Choosing the Right Filament for Your 3D Printing Project

If you have a 3D printing project in mind but have no idea what material you should choose you have found the right page!

3DPros offers two types of 3D printing, FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) and MSLA (Masked Stereolithography), for this reason we will break this post down into two sections.

If you still aren't sure what material to choose you can contact us and we can talk through your project to select the best option!

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FDM 3D Printing

PLA

A favorite of the 3D printing world is PLA.

Pros:

• Easy to print with

• Cheaper than many other options

• More environmentally friendly than other options

• Prints at a higher speed than most material

• Great retention of detail

Cons:

• Susceptible to heat deformation

• Less sturdy than other options

ABS

ABS used to be the gold standard in 3D printing material. It is strong and heat resistant.

Pros:

• Very sturdy and hard

• Suitable for use in outdoor environments

Cons:

• Some fine detail may be lost

• Not food safe

• Warping of 3D prints is common

PETG

PETG is a great option for a variety of 3D printing projects.

Pros:

• Lower printing temperature means a faster printing speed reducing cost

• Food safe

• Weather resistant

• Strong but flexible

Cons:

• Does not keep tolerance very well

• Less detail than PLA

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MSLA 3D printing

Standard resin

Standard resin is the cheapest option for resin 3D printing. It is hard but brittle. Great for making conceptual models and prototypes.

Pros:

• Fast printing

• Hardness

Cons:

• Very brittle

• Not suitable for functional parts

Tough resin

Tough resin is the gold standard for functional prints.

Pros:

• Strong enough for functional prototypes and production parts

• Easily machined

Cons:

• Longer print times

• Only available in select colors