3D printing filament guide.

Every material at a glance.

Start here: PLA for learning, PETG for real parts.

PLA is the most beginner-friendly filament. It prints at low temps, produces no harsh fumes, and warps very little. It is made from plant starch rather than petroleum, which is a real difference in feedstock. It is not, however, something that breaks down in a garden or in the sea: PLA needs the sustained heat and humidity of an industrial composting facility, and most kerbside schemes do not accept it. The weak point: PLA deforms around 60°C. Leave a PLA print in a hot car and it warps. PLA+ versions add impact resistance and some flexibility. For most indoor uses, PLA is still the right answer even for experienced printers.

Full settings: PLA print temperature and settings. Compare options: PLA vs PETG or PLA vs ABS

Move to PETG when the part needs to hold up.

PETG is the natural step up from PLA. It is stronger and handles more heat, to around 80°C. Some specific grades carry food-contact certification, which is a property of that manufacturer's resin and not of PETG as a class. The trade-off: it strings more than PLA, and it bonds aggressively to bare glass beds. Use a PEI sheet or glue stick. No enclosure needed.

Full settings: PETG print temperature and settings. Read the full breakdown: PLA vs PETG or ABS vs PETG

ABS: high heat and acetone finishing, with real trade-offs.

ABS is the classic workhorse, the same plastic used in LEGO bricks. It starts to soften at about 85-100°C. That is the heat deflection figure on the ABS data sheets from Polymaker, Bambu Lab, 3DXTech and AON3D (sources). It can be smoothed with acetone vapor for a near-injection-mold finish. The downside: it emits styrene fumes during printing (ventilate) and warps badly without an enclosed build volume. Most people do not actually need ABS anymore. PETG covers 90% of functional part needs, and ASA is a better outdoor choice than ABS.

Full settings: ABS print temperature and settings. See: ABS vs PETG and PLA vs ABS

Use ASA for anything that lives outdoors.

ASA is ABS modified for UV resistance. It does not yellow in sunlight and handles the same temperature range as ABS. For almost every outdoor application, ASA is the better call over ABS. It needs slightly higher temps than ABS but prints similarly. It needs an enclosure to prevent warping, the same as ABS.

Full settings: ASA print temperature and settings. Picking between the two: ASA vs ABS

When you need more than hobby filaments.

Nylon has the highest strength of any common FDM filament. It is also self-lubricating, which makes it ideal for gears, bearings, and moving parts. The major catch: Nylon is hygroscopic. It absorbs moisture from open air in as little as 1 to 2 hours and prints terribly when wet. You must store Nylon in an airtight container and dry it before every print run.

Full settings: Nylon PA6 and Nylon PA12. Read: How to dry filament

TPU: the only filament that bends without breaking.

TPU is flexible and rubber-like. Shore hardness varies by brand. 95A is common and feels similar to a shoe sole. Print slow (30 to 40 mm/s) and use a direct drive extruder if possible. Bowden setups can print TPU but require very low retraction and slower speeds to avoid jamming. Good for phone cases, grips, gaskets, and any part that needs to flex and return.

Full settings: TPU print temperature and settings

Resin: when detail matters more than anything else.

Resin printing is a completely different process from FDM. SLA and DLP printers use UV light to cure liquid photopolymer resin layer by layer. The result: far more detailed prints than FDM can produce. The trade-off: liquid resin is toxic and requires careful handling, an IPA wash station, and a UV post-cure lamp. Resin is not interchangeable with FDM filament. You need a different printer type entirely.

Which filament should you use? Answer in 30 seconds.

Need side-by-side detail? See PLA vs PETG, ABS vs PETG, PLA vs ABS, or ASA vs ABS. If your prints have problems, start with our guides on stringing and drying filament.

Every material, on one page.

Every material has its own quirks. Our printable settings guide puts the print temperature, bed temperature, enclosure and drying requirement for all of them on a single page you can keep by the printer.