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20.3 Layer height is very low
If the filament is spinning freely and the extruder is not clogged, it may be
useful to check a few settings within Cura. For example, if you are trying to print
at an extremely low layer height, such as 0.01mm, there is very little room for the
plastic to exit the nozzle. This gap below the nozzle is only 0.01mm tall, which
means that the plastic may have a difficult time exiting the extruder. Double check
to make sure you are using a reasonable layer height for your printer. You can
view this setting by clicking “Basic” and selecting the Layer height tab. If you are
printing at a very small layer height, try increasing the value to see if the problem
goes away.
20.4 Poor quality filament
One of the most common causes for inconstant extrusion that we have not
mentioned yet is the quality of the filament that you are printing with. Low quality
filament may contain extra additives that impact the consistency of the plastic.
Others may have an inconsistent filament diameter, which will also cause
inconsistent extrusion. Finally, many plastics also have a tendency to degrade
over time. For example, PLA tends to absorb moisture from the air, and over time,
this will cause the print quality to degrade. This is why many spools of plastic
include a desiccant in the package to help remove any moisture from the spool.
If you think your filament may be at fault, try swapping the spool for a new,
unopened, high-quality spool to see if the problem goes away.