Materials
A short comparison of the materials you can pick here. If unsure, take PLA: it's the easiest to print and good enough for most things.
Temperatures are typical ranges; Printypus sets the real values from your printer's and material's profile.
PLA
The most common material. Easy to print, barely warps, no smell.
Good for: Figures, decorations, prototypes, cases and holders for indoors, toys.
Pros
- Forgiving on a less tuned printer
- Sharp details and a nice surface
- Huge choice of colours
Watch out for
- Softens at around 55–60 °C: don't leave it in a car in the sun
- Rather brittle: it snaps instead of bending when overloaded
- Nozzle
- 190–220 °C
- Bed
- 50–65 °C
- Enclosed printer
- No, rather the opposite: it needs good cooling
- Drying
- Usually not needed; if it crackles or strings: 45–50 °C, 4–6 h
- Available for
- Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2, Elegoo Centauri Carbon, Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro, Elegoo Neptune 4, Bambu Lab X1 Carbon, Bambu Lab P2S, Bambu Lab P1S, Bambu Lab A1, Bambu Lab A1 mini, Creality K2 Plus, Creality K2 Pro, Creality K1 Max, Creality K1C, Creality Ender-3 / Ender-3 Pro, Creality Ender-3 V2, Creality Ender-3 V2 Neo, Creality Ender-3 S1, Creality Ender-3 S1 Pro, Creality Ender-3 V3 SE, Creality Ender-3 V3 KE, Creality Ender-5 S1, Prusa MK4S, Prusa CORE One, Prusa MK3S/MK3S+, Anycubic Kobra 2, Anycubic Kobra 2 Neo, Anycubic Kobra 2 Pro, Artillery Sidewinder X1, Artillery Genius Pro
PETG
Tougher than PLA and copes with heat and moisture. A good choice for functional parts.
Good for: Kitchen and bathroom parts, outdoor holders in the shade, mechanical parts, cases.
Pros
- More flexible: bends rather than cracks on impact
- Withstands about 70–80 °C
- Resists water and many chemicals
Watch out for
- Tends to string
- Sticks too well: use a release agent (glue stick) on smooth PEI so it doesn't tear the surface
- Absorbs moisture
- Nozzle
- 230–250 °C
- Bed
- 70–85 °C
- Enclosed printer
- Not needed
- Drying
- Recommended, especially for an older spool: 60–65 °C, 4–6 h
- Available for
- Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2, Elegoo Centauri Carbon, Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro, Elegoo Neptune 4, Bambu Lab X1 Carbon, Bambu Lab P2S, Bambu Lab P1S, Bambu Lab A1, Bambu Lab A1 mini, Creality K2 Plus, Creality K2 Pro, Creality K1 Max, Creality K1C, Creality Ender-3 / Ender-3 Pro, Creality Ender-3 V2, Creality Ender-3 V2 Neo, Creality Ender-3 S1, Creality Ender-3 S1 Pro, Creality Ender-3 V3 SE, Creality Ender-3 V3 KE, Creality Ender-5 S1, Prusa MK4S, Prusa CORE One, Prusa MK3S/MK3S+, Anycubic Kobra 2, Artillery Sidewinder X1, Artillery Genius Pro
ABS
The classic engineering plastic: heat-resistant, easy to sand, glue and smooth with acetone.
Good for: Car parts, electronics enclosures, technical parts that get warm.
Pros
- Withstands about 90–100 °C
- Tough
- Easy to post-process
Watch out for
- Warps and lifts; large parts crack between layers
- Releases fumes while printing: ventilate the room, ideally use a filter
- Gets brittle and fades in sunlight over time
- Nozzle
- 240–260 °C
- Bed
- 90–110 °C
- Enclosed printer
- Yes; without one, larger parts warp and crack
- Drying
- Recommended: 70–80 °C, 4 h
- Available for
- Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2, Elegoo Centauri Carbon, Bambu Lab X1 Carbon, Bambu Lab P2S, Bambu Lab P1S, Creality K2 Plus, Creality K2 Pro, Creality K1 Max, Creality K1C, Prusa MK4S, Prusa CORE One, Prusa MK3S/MK3S+
ASA
Similar to ABS, but resists UV light and weather. The material for outdoor things.
Good for: Outdoor holders, garden, bike or car parts, outdoor signs.
Pros
- Resists sun and rain, colours don't fade
- Withstands about 90–100 °C
Watch out for
- Warps much like ABS
- Releases fumes while printing: ventilate
- Nozzle
- 240–260 °C
- Bed
- 90–110 °C
- Enclosed printer
- Yes
- Drying
- Recommended: 70–80 °C, 4 h
- Available for
- Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2, Elegoo Centauri Carbon, Bambu Lab X1 Carbon, Bambu Lab P2S, Bambu Lab P1S, Creality K2 Plus, Creality K2 Pro, Creality K1 Max, Creality K1C, Prusa MK4S, Prusa CORE One, Prusa MK3S/MK3S+
TPU
A flexible, rubber-like material.
Good for: Phone cases, seals, bumpers, non-slip feet, straps.
Pros
- Flexible and wear-resistant
- Almost impossible to break
Watch out for
- Prints slowly
- Strings and handles overhangs worse
- Absorbs a lot of moisture
- Nozzle
- 210–235 °C
- Bed
- 30–60 °C
- Enclosed printer
- Not needed
- Drying
- Almost always: 45–55 °C, 4–8 h
- Available for
- Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2, Elegoo Centauri Carbon, Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro, Elegoo Neptune 4, Bambu Lab X1 Carbon, Bambu Lab P2S, Bambu Lab P1S, Bambu Lab A1, Bambu Lab A1 mini, Creality K2 Plus, Creality K2 Pro, Creality K1 Max, Creality K1C, Creality Ender-3 S1, Creality Ender-3 S1 Pro, Creality Ender-3 V3 SE, Creality Ender-3 V3 KE, Prusa MK4S, Prusa CORE One, Prusa MK3S/MK3S+, Anycubic Kobra 2, Artillery Sidewinder X1, Artillery Genius Pro
Drying
Filament absorbs moisture from the air. Wet filament crackles and hisses while printing, leaves bubbles, strings and a dull rough surface, and the part ends up weaker.
Dry it in a filament dryer or an oven with an accurate temperature (ovens often swing, and PLA fuses into a lump when overheated). Keep the dried spool in a sealed bag or box with silica gel.
Detailed data sheets come from filament makers and printer makers' knowledge bases, for example Prusa Knowledge Base, Bambu Lab Wiki.