Resources
3D Printing Materials & Process Guide
If you're new to custom 3D printing, terms like "FDM," "PLA" and "PETG" can be confusing — and choosing the wrong one can affect how your finished piece looks, feels and holds up over time. This guide breaks down 3D printing explained in plain language: how FDM printing works, the most common materials we use, the finish options available, and how to think about durability so you can pick the right combination for your project — whether that's a decorative gift, a functional part, or something in between.
FDM 3D Printing Explained
FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) is the most common form of 3D printing, and it's the process most people picture when they think of a "3D printer." A spool of plastic filament is fed through a heated nozzle, which melts it and deposits it in thin layers, one on top of the other, building up a solid object from the bottom up. Because the object is built layer by layer, FDM prints often have a subtle ribbed texture — visible "layer lines" — especially on curved surfaces, though these can be minimized with finer print settings.
FDM is popular because it's relatively fast, cost-effective for larger parts, and works with a wide range of durable, practical materials. It's an excellent choice for functional items, larger decorative pieces, prototypes, and anything where strength and cost-efficiency matter more than ultra-fine surface detail.
Common 3D Printing Materials
Within FDM printing, there's a range of specific materials, each with its own strengths. Here are the 3D printing materials we work with most often:
- PLA — our most-used FDM material. Easy to print with crisp detail and a huge range of colors and finishes (including matte, silk, glow-in-the-dark and metallic effects). Great for decorative items, gifts, display pieces and prototypes, though it's less heat-resistant than other options.
- PETG — a step up in durability and flexibility compared to PLA, with good resistance to impact and moderate heat. A popular choice for functional parts, everyday-use items, and pieces that need to handle some wear and tear.
- ABS — known for higher heat resistance and toughness than PLA or PETG, making it suitable for parts exposed to higher temperatures or more demanding mechanical use. ABS is not UV resistant, so it isn't the best choice for pieces left in direct sunlight.
- ASA — similar heat resistance and toughness to ABS, with the added benefit of UV resistance, making it the better option of the two for outdoor applications and parts exposed to direct sunlight.
- TPU — a flexible, rubber-like filament used for parts that need to bend, stretch or absorb impact, such as flexible phone cases, grips, gaskets and wearable components.
Finish Options
How a piece is finished after printing can make a big difference to the final look and feel:
- As-printed — the fastest and most cost-effective option, with visible layer lines giving a clean, slightly textured look that suits many decorative and functional pieces as-is.
- Assembled multi-part — larger or more complex designs are sometimes printed in separate pieces and assembled afterward, allowing for bigger finished sizes, multiple colors, or moving parts that wouldn't be possible as a single print.
Durability & Use Cases
Matching the material to how a piece will actually be used is one of the most important parts of the process:
- Decorative & display pieces — PLA is usually ideal: it prints cleanly, holds detail well, and is available in the widest range of colors and finishes for trophies, models, signage and gifts.
- Everyday functional items — PETG offers a good balance of strength, durability and printability for things like organizers, holders, brackets and tools that see regular handling.
- Higher-heat or higher-impact use — PETG or ABS are better suited to parts that may sit in a hot car, near a window, or take everyday knocks, thanks to their higher heat resistance and toughness compared to PLA.
- Outdoor or sun-exposed use — ASA is the best choice for pieces left outdoors or in direct sunlight, as it's the only one of our materials that's UV resistant and won't fade or become brittle from sun exposure over time.
- Flexible or wearable parts — TPU is the go-to choice for anything that needs to bend, flex or absorb shock without cracking.
Color & Customization Options
One of the advantages of FDM printing is the sheer range of available filament colors — from solid, matte and glossy tones to silk finishes, glow-in-the-dark effects and metallic-look filaments. This makes it easy to match a specific brand color, theme or personal preference for most projects.
For designs that need more than one color, there are a couple of approaches: printing separate parts in different colors and assembling them, or swapping filament partway through a print for clean color transitions. If you have a specific color or theme in mind — including custom color matching for branding or events — let us know when requesting a quote and we'll recommend the best approach for your design.
Choosing the Right Material & Finish for Your Project
With so many combinations of material and finish available, the easiest way to choose is to start with how the piece will be used and what it needs to look like — decorative or functional, large or highly detailed, single color or multi-color. From there, we can recommend which material suits your use case, and what finish will get you the result you're after. If you're not sure where to start, send us a description or reference image through the "Request a Quote" form and we'll guide you through the options.
Want to see these materials and finishes in action? Browse our full portfolio for examples of past projects across different materials and finishes, or check our FAQ page for more on pricing, turnaround time and ordering.