % and jerk by half; run a simple speed tower test to confirm improvement. If you lose too much speed, fine‑tune per‑axis – X/Y can stay higher than Z.
- Sharper surface detail
- No extra hardware needed
- Improves dimensional accuracy
- Longer print times at high quality
- May require re‑slicing profiles
- Too low values can cause under‑extrusion on fast moves
Don’t drop acceleration below the printer’s minimum motor torque, or you’ll get missed steps.
FAQ
What’s the difference between acceleration and jerk?
Acceleration is the rate of speed increase (mm/s²), while jerk is the instant speed change allowed before the printer ramps up acceleration.
How can I test the right settings quickly?
Print a calibration speed tower that changes speed every few layers; inspect for ghosting and adjust settings until the transition layers are clean.
Will lowering these settings affect overhang quality?
Generally not; lower acceleration can actually improve overhangs by reducing vibration, though very slow moves may increase cooling time.
Sources
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