Every 3D printing fan knows this problem: you always have to choose between speed and quality. You try to make your printer go faster to turn a 10-hour print into something shorter, but then your finished object looks bad with ugly marks, especially "ghosting" or "ringing." It's really frustrating. In the 3D printing community, people often talk about what seems like a magical solution: Klipper firmware and its "Input Shaping" feature. It promises the perfect combination of fast printing without losing quality. But does it actually work as well as people say? This article gives you a complete guide for 2025, taking a close look at whether Input Shaping is really a game-changing improvement worth the big effort of switching from the trusted, familiar Marlin firmware.
The Science Behind Ringing
To fix a problem, you need to understand it first. Ringing marks happen because of mechanical vibration. Think about pushing a kid on a swing. If you push at exactly the right timing—the swing's natural rhythm—it goes higher and higher without much effort from you. Your 3D printer is a complex machine with its own natural vibration patterns. The frame, belts, and moving parts all naturally want to shake when they're "pushed."
In 3D printing, the "push" comes from the print head and bed speeding up and slowing down quickly. When the extruder makes a sharp turn, the motors suddenly change direction. This quick movement is like a shock that makes the printer's parts shake at their natural frequencies. These shakes continue for a short time, just like a tuning fork that keeps ringing after you hit it. As the nozzle keeps putting down plastic, these shakes get printed onto the surface, creating those wavy, ghosted lines you see following behind corners and detailed parts. This is the basic physical problem that fast printing has to solve.
How Input Shaping Works
Input Shaping is a software-only technique designed to stop these vibrations before they show up on your print. It's not a hardware fix but a smart control system. Basically, it's a type of vibration canceling. The firmware learns the specific frequencies where your printer's X and Y axes tend to shake. With this information, it changes the movement commands sent to the motors.
Here's how it works: when the firmware needs to make a sharp move, instead of sending one sudden command, it creates a carefully timed series of smaller movements. These movements are planned so they create their own vibrations that are perfectly opposite to the printer's natural shaking. The result is that they cancel each other out; the software-created "anti-vibration" cancels out the machine's physical vibration. A good comparison is noise-canceling headphones, which listen to background sound and create an "anti-noise" sound wave to make silence. Input Shaping does the same thing for physical movement. To make this work, the system first needs to accurately measure the machine's vibrations. This is done by temporarily attaching a small, cheap sensor—an accelerometer—to the print head to "listen" as the printer does a series of test movements.
Klipper's Precise Tuning
Klipper is perfectly designed to run Input Shaping with amazing accuracy because of how it's built. Unlike traditional firmware that runs everything on the printer's limited 8-bit or 32-bit control board, Klipper moves the hardest computer work elsewhere. The heavy math calculations for motion planning and Input Shaping are handled by a much more powerful host computer, usually a single-board computer or a regular PC. The printer's control board only has to do a simpler job: following the precise, pre-calculated commands it receives. This division of work provides the computer power needed for the complex, real-time calculations that make high-quality Input Shaping possible.
For users, the tuning process is simple and based on real data.
* Step 1: Measurement. After attaching an accelerometer to the print head, you run one command, TEST_RESONANCES. The printer will then automatically move its axes back and forth, testing different frequencies to find any potential vibrations.
* Step 2: Analysis. This is where Klipper really shines. The firmware automatically processes the data collected by the accelerometer. It creates a CSV file and a visual graph that clearly shows the vibration strength at different frequencies, finding the exact vibration peaks for both the X and Y axes.
* Step 3: Setup. The process ends with amazing simplicity. Klipper analyzes the data and suggests the best Input Shaper algorithm and frequency values to use. You simply copy these recommended lines into your printer.cfg configuration file. A quick "Save & Restart" in the web interface applies the changes instantly, with no need to recompile or re-flash the firmware.
The key advantage of this method is how specific it is. The resulting compensation profile isn't a generic guess; it's a precise calibration custom-made for your unique machine, accounting for its specific frame, belt tension, component wear, and even the surface it sits on.
Marlin's 2025 Version
It's important to note that as of 2025, the 3D printing world has changed. Marlin, the long-standing standard, hasn't stayed the same and now includes its own version of Input Shaping. Ignoring this would give you an outdated comparison. However, how it works and the user experience are very different from Klipper's approach.
The most common tuning method for Marlin's Input Shaping uses manual, visual calibration. Users print a special calibration model, often called a "ringing tower" or "tuning tower," which is designed to cause ringing at various settings. You then visually look at the printed tower to figure out which frequency setting gave the cleanest result and manually enter that value into the configuration. While this works, this method is subjective and less precise than Klipper's sensor-based measurement.
Also, the processing power limitation is still a factor. Because all calculations must be done on the printer's control board, the complexity of Marlin's shaping algorithms can be limited, especially on older hardware. This may affect how well it works at the highest speeds compared to Klipper's host-based system. Finally, the configuration process is different. While recent Marlin versions have made on-the-fly adjustments easier, changing core settings like Input Shaping often still requires editing configuration files, recompiling the firmware, and re-flashing the control board—a more involved and time-consuming process than editing a simple text file in Klipper.
Seeing the Performance Difference
The real test of performance is in the printed result. Let's look at a direct comparison. On a standard printer running well-tuned but basic Marlin firmware, we print a ringing tower model. This model is designed with sharp corners that highlight problems. As the print goes up, the speed or acceleration increases with height. The result is predictable: the lower, slower sections look clean, but as speed increases, ringing becomes progressively worse, creating noticeable, wavy echoes after each corner. The highest speed sections may be unusable because of the poor surface quality.
Now, we take that exact same printer, flash it to Klipper, and run the accelerometer-based Input Shaping tuning process. We then print the very same ringing tower G-code. The difference is amazing. Even at the highest speeds that previously created severe problems, the print now shows glass-smooth surfaces and razor-sharp corners. The ringing is virtually gone, proving that the hardware was always capable of these speeds; it was the firmware control that was the problem.
[Image: A split photo showing a ringing tower printed on standard Marlin vs. the same tower printed on Klipper with Input Shaping. The Klipper side is visibly cleaner at high speeds.]
For a fair comparison, what about Marlin with its own Input Shaping turned on? Printing the tower again after manual visual calibration gives a significant improvement over no shaping at all. Ringing is greatly reduced, and higher speeds become possible. However, when pushed to the absolute limits, it may not achieve the same level of near-perfection as Klipper's data-driven, auto-tuned method. The Marlin result is often a "good enough" improvement, whereas the Klipper result aims for perfection, often requiring less trial and error from you to get there.
It's also important to note that Input Shaping doesn't work alone. Its effectiveness is boosted when used together with Klipper's "Pressure Advance" feature. While Input Shaping cleans up ringing from frame vibration, Pressure Advance manages extruder pressure to eliminate bulging and stringing at corners. Together, they form a powerful combination that enables exceptional print quality at speeds that would otherwise be impossible.
The Cost of Power
This performance doesn't come without a "cost." Switching to Klipper is not a simple software update; it is a fundamental change in your printer's setup, and it's important to be honest about what's required.
First are the hardware needs. Klipper's design requires a dedicated host computer to run the main software service. This is most commonly a single-board computer, but an old laptop or small PC can also work. This is an additional component, and a potential added cost, that a standard Marlin setup doesn't need. Additionally, to unlock the full, data-driven potential of Input Shaping, an accelerometer is required. While it's only needed for the initial tuning process and can be removed afterward, it's a necessary tool for the job.
Second is the technical learning curve. The installation process is more involved than flashing a single Marlin file. It requires installing a Linux-based operating system on the host computer, installing the Klipper software suite (Klipper, Moonraker, and a web interface like Mainsail or Fluidd), flashing minimal micro-controller code to the printer's control board, and building a configuration from scratch. This configuration is done through a printer.cfg text file. While this file is far easier to edit on the fly than Marlin's Configuration.h, it represents a completely different approach. You are no longer turning features on and off in a pre-written file; you are building a specific definition of your machine from basic components, which requires learning and understanding the syntax.
Conclusion: Is It Worth It?
Klipper's Input Shaping is not just hype; it is a genuinely game-changing technology that delivers on its promise of higher quality at greater speeds. The debate between Klipper firmware vs Marlin firmware in 2025 is no longer about which is "better" overall, but which is the right fit for your goals, skills, and resources. The decision to flash is a personal one, weighing raw performance against complexity.
For a quick summary, consider the following:
| Feature | Klipper | Marlin (with IS) | Standard Marlin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Quality Speed | Very High | High | Moderate |
| Ringing/Ghosting | Virtually Eliminated | Significantly Reduced | Present at High Speeds |
| Tuning Process | Automated (with sensor) | Manual (visual calibration) | N/A |
| Hardware Cost | Control Board + Host PC + Sensor | Control Board Only | Control Board Only |
| Configuration | Edit text file, restart | Recompile & re-flash | Recompile & re-flash |
| Best For... | Tinkerers, Speed Enthusiasts, Perfectionists | Users wanting improvement without extra hardware | Beginners, "Set-and-Forget" Users |
Ultimately, we can frame the final recommendation this way:
You should flash to Klipper if: You are a tinkerer who enjoys pushing hardware to its absolute limits. You want the maximum speed and quality your machine can produce and are willing to put in the work to achieve it. You are comfortable with a more hands-on, computer-focused approach to configuration and a steeper initial learning curve.
You should stick with Marlin (or use its built-in IS) if: You value simplicity, stability, and a "just works" experience above all else. You are not interested in adding extra hardware like a single-board computer to your setup, or your printing needs don't involve pushing for maximum speed. You are a beginner who wants to focus on learning to print without adding firmware complexity.
Klipper's Input Shaping is a powerful, proven technology. The decision to adopt it is not a question of whether it works, but a personal calculation of whether its significant benefits are worth the investment in time, learning, and hardware that it requires in the dynamic world of 3D printing in 2025. When considering Klipper firmware vs Marlin firmware, both have their strengths, but Klipper offers unmatched precision for those willing to embrace its complexity.