PLA vs PETG vs ABS: which material for your part?

Ninety percent of 3D printing jobs use one of these three plastics. Choosing wrong either wastes money (over-engineering a display model) or wastes the part (a PLA bracket melting in a parked car). Here's the 30-second decision rule, then the details.

The 30-second rule

• Will it stay indoors and mostly be looked at? → PLA. Cheapest, sharpest detail, best surface finish.
• Will it be used, dropped, flexed, or kept outdoors? → PETG. The best all-round functional plastic.
• Will it get hot (near engines, motors, sunlight through glass) or be post-processed to a glossy finish? → ABS.

PLA — the display champion

PLA prints with the cleanest surfaces and the finest detail of any common filament, which is why it dominates prototypes, architectural models and décor. It's also the most affordable. Its weakness is heat: parts soften around 55°C, which a car dashboard in an Indian summer crosses easily. It's also the most brittle of the three — it snaps rather than bends.

PETG — the functional workhorse

PETG is what plastic bottles are made of, toughened. It handles 75°C, shrugs off UV and moisture, and flexes slightly under load instead of snapping. For brackets, hooks, enclosures, planters, tool holders and anything that actually does a job, PETG is the default recommendation. The trade-off is cosmetic: it can leave fine strings on very intricate ornamental prints.

ABS — the engineering classic

ABS is the plastic of LEGO bricks and car interiors. It tolerates 95°C, sands beautifully, and can be acetone-vapour smoothed to a glossy, injection-moulded look. The catch: it warps badly on open-frame printers, so it needs an enclosed machine — one reason we run an industrial machine with a heated chamber. Choose ABS when heat resistance or post-finishing matters.

Side-by-side

Need flexibility (TPU) or metal-replacement strength (carbon fibre nylon)? Those are covered on our materials page with full specs and pricing.