If you own a 3D printer, you're faced with a vast array of filament options, each with its own unique properties—from tough-as-nails materials to flexible, rubber-band-like filaments. We’ll be sorting through the most popular, iconic, and useful 3D printing materials, to help you identify which ones belong in your workshop.
PLA
We’ll start with the reigning king of 3D printing materials—PLA (Polylactic Acid). This filament is widely recognized for its ease of use, versatility, and broad range of applications, making it the go-to choice for many makers and designers.
Basic PLA, or regular PLA is an incredibly easy filament to print with. It's cheap, widely available in a range of colors, and perfect for most basic 3D printing needs. PLA prints quickly, excels at handling bridges and overhangs, and with the right settings, it’s easy to detach from supports. It’s one of the stiffest non-composite thermoplastics available and has excellent tensile strength, making it more rugged than its low price suggests. However, PLA does have its limitations. If it’s subjected to constant pressure, over-tightened screws, or weight, it can slowly deform over time. While its ease of use, low cost, and reliable performance make it the go-to filament for many, PLA can’t withstand harsh real-world conditions. It softens in high temperatures, degrades under UV light, and becomes brittle upon impact. Additionally, it's not great for post-processing—sanding, gluing, or painting PLA can be difficult. For these reasons, while PLA is a solid choice for many projects.
Silk PLA
Silk PLA is a filament that gives prints a shiny, almost metallic finish, making them look incredibly glossy—almost more metallic than actual metal. This aesthetic effect can weaken the structural integrity of the print, but it makes removing supports much easier. Given how striking the finish is, particularly for showpieces, many consider this trade-off worthwhile. However, Silk PLA has some quirks to watch out for. When it heats up, it tends to puff up like popcorn, so it's essential to monitor your printer carefully. If your extruder fan is pulling in hot air, or if you’re doing multi-material, single-nozzle prints, Silk PLA can easily cause clogs or jams. In terms of performance, Silk PLA sacrifices strength for its visual appeal, and while it looks great, it can be tough on machines like the Bambu AMS or the Prusa MMU, potentially causing issues.
High-Speed PLA
High-Speed PLA is a genuinely useful filament for pushing the limits of print speed. While regular PLA can handle moderate speeds, anything above 300 mm/s is too fast for pure PLA to keep up with, as it struggles to flow through the hot end. High-Speed PLA, however, is designed to melt at a lower temperature and has reduced viscosity, allowing you to print at turbo speeds without clogging or jamming the extruder. This makes it ideal for faster printing, but be cautious in hot climates, as its lower melting point can lead to problems with softening in higher temperatures.
Wood PLA
Wood PLA is a filament that combines plastic with sawdust or other plant-based particles, and its quality can vary significantly depending on the brand. Lower-quality Wood PLA is often just regular PLA dyed brown, and it tends to print poorly with more issues like spitting and sputtering, especially after absorbing moisture. The material is also weaker than standard PLA, but it does have a soft, springy texture that mimics the feel of real hardwood. With some varnish or finishing, the wood grain effect can be surprisingly convincing, though it’s generally more realistic in lower-quality prints.
PLA-CF
Carbon Fiber PLA (PLA-CF) is a composite filament that incorporates short-chopped or powdered carbon fibers. These fibers don’t necessarily make your prints stronger or lighter, but they do enhance detail sharpness, stabilize the filament as it cools, and add stiffness to the final print—though this added stiffness also makes the material more brittle. The combination of crisp detail, low shrinkage, and a matte finish makes CF PLA one of the best filaments for achieving visually striking and accurate prints. While standard PLA is often chosen to avoid the need for a hardened steel nozzle or to access a broader range of colors, these reasons are largely invalid because nozzle swaps are both inexpensive and easy, and black is already a cool and versatile color for most projects.
PETG
PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) is a filament that offers exceptional durability and performance, though it can be a bit more challenging to print than PLA. It's tougher, more heat-resistant, and generally holds up better to real-world stress and wear. PETG is also one of the most transparent polymers available and has a very low coefficient of friction, making it ideal for applications where smooth surfaces or clarity are important. However, PETG does come with some drawbacks. It struggles with overhangs and bridges, often leading to stringing, and supports can be difficult to remove. While these issues are manageable with careful design, they can be frustrating if you’re printing models created by others. Additionally, PETG absorbs moisture quickly, so in humid climates, you’ll need to use it faster to avoid print quality issues. Despite these challenges, PETG’s toughness and versatility making it a solid step up from PLA for many applications.
PET
PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) is a versatile polymer that becomes more flexible and easier to print when a plasticizer is added. However, for a stiffer, more challenging experience, you can opt to omit the plasticizer. This results in a variant called PET (or B-PET for "bottle grade" and HTP for "high temperature"). PET filament requires a printing temperature of at least 275°C, with an ideal range above 300°C. Compared to PETG, PET is stiffer, tougher, shinier, and highly resistant to high temperatures, though it can be more demanding on surfaces like glass and PEI. Essentially, it's a "super" version of PETG but shares similar challenges like issues with overhangs, warping, and humidity, which can be even more pronounced. That said, PET is still easier and more affordable to print than other high-performance engineering filaments like nylon and polycarbonate. Additionally, carbon fiber-reinforced PET (CF-PET) further enhances its performance, similar to how carbon fiber benefits PETG.
ABS
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is widely used in consumer products like toys and gadgets, and was once a go-to material for 3D printing. It prints very quickly, can be solvent-welded with acetone, and achieves a seamless surface finish through vapor smoothing. ABS is affordable, highly durable, and withstands significant heat and wear, making it extremely tough. However, it has two major downsides: it warps easily and releases fumes during printing. Although an enclosure isn’t strictly necessary, it’s highly recommended to prevent warping. ABS performs well for outdoor applications, as it remains sturdy in both winter and summer temperatures, and can resist UV exposure for nearly a decade.
ASA
ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate) is a close chemical relative of ABS but with enhanced benefits and fewer drawbacks. It can withstand temperatures up to the boiling point and is highly resistant to prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, making it extremely durable outdoors. Like ABS, ASA is tough, but it has a more attractive matte finish. Molten ASA is also less viscous than most other polymers, allowing for faster printing speeds. Although it still emits fumes during printing and can be challenging to work with, it warps less than ABS, making it a preferable choice for projects requiring durability.
PA6 Nylon
PA-6 Nylon (Polyamide) is a high-performance engineering filament, part of a family of plastics with PA-6 being the most commonly used in 3D printing. Known for its impressive strength, excellent layer adhesion, and flexibility, PA-6 is highly durable, with printed parts that are nearly indestructible. It remains stable at higher temperatures than ABS, and its low friction makes nylon ideal for mechanisms that need to run smoothly over time. However, PA-6 Nylon is notoriously challenging to print. It is extremely hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air very quickly, often requiring a heated dry box and dehydrator to keep it usable. Over-drying, however, can make it brittle. PA-6 also warps significantly, often requiring a fully enclosed, actively heated chamber; otherwise, it can lift the print bed due to the extreme force of warping. Although PA-6 Nylon’s performance is top-notch, but successful printing often depends on advanced equipment and high patience.