Which material should I use?

Every material has its own character: one is easy and stiff, another handles the sun, another bends without breaking. Choosing well is half of a good print.

Here's what each one is for, what it's like to print and what changes if you're coming from PLA. The numbers are a starting point: every brand and every color behaves a bit differently, so it pays to calibrate your filament afterwards.

PLAThe everyday material: easy, stiff and great at detail. If you're just starting, start here.190–240°For beginners PLA SilkPLA with a metallic or silky shine: it looks great, but it's fussier to print and weaker.190–240°For beginners PETGThe next step after PLA: tougher, slightly flexible and handles more heat. The favorite for parts that get used.220–270°With some practice PCTGA cousin of PETG: tougher against impacts, clearer, and handles a bit more heat.240–270°With some practice TPUFlexible plastic like rubber: it stretches, squeezes and springs back.200–250°With some practice HIPSLight and similar to ABS. Its best-known job: support material for ABS parts.220–270°With some practice Fiber-filled (CF and GF)PLA, PETG, nylon or PP with carbon or glass fiber: stiffer, with a matte finish and steadier dimensions.190–240°With some practice Soluble supports (PVA and BVOH)Materials that dissolve in water: for supports you could never pull out by hand.190–240°With some practice ABSHandles heat and impacts, and you can sand and glue it. In exchange, it shrinks as it cools and wants an enclosed printer.240–280°Demanding ASALike ABS, but made to live in the sun and weather without going brittle.240–280°Demanding PC (polycarbonate)Among the toughest, and the most heat-resistant on this list. Also among the hardest.260–290°Demanding Nylon (PA)Tough, slippery and almost impossible to wear out. Ideal for parts that rub, if you keep it dry.240–280°Demanding PP (polypropylene)Light, flexible and resistant to many chemicals. Hard to get to stick to the plate.220–250°Demanding

The green bar is the material's nozzle temperature window; the gray one is PLA's (190–240 °C), for comparison. Starting values from Bambu Studio's generic profiles for the A1; on another printer they shift a little.

Side by side

The starting values of each generic Bambu Studio profile for the A1. On another printer the numbers shift a little, but the differences between materials are the same.

Material	Nozzle	Bed	Fan	Max flow	Softens at
PLA	190–240 °C	65 °C	60–80 %	12 mm³/s	45 °C
PLA Silk	190–240 °C	55 °C	60–80 %	7.5 mm³/s	45 °C
PETG	220–270 °C	80 °C	40–90 %	8 mm³/s	70 °C
PCTG	240–270 °C	70 °C	10–40 %	6 mm³/s	90 °C
TPU	200–250 °C	45 °C	100–100 %	3.2 mm³/s	30 °C
ABS	240–280 °C	100 °C	10–20 %	15 mm³/s	100 °C
ASA	240–280 °C	100 °C	10–80 %	12 mm³/s	100 °C
PC (polycarbonate)	260–290 °C	100 °C	10–20 %	16 mm³/s	120 °C
Nylon (PA)	240–280 °C	100 °C	40–85 %	12 mm³/s	108 °C
PP (polypropylene)	220–250 °C	55 °C	100–100 %	12 mm³/s	110 °C
HIPS	220–270 °C	70 °C	0–60 %	8 mm³/s	100 °C
Fiber-filled (CF and GF)	190–240 °C	65 °C	60–80 %	12 mm³/s	45 °C
Soluble supports (PVA and BVOH)	190–240 °C	65 °C	60–80 %	16 mm³/s	45 °C

Bed: textured plate. Max flow: how much plastic it melts per second, which limits speed.

Moisture and drying

Almost every filament absorbs moisture from the air, some much more than others. A damp filament strings, bubbles, crackles in the nozzle and makes weaker parts. Each material page tells you how much it's affected.

Drying time and temperature come from your filament's maker: every brand and blend is different, so we don't give numbers here. Look for them on the filament's label or the brand's data sheet.