methodical testing or throw a dice?

[Grazuncle]

Hi allI have probably done what many have done here and trawled loads of YT and websites looking for settings for those perfect prints 'on your' machine. I have come to the conclusion that you can get in the ball park but you really need to invest some time on methodical testing.You may have doem what I did and got frustrated by changing multiple setting in your slicer and you may not know which is improving on the last prints or cancelling eachother out.I started testing after doing a benchy and getting blobs and stringing although they bow was good in all of them (stepper motor smoother now in circuits)After that I found a quick print benchy on Thingyverse.. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2800194 curtesy of Thumper72. it takes out a lot of the base and you can focus on the obstacles quicker. It has lots of ways to test the accuracy of your prints and you can determine detail etc. For my PETG I chose a different retractions setting for first four setting and, on the last two, (only after getting a good print) changed the filament hotend temperature up 10c. This improved two thing in one go detail and even less stringing. After doing some more i found i could go from 30mms to 50mms with no discernable difference; However you would only know if you do the tests. It's worth investing the time.. Change your filament type and run them again

PS.. make some notes/marks underneath each of the objects you decide to print so you know which is which for later examination.. there are calibration objects out there which you can try but this was more appropriate to my printing.