Material selection is the single biggest factor in whether your 3D printed part succeeds or fails in the field. A perfectly designed part in the wrong material will warp, crack, fade, or simply not do what you need. A mediocre design in the right material often works the first time. This guide walks through every material category we stock, what it is best at, and how to choose between them.

FDM thermoplastics

FDM materials are thermoplastic filaments melted and extruded layer by layer. They are the cheapest 3D printing materials and the most mechanically predictable — the same PETG that prints on a desktop printer also prints on industrial FDM machines, and the material properties are consistent.

PLA — the default

Cheap, easy to print, dimensionally stable, plant-based. Good for concept models, fit-checks, display pieces, and parts that will live indoors at room temperature. Avoid if: the part sees temperatures above 55°C, UV exposure, or heavy mechanical load. PLA softens in hot cars and degrades outdoors.

PETG — the workhorse

Tougher than PLA, chemically resistant, reasonably heat-stable (70°C). Our go-to for functional prototypes, brackets, housings, and mechanical assemblies. Avoid if: you need automotive underhood temperatures or outdoor UV exposure. Use ASA for outdoor parts.

ABS — the classic

Legacy material for injection mold prototyping. Prints harder than PLA or PETG, warps more, smells bad. Mostly replaced by PETG in modern FDM service work. We still run it on request for teams matching existing injection-molded reference parts.

ASA — outdoor-ready

Same mechanical profile as ABS with much better UV stability. This is the material for outdoor brackets, enclosures, and parts that live in direct sun. Trade-off: more expensive than PLA or PETG.

TPU — flexible

Shore 95A thermoplastic polyurethane. Flexes and returns without damage. Good for bumpers, grommets, soft-touch grips, and impact absorbers. Trade-off: prints slowly and at low speeds to avoid tangling.

PC CF — engineering grade

Polycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fiber. Stiff, heat-stable to 150°C, dimensionally accurate. Replaces machined aluminum for structural brackets and drone airframes. Trade-off: 3–4x more expensive than PETG.

SLA resins

SLA materials are UV-cured photopolymers that produce the smoothest surfaces and most accurate dimensions in our catalog. SLA resins trade off toughness for surface finish — they tend to be more brittle than thermoplastics, but they capture detail FDM cannot.

Standard Resin — visual prototypes

The cheapest SLA resin. Smooth, paintable, accurate. Good for display models, visual prototypes, and parts that will not see mechanical load. Avoid if: the part needs to survive drops or functional testing.

Grey Pro — visual + light load

Slightly tougher than Standard with similar surface finish. A good middle-ground when you want SLA smoothness with a bit more mechanical margin.

Durable Resin / Tough 2K / Tough 1500

Resins engineered to behave more like thermoplastics. Tough 2K is impact resistant and slightly flexible — good for snap-fit prototypes. Tough 1500 is stiffer and more durable but less impact-resistant. Durable is in between.

Rigid 4K / Rigid 10K

Glass-filled resins that replace machined engineering thermoplastic prototypes. Rigid 10K is our stiffest resin, good for structural test parts and mold masters.

High Temp

HDT of 238°C. The go-to for thermal test fixtures, mold masters, and parts exposed to elevated temperatures.

Flexible / Elastic

Soft elastomer resins. Flexible is Shore 80A (firm rubber), Elastic is Shore 50A (soft rubber). Use for gaskets, wearables, and soft-touch prototypes.

Castable

Burns out cleanly in investment casting — the standard for jewelry pattern making and small-scale precision casting.

Optical Clear / Frosted

Transparent resins for lighting prototypes, fluidics, and see-through housings.

MJF nylons

MJF (HP Multi Jet Fusion) prints production-grade nylon powders in a fused powder bed. Parts are isotropic, dimensionally consistent across batches, and suitable for end-use production.

Nylon PA12 — the standard

The most-ordered production material in our catalog. Strong, chemically resistant, thermally stable to 170°C. Food-contact grades available. Use for: production brackets, housings, mechanical parts.

Nylon PA11 — tougher and bio-based

Higher impact strength and elongation at break than PA12. Derived from castor oil — 100% bio-based if sustainability is in your brief. Trade-off: slightly more expensive.

Nylon PA12 Glass Filled

40% glass fiber by volume. Significantly stiffer than unfilled PA12, holds dimensions better under load, more heat-stable. Replaces machined aluminum brackets in many structural applications.

How to choose — the short version

Start with your application:

  • Prototype that will not see load: PLA or Standard Resin
  • Functional prototype: PETG (cheap) or Tough 2K (smooth)
  • Production part, small volume: MJF Nylon PA12
  • Production part, high load: MJF PA12 Glass Filled or PC CF
  • Outdoor part: ASA
  • Flexible part: TPU or Flexible Resin
  • High-temperature part: High Temp resin or PC CF
  • Snap-fit that flexes repeatedly: Tough 2K or Nylon PA11
  • Clear or translucent: Optical Clear resin
  • Investment casting pattern: Castable resin
If you are not sure which material to pick for your application, tell us what the part needs to do and our engineers will recommend one. We see thousands of parts a month across every material in this guide, and we know which ones work for which applications.