3D Printer Materials: Best Filament and Resin for 3D Printing

Nothing excites a 3D printing enthusiast more than the sight of spools of filament from various materials and what each filament specializes in. We are here to look at the different types of 3D printing materials to help you determine which one could suit your needs.

3D printer materials are probably the first concern for the novice hobbyist when deciding to go with 3D printing. Even for the progressive 3D printing expert, new types of filaments and materials become an interest, especially when moving forward to a professional level. So, first, what are the types of 3D printing materials available today on the market?

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

One of the oldest on this list. ABS is a common material and has been in use for a very long time, even before 3D printing became popular. It is used in injection molding. ABS is durable and is suited for prototyping parts that will undergo stress and/or temperature swings. For using this material, it can be tricky; you will need to have the right 3D printer. An enclosed printer is most definitely recommended, plus a heated print bed. There are plenty of these printers under the Creality brand that are suited for this filament.

ABS warps as it cools down. As anyone who has seen 3D printing in action knows, the job can take minutes to hours, depending on the complexity of the shape and size of the model. During this time, the different layers will shrink, splitting the model into layers. This is why an enclosed printer is very much recommended. The heated bed and enclosed environment will keep the model heated until it is finished printing.

This material is not food-safe, and the fumes during 3D printing can be a health hazard. Make sure to observe proper ventilation. Very durable with a given extent of flexibility. For cleanup or clearing clogged nozzles, you can dissolve this plastic with acetone, esters, and ketones.

Get deals on filament materials in our official Creality Store.

PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol)

With such a mouthful for a name, this material is the sweet spot between ABS and PLA. It is a durable material that can handle stress and sudden impacts. This is the same plastic used in plastic bottles, but is it food-safe? It’s best to consult the manufacturer of the brand of filament you have. Don’t assume just because it’s used in water bottles that it’s already safe to print containers for food.

When storing the material, keep it in a sealed bag with desiccant. Despite its positives, the filament can absorb moisture in the air, which could ruin its integrity.

PETG is easy to work with; it will stick to the print bed, and warping is minimal.

PETT (Polyethylene Trimethylene Terephthalate)

PETT is a variant of PETG that is transparent and slightly rigider than PETG.

TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomers)

TPE filaments are a class of flexible plastics that have subtypes. The most flexible TPEs are difficult to work with due to their flexible nature.

TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane)

TPU is slightly more rigid in this class, and elasticity is retained even in colder temperatures, which is in fact preferred. Check out our TPU filament.

TPC (Thermoplastic Copolyester)

When applications where resistance to UV and chemicals is a must, then this flexible plastic is what you need.

Magnetic Filament

The name attached to this filament is a misnomer. The material is not magnetic; it does not make sense in the first place. Heat destroys the magnetic properties of an object. Instead, this filament contains ferromagnetic materials, which might be just iron. But it will stick to magnets!

Wood-Filled Filament 

If you are looking to print objects that can appear as something carved from wood, then this is the filament for you. This filament is fun to work with, it’s just PLA infused with wood particles. The wood used can be anything from pine and birch to bamboo; each type of wood filler gives off a different appearance. When using the wood filament, it is important to know that it will wear down your nozzle. The wood particles are like sandpaper. The aesthetics will come at the cost of durability, though that could still depend on what you are printing. If it’s a solid piece, then that will be durable. 

Use a nozzle other than one made of brass if you can when dealing with this filament, though that still won’t save you from replacing your nozzles more than usual if you print with this material a lot. Be wary of going too high with the temperature; instead of wood, you’ll get charcoal at the tip of your nozzle, and that can be very difficult to clean, so you might need to replace the nozzle itself. As for the final print’s quality, the layers might be visible, and post-processing steps might be required to smooth the surface of the model.

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Metal-Filled Filament

Another additional filament if you are looking to have some metal aesthetics for your models. Just like wood-filled filament, this one comes in a variety of metals like bronze, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, etc. These metal particles will also wear your nozzles, so expect to replace them more often or try to use a high-quality nozzle.

This is the closest you’re going to get when trying to emulate metal without smelting. The model will look like metal, weigh like metal, and shine like one. It can be used to print mechanical components, but don’t expect it to perform as if it were pure metal. Models printed from these are only made of metal particles preserved in plastic. The percentage of metal in plastic (ABS / PLA) varies from 50% to 85%. Read reviews for a particular filament from a brand to find out what it is suited for.

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Conductive Filament

Do you need to print pseudowires? This filament allows you to print parts that need to conduct electricity. However, the voltage supported by this material is low. The filament is made of carbon particles infused with PLA or ABS.

Clay or Ceramic Filament

Just like the earlier examples of wood and metal, here’s another filament created for looks. If you want to make your decorations out of clay but don’t have the skills to model one, then get your 3D printer to do it for you. Some brands have created good filament that appears to be almost the real thing; it can even be baked in a kiln after printing.

A 3D model printed using this material will also share the properties of clay, which include high resistance to high temperatures, but it will be brittle like clay. The model will also shrink when baked in a kiln.

Glow in the Dark Filament

As the name implies, if you need something that will glow in the dark, then this is for you. The glowing colors vary from green, yellow, pink, red, orange, etc. It’s all down to what you are designing. The phosphorescent materials tend to be abrasive and will wear your nozzles. It’s a catch-22 with this filament. If you want a brighter glow, you need more of it in your model, particularly within the walls, but using this filament too much will also destroy your nozzle over time.

Resin

The resin type, or 3D resin, comes in a liquid form specifically termed liquidphotopolymer,r which is resin-based. Also commonly used in construction as flooring or countertop materials. However, the 3D resin uses UV light to solidify three-dimensional products. There is a reason for most 3D resin to be enclosed.

Get hot deals on 3D printers and materials at Creality Printer Combo.

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Support Materials

PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol)

One of the challenges when printing models that have parts hanging is the need for a support structure. It can be done with the same plastic as the model in most printers with just one extruder, but doing this can mess up the model aesthetically. Pulling off support structures can damage or leave behind bits of plastic that need to be sanded.

PVA is a filament used best as a support structure material. You will need a printer with two extruders, one for printing with your main plastic material and another for PVA.

Once you are done with the print, you can simply dissolve the support structures in water. But this very property of PVA is also an issue when it comes to storage. The filament should be sealed in a dry environment, along with desiccants.

HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)

This is a material used as a support material but can also be a main printing material. To use it as support material, you will need a 3D printer with two extruders. Compared to PVA, this plastic does not mix with just any plastic, and you are limited to only ABS plastic.

Conclusion

With so many materials available on the market, there’s so much to choose from, but we can only really print with a limited number of them. Of course, this still depends on the industry you work in. Are you a hobbyist or a professional who needs to get things done? It’s fun to play with these materials, especially if you are a creative type. With all these materials, you can mix and match and create models that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Artist? You can play and experiment, come up with abstract works, or create something worth emulating.

Finally, we just need to be weary of using these 3D printer materials. We need to know what materials are infused with these filaments, like those with brass, as they may contain traces of lead. Unless it’s a clever imitation, like how modern paint doesn’t contain dangerous elements (like cadmium in the case of cadmium yellow), Read what the manufacturers have to say about what they’re selling, what we can do or not do, and know the limitations of these materials to reduce the risk of injury.

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