"Which material should I use?" is the most common question we get on print orders. The honest answer is that it depends on two things: what the part does and where it lives.
Here's how we think about the four filaments we print most.
The short version
| PLA | PETG | ASA | TPU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Prototypes, models, indoor parts | Functional parts, clips, brackets | Anything outdoors or near heat | Flexible parts, grips, seals |
| Heat | Softens around 55–60°C | Around 75–80°C | Around 95–100°C | Around 60–80°C (varies) |
| Outdoors / UV | Poor | Fair | Excellent | Fair |
| Toughness | Stiff but brittle | Tough, slightly flexible | Tough and rigid | Rubbery, near-unbreakable |
| Detail | Excellent | Good | Good | Fair |
| Price (our rates) | Lowest | Lowest | Higher | Highest |
Temperatures are rough softening points, not exact specs. They vary by brand and how the part is loaded.
PLA: the default for indoor parts
PLA is the easiest material to print well. It gives crisp detail, clean surfaces and the widest range of colours, which makes it our go-to for prototypes, display models, cosplay pieces and anything that lives inside.
Where it fails: heat. PLA starts to soften at around 55–60°C. A dashboard on an Australian summer day gets well past that, so a PLA phone mount left in a car will warp. It also goes brittle in sunlight over time.
Pick PLA if: the part stays indoors, isn't load-bearing and you care about looks.
PETG: the all-rounder for functional parts
PETG is tougher than PLA and has a little give, so it bends before it snaps. It handles moisture well and copes with more heat. That makes it a good choice for brackets, clips, enclosures, workshop jigs and replacement parts for things around the house.
Where it fails: fine detail is a little softer than PLA, and its UV resistance is only fair, so it's not ideal for parts that sit in direct sun for years.
Pick PETG if: the part has a job to do (holding, clipping, carrying) and lives mostly indoors or in the shade.
ASA: the one for outside
ASA is built for the outdoors. It's UV-stable, so it won't go chalky and brittle in the sun, and it handles heat far better than PLA or PETG. We print it on our enclosed printer, because it needs a warm, stable environment to print without warping.
Where it fails: it costs more, and it's not the material for ultra-fine cosmetic detail.
Pick ASA if: the part goes on a car, caravan, boat, fence, garden or solar setup, or anywhere it'll see sun, rain or heat. If it lives outside in Australia, the answer is almost always ASA.
TPU: when it needs to flex
TPU is a flexible, rubbery filament. Think phone bumpers, grips, feet, gaskets, cable strain reliefs and anything that needs to squash and spring back. It's very hard to break.
Where it fails: it can't hold a rigid shape, and very fine detail is harder to get.
Pick TPU if: the part needs to bend, grip or absorb impact.
Three questions to choose
- Does it live outside or near heat? Use ASA.
- Does it need to flex? Use TPU.
- Does it do a mechanical job? Use PETG. Otherwise, use PLA.
That covers about 90% of the parts people send us.
A few practical tips
- Strength comes from the design and settings as much as the material. Wall count, infill and print orientation all matter. On our quote page the "strength" option controls how solid the part is printed.
- Thin features in a brittle material are the classic failure point. If a clip keeps snapping in PLA, try PETG before redesigning it.
- Food contact and medical use are a no. Ordinary 3D printed parts aren't food-safe or medical-grade, whatever the filament.
Not sure? Ask us
If you're unsure, add a note to your order saying what the part does and where it lives, and we'll check the material before we print. Your card is only held, not charged, until we've reviewed the file, so a wrong guess costs nothing.