Choosing a material

PLA, PETG or ABS, which finish, how strong and how fine: what each choice on the order page means, so you can pick with confidence. Still not sure? Ask us and we’ll recommend one.

The three materials

PLA is our everyday material: crisp detail, sharp edges and the widest range of colours and finishes. It’s rigid rather than bendy, and starts to soften at around 55 °C, so it’s best for things that live indoors, like models, desk accessories, decorations and prototypes. Don’t leave it on a car dashboard in summer.

PETG is tougher and a little flexible, so it bends before it breaks. It copes with warmth up to around 70 °C and with damp and sunlight better than PLA, which makes it good for clips, brackets, planters and things used outdoors.

ABS is hard-wearing and holds its shape up to around 95 °C: the one for parts that get warm or take a knock, such as fittings inside a car, covers and fixtures near machinery or electronics. It comes in fewer colours, with a satin finish, and fades in strong sunlight over time.

	PLA	PETG	ABS
Best for	Indoors, fine detail	Outdoors, things that flex	Heat and hard wear
Feels	Rigid	Tough, a little give	Tough
Softens at about	55 °C	70 °C	95 °C
Outdoors	Short spells	Good	Fades in strong sun

Engineering materials, made on request

For the jobs PLA, PETG and ABS can’t do: real heat, sun all year round, flex, or heavy loads. They print more slowly and need drying and a hardened nozzle, so they cost more, and we check every part suits its material before we print. Choose one under “Engineering materials” on the order page to see a guide price, then ask for a quote.

• ASA: weatherproof, and doesn’t fade in the sun: signs, car trim and garden parts that live outdoors.
• Polycarbonate (PC): very tough, and takes heat to about 110°C: enclosures, brackets and clips that mustn’t snap.
• Flexible (TPU): rubbery and bendy: seals, bumpers, feet, grips and cases.
• PETG-CF: PETG with carbon fibre: stiff, matte and holds its shape, for jigs, mounts and brackets.
• PAHT-CF: nylon with carbon fibre: very strong, and takes heat to about 190°C. For working parts under load.
• PET-CF: rigid, takes heat to about 200°C and barely takes up moisture: precise parts in warm places.
• PPA-CF: the toughest we print: heat to about 230°C, and stands up to oil and fuel. For under-bonnet and industrial parts.

Colours and finishes

We print with Bambu Lab filament. Every colour below is one we can print in; choose it on the order page or on a design, and the 3D preview of your own file takes it on. Colours on a screen are a guide, so real filament can look a little different.

One print can have as many colours as you like, and colour changes are free. Send a 3MF with its colours painted in, or tell us in the notes which parts go in which colour. Logos and artwork can go on in their own colours too.

PLA 126 colours in 11 finishes

• BasicSolid colours with a soft sheen. 30 colours.
• GradientOne colour fading into another along the print. 8 colours, 10% extra.
• MatteNo shine, and layer lines show less. 25 colours.
• SilkA glossy, metallic sheen. 25 colours, 10% extra.
• TranslucentLets the light through. 10 colours, 10% extra.
• SparkleGlitter flecks through the colour. 6 colours, 10% extra.
• MetalA brushed-metal look. 5 colours, 10% extra.
• GalaxyDeep colours with a fine shimmer. 4 colours, 10% extra.
• MarbleSpeckled like stone. 2 colours, 10% extra.
• WoodMade with wood fibres: matte and grainy. 6 colours, 10% extra.
• GlowGlows in the dark after time in the light. 5 colours, 10% extra.

PETG 41 colours in 3 finishes

• BasicGlossy solid colours. 24 colours.
• MatteNo shine, and layer lines show less. 8 colours.
• TranslucentLets the light through, like tinted glass. 9 colours, 10% extra.

ABS 16 colours in 1 finish

• BasicSolid colours with a satin finish. 16 colours.

Strength and quality

Prints aren’t solid inside: they’re filled with a light, honeycomb-like pattern called infill, under solid outer walls. More infill makes a part stronger and heavier, and costs a little more. Finer layers make curves smoother and layer lines smaller, but take longer to print.

Standard strength and quality suit most things. Choose Strong for parts that take weight or force, and Fine for small, detailed or rounded models. For tiny models with fine detail, up to 50 mm, Extra fine prints with a 0.2 mm nozzle, in one colour.

Getting your file ready

• Files: STL, 3MF and OBJ get an instant price. STEP and OpenSCAD files are welcome too, with a personal quote. Up to 50 MB.
• Size: up to 300 × 320 × 320 mm in one piece. Bigger than that? Ask us: we can often print it in parts.
• Units: most files are in millimetres. If yours is in centimetres or inches, choose that on the order page and the size and price follow.
• Walls: make them at least 1.2 mm thick. Thinner walls may not print cleanly.
• Overhangs: anything that leans out more than about 45° needs supports, which we remove after printing. They can leave small marks underneath.
• A flat base helps a print stand up and stay accurate.
• Logos and artwork: a vector file (SVG, PDF, AI or EPS) gives the crispest edges; for a picture, the bigger the better. Lines and lettering finer than about 1 mm may not show, so we’ll tell you before printing if anything’s too fine.

Don’t worry about getting every detail right: a person looks over every file before it prints, and if anything needs changing, we’ll tell you first. The file guide has more, including how to save a file from the common apps.

Good to know

• We don’t recommend 3D prints for food or drink: the tiny gaps between layers can hold bacteria.
• Layer lines are part of how 3D prints look. Matte finishes hide them best.
• Prints from your own file are made just for you, so check the size and material before you order. If anything’s wrong with a print, we’ll put it right.