

Using a Bowden style extruder is not impossible, but it is much like pushing a wet noodle into your hotend. TPU is an extremely soft filament that works best with a direct drive printer. It’s also not as UV sensitive and can be used for outdoor parts. You can make your parts softer or harder by adjusting the number of walls and level of infill – 10% infill for squishy prints or 50% infill for firm rubbery prints. TPU isn’t brittle like PLA and has a rubberlike quality that makes for good handles, phone cases and even gaskets. Whether you’re making toys that can withstand hard play or functional prints that take a beating, TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) is a great choice. You can buy IC3D R-PETG direct, at your local Micro Center or through Printed Solid. IC3D reuses plastic spools collected from the community. This 100% recycled PETG is made from industrial and commercial wastes, creating a second life for plastics. It prints consistently with very little stringing – though the level of cooling can alter the color of the print as seen in the Blue Razz vase above. IC3D line of recycled PETG is strong enough for functional prints and pretty enough for decorations. You will need to use a layer of gluestick as a release agent – which is somewhat counterintuitive, but definitely works.

PETG will bond with glass and sticks entirely too well to PEI coated print surfaces. It does print hotter than PLA, but not so much as to require an all-metal hotend. PETG can be printed with any 3D printer, any bed surface and does not require an enclosure. For best results, PETG should be kept in a sealed bag or airtight box to reduce moisture exposure. It can be a little harder to print than PLA, is often stringy, and is more difficult to sand and paint. It's easier to recycle than PLA, resulting in many brands of 100% or partially recycled PETG filament. It’s more resistant to high temperatures and sunlight, making it more suitable for outdoor parts or prints used inside a car. PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate glycol) is an oil based plastic that’s less brittle than PLA. 3D Fuel has factories in both the US and Ireland. They are well-labeled and have good spots for managing the filament tails. It does, however, print really well and makes a smoother printing alternative to wood PLAs.ģD Fuel still uses plastic spools, which is inconvenient once the filament is used up. We’re placing this one in the “novelty” category because it only uses a small portion of recycled hemp fiber, it’s difficult to find in stock and has a premium price. It’s premium PLA mixed with natural hemp fibers that prints with less noticeable layer lines and little stringing. I’ve been a big fan ever since the Dumpster Fire incident of 2020 when I printed hundreds of Dumpster Fire Christmas ornaments for friends and family in Jessie’s Tree Green and Mystery Orange.Įntwined is a beautiful filament with a natural, almost translucent, earthy wood tone derived from hemp. Jessie Premium PLA is a smooth printing filament manufactured by Printed Solid in Newark, DE. We’ve burned through cases of filament on dozens of printers using both Bowden and direct drive extruders to help you find the best filaments for 3D printing in the form of PLA, PETG and TPU materials. TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) is a rubbery, flexible filament that usually requires a direct-drive printer that can hit high temperatures. PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate modified by Glycol) is stronger and a bit more flexible, but it can be stringy if you don't dial in your settings correctly. PLA (Polyactic Acid), also sometimes combined with other materials and called PLA Plus, is the easiest to print with and most popular, but it isn't the strongest and it can be brittle. There are many different materials - mostly types of plastic - that you can get, but there are three major varieties, each of which we cover below. Filament rolls are available in a virtually limitless array of different colors, including rainbow and translucent. The best filaments for 3D printing can not only provide good adhesion and avoid clogging your extruder, but also build models with eye popping colors, sharp details and strong durability.
