| Type | Full Name | Temperature | Description |
|---|
| PLA | Polylactic Acid | 190-220 | The best general purpose filament. Adheres easily to the standard bed surfaces. Is not resistant to hot car temperatures. Very easy to print with. |
| ABS | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene | 220-240 | A well established filament type but somewhat difficult to print with. Adhesion to the bed is a challenge as it tends to curl. A high bed temperature (80-100) is needed. Noxious fumes can be expected. A full enclosure is almost a must. I have no plans on ever using it. |
| PETG | Polyethylene Terephthalate w/Glycol modifier | 235-255 | PETG is a great replacement for ABS. It has the strength and durability of ABS with no warping or noxious fumes. It comes in almost clear variants as well as the usual mostly opaque colors. Do NOT print directly on the bed unless you know it's OK (It's Ok on the Ender 3 stock bed) as PETG is known to BOND permanently - especially glass. On the Monoprice Mini Delta I use green painters tape (used for concrete) and glue stick to get good adhesion with a bed temperature of 60. I could never get the blue tape to stick to a hot bed so the green tape is the solution for that. The only downside is that the green tape has an interesting smell to it. Note that PETG is hygroscopic (absorbs and retains water from the air) and must be kept sealed up as much as possible and dried if it takes on too much water. NOTE: See the Ender 3 section for special notes on using PETG on the Ender 3. |
| TPU | Thermoplastic Polyurethane | 240-260 | TPU is a flexible filament that is right on the edge of what most printers can do without some modifications. A more robust extruder is a must. I'm using a bed temperature of 50 on the straight Ender 3 bed. Note that TPU is hygroscopic and must be kept sealed up so it can stay dry. |
| Nylon | Polyamide | 240-270 | Nylon has some very special properties that we all know pretty well. It's tough and flexible and will take a real beating. It needs PVA-based glue for bed adhesion and a bed temperature of 60-80. It is also super hygroscopic and may need to be dried before use and kept dry in storage. |
| NylonX (MatterHackers) | Polyamide with Chopped Carbon Fiber Strands | 250-270 | NylonX will eat your brass nozzle. You need a hardened steel nozzle to print any quantity of this. But it's super strong. It's also expensive ($58 for 1/2 kilogram). If you need it it's there. |