<p>My best guess is you have an under extrusion issue, possibly related to retraction: the issue is exacerbated on parts where the printer has to hop over a gap.</p>

<p>I would try running, in the order:</p>

<ol>
<li>print a flow rate test, to ensure the amount of filament exiting the nozzle matches with your configuration</li>
<li>print a retraction test, to ensure you are not suffering from some bowden tube issues like bad coupling</li>
<li>check for any clog in the hot end, those can require a bigger pressure to build up before the filament start flowing again</li>
<li>print a temperature tower, to find out if 190° is the right temperature (seems a bit low to me)</li>
</ol>

<p>With regards to point 2, the Ender 3 is somewhat renown for having poor quality couplers: watch the bowden tube couplers when printing and try to verify the tube is not moving back and forth when hopping over empty spaces...</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-10T06:04:37.857Z
This is an under extrusion due missing feed extrusion vs filament temperature. There are many topics explaining this issue.
Fernando Baltazar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-10T10:34:39.177Z
Why has this answer been down voted?
Roberto Lo Giacco
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-09T22:50:25.627Z
2019-04-10T09:56:39.280Z
2019-04-10T09:56:39.280Z
Roberto Lo Giacco
<p>Does anybody have an idea what causes the strange outer wall skin texture? I don't know why this happens; the inner wall looks fine, but the outer wall looks distorted. </p>

<p>Also it's strange that the distortion only happens on the left side for about 2&nbsp;cm on all prints.</p>

<p>Disabling retraction had no effect. Reducing the printing speed neither improved it.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/5gkvj.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5gkvj.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/OyVfd.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/OyVfd.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/N1Z9j.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/N1Z9j.jpg" alt=""></a></p>

<p>Edit: I'm printing at 0.16mm layer height with 98% initial flow rate and 94%. No support.
Standard PLA with the standard nozzle at 190°C. I am using Cura for slicing if it matters.
<br>
Printing speed is at 40mm/s for the outer wall and 80mm/s for the inner one. I already tried to decrease the outer wall speed to 20mm/s without any luck. Except for one other print, I never had an issue with those settings.
<br>
I just finished a print with 100% flow rate to exclude its the flow rate.
With 100% only the front improved at all.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/w36Ak.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/w36Ak.jpg" alt="Front side"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/6iIt2.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/6iIt2.jpg" alt="Back side"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-05T22:26:39.397Z
There is no stringing, your print suffers from under-extrusion. Please add some relevant settings as speed, temperature, extruder type, filament type, etc. This is virtually an impossible task to answer without such information.
0scar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-06T19:21:09.810Z
Could be speed on outer layer too fast.  Could be hot tip too cold.
Perry Webb
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-10T17:49:39.823Z
I'm agree with Perry, I had the same problems when I started to print. also the filament quality was a headache, but I didn't´notice until I changed my supplier.
Fernando Baltazar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-15T08:43:44.573Z
Have you tried using one of the default standard profiles in Cura? I'm just wondering if there is some weird setting that has been changed by mistake. It seems unlikely that there is anything wrong with the printer or filament if the inner walls are ok.
BG100
<print-quality><troubleshooting><creality-ender-3>
Strange outer skin print quality on Ender 3
Julian
# Strange outer skin print quality on Ender 3

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-04-05)

Does anybody have an idea what causes the strange outer wall skin texture? I don't know why this happens; the inner wall looks fine, but the outer wall looks distorted.

Also it's strange that the distortion only happens on the left side for about 2 cm on all prints.

Disabling retraction had no effect. Reducing the printing speed neither improved it.
[![](https://i.sstatic.net/5gkvj.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/5gkvj.jpg)
[![](https://i.sstatic.net/OyVfd.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/OyVfd.jpg)
[![](https://i.sstatic.net/N1Z9j.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/N1Z9j.jpg)

Edit: I'm printing at 0.16mm layer height with 98% initial flow rate and 94%. No support.
Standard PLA with the standard nozzle at 190°C. I am using Cura for slicing if it matters.
  
Printing speed is at 40mm/s for the outer wall and 80mm/s for the inner one. I already tried to decrease the outer wall speed to 20mm/s without any luck. Except for one other print, I never had an issue with those settings.
  
I just finished a print with 100% flow rate to exclude its the flow rate.
With 100% only the front improved at all.
[![Front side](https://i.sstatic.net/w36Ak.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/w36Ak.jpg)
[![Back side](https://i.sstatic.net/6iIt2.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/6iIt2.jpg)

**Tags:** print-quality, troubleshooting, creality-ender-3
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There is no stringing, your print suffers from under-extrusion. Please add some relevant settings as speed, temperature, extruder type, filament type, etc. This is virtually an impossible task to answer without such information.  
> **username_2**: Could be speed on outer layer too fast.  Could be hot tip too cold.  
> **username_3**: I'm agree with Perry, I had the same problems when I started to print. also the filament quality was a headache, but I didn't´notice until I changed my supplier.  
> **username_4**: Have you tried using one of the default standard profiles in Cura? I'm just wondering if there is some weird setting that has been changed by mistake. It seems unlikely that there is anything wrong with the printer or filament if the inner walls are ok.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2019-04-09. Score: 2

My best guess is you have an under extrusion issue, possibly related to retraction: the issue is exacerbated on parts where the printer has to hop over a gap.

I would try running, in the order:

1. print a flow rate test, to ensure the amount of filament exiting the nozzle matches with your configuration
2. print a retraction test, to ensure you are not suffering from some bowden tube issues like bad coupling
3. check for any clog in the hot end, those can require a bigger pressure to build up before the filament start flowing again
4. print a temperature tower, to find out if 190° is the right temperature (seems a bit low to me)

With regards to point 2, the Ender 3 is somewhat renown for having poor quality couplers: watch the bowden tube couplers when printing and try to verify the tube is not moving back and forth when hopping over empty spaces...

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: This is an under extrusion due missing feed extrusion vs filament temperature. There are many topics explaining this issue.  
> **username_5**: Why has this answer been down voted?  

---

