This blog will step you through everything you need to know about 3D printing with PVA – including my personal recommendations for filaments, equipment and settings for best results.

This non-toxic material is used not only within the realm of 3D printing filament but also in almost every facet of modern life – and an excellent choice for 3D printers looking to produce sturdy supports without the hassle of chemicals or power tools in removal.

• We also have an in-depth guide to all major 3D printer filaments.

PVA 3D Printing Properties

In 3D printing, PVA’s water solubility makes it an excellent support to models that include intricate detailing or involve overhanging features. Not only is it water-soluble, it’s also odorless, colorless, soft, biodegradable, and non-toxic at low concentrations.

As you know, a 3D printer starts printing an object from the bottom up. This means that if your design incorporates overhangs over 45 degrees, or bridged areas that don’t have any underlying material, you’re going to run into problems. After all, your printer filament is subject to the law of gravity. It can’t be extruded onto thin air.

If your filament is low temperature and cools fast, you can often make small bridges and overhangs without support and you’ll get a nice clear bridge. But anything larger and you’re likely going to need supports.

PVA solves this problem by providing the support medium for these overhangs. Your printer first lays down a layer of PVA support material underneath the area where the overhang will be.

Once the PVA 3D printing filament is in place, your printer is able to continue laying down the upper levels of your model. By using PVA 3D printer filament, you avoid the warping or total collapse that would occur if the PVA wasn’t there.

Within 3D printing, PVA is most known for being a support material for dual extruder 3D printers. Most typically it is used in combination with PLA, not only because of PLA’s popularity, but also because both have very similar extruding temperatures.

• We also have a ranking of the best dual extruder 3D printers.

Why Use Water Soluble Support Filament?

Well, getting rid of the PVA support material once you’re done printing couldn’t be easier. There’s no mess and no need to use expensive chemicals, knives or power tools in order to remove what you don’t want.

All you do is simply submerge your model in water for a couple of hours (up to 24 for bigger prints). The PVA dissolves away completely, leaving you with sharp, clean lines on the overhanging areas of the object that you’ve created. 

Warm water can speed up the process. Some more complicated prints may take longer.

Using a soluble support material like PVA requires that you use a printer with dual (or more) extruders. One extruder handles the support material, the other handles the main printing filament.

If you’re not currently using a dual extruder printer, it’s very likely that you can easily upgrade in order to get the increased flexibility and creativity that multiple extruder printing offers.

For example, two extruders not only allow you to use support materials, they also allow you to print in more than one color.

Now that you know what PVA is and how it is used, let’s take a look at some of its features:

• It is water-soluble, biodegradable, and non-toxic
• It has high tensile strength and is also quite flexible
• It is odorless when used in printing
• It easily adheres to other substances
• It resists oil, grease, and solvents
• PVA will begin to partially hydrolyze (breakdown) at a temperature of 180°C
• Therefore, PVA filament temperature for printing is between 190°C and 210°C
• PVA tends to work better with PLA than ABS, since the higher printing temperatures that ABS requires sometimes means that PVA will have trouble adhering.

PVA isn’t the only soluble support filament available for use in 3D printing. There are other soluble support filaments, such as HIPS, that essentially do the same thing as PVA.

PVA 3D Print Speed & Temperature

Like all 3D printing materials, knowing the specific PVA filament properties will make your print as successful as possible.

First, you want to keep your fan speed a bit on the low side since PVA can be fragile while extruding.

Next, set the temperature of your bed to between 50°C and 60°C, maybe a tad hotter for the first few passes. This will help with adhesion. We also recommend a printing temperature of between 190°C and 210°C, depending on your extruder.

Regarding the best PVA filament settings; you want to keep your printing speed slower than normal, somewhere around 30mm/sec. If you go faster than that you run the risk of the material not lying properly.

The balancing point with finding the best PVA filament temperature (or the sweet spot where it prints nicely) is that you don’t print any hotter than you absolutely need to. Depending on what you’re printing (if there aren’t many overhangs or bridges) if the support material extruder is left hot for a while in between printing, it can clog up the extruder.

A lot of the problems that people experience when printing with PVA comes from using a low-quality filament. PVA that contains impurities and additives can cause inconsistent melting which, in turn, can cause blobbing, irregular flow and clogged extruders.

When you use a high-quality PVA you avoid all of the above problems. You save time, you save money and you eliminate the frustration of watching a carefully planned print go down the drain.

With the exception of part-cooling fans, which are required, PVA does not need any additional equipment for 3D printing, however, some optional hardware may make life a little easier.

Other PVA filament best practices and tips and tricks include:

• PEI sheets or painters tape build surface are recommended.
• An ooze shield is optional, but recommended. 
• Adjust your 3D slicer infill settings to make your filament go further. Use a low infill percentage throughout your PVA support structure, and then using a higher percentage only where it contacts the print.

Advantages and Disadvantages of 3D printing PVA

Benefits of PVA Filament

Water soluble: Being entirely water soluble allows PVA to be used as a dissolvable support material. Dissolving PVA leaves no blemishes on the final print, as no force is used to remove the supports.

Biodegradable & environmentally friendly: PVA will completely biodegrade, and is harmless to the environment in low concentrations.

Drawbacks of PVA Filament

PVA filament doesn’t require any special steps to get the best results. However, PVA can have a smaller margin for error than more typical filaments. With that in mind, here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

Requires careful storage: Being entirely water-soluble means that the filament can have strong reactions to any form of moisture, even in the air. If not stored correctly, or if the filament contacts moisture before printing, then the final prints can bubble or crack, degrading their final quality and strength.

Expensive: PVA is expensive, easily costing two or three times as much as ABS or PLA filament. 

Clogging and Oozing: Although not considered an especially challenging material to work with, PVA does have a smaller margin for error when compared to PLA. If the printhead temperature is set too high, or even if the printhead is left idling for too long, then PVA will either ooze or degrade and essentially cook inside the nozzle, clogging it. Even with your temperature set up correctly, PVA is still prone to oozing, especially between prints. To avoid this, we recommend using an ooze shield, and being vigilant with cooling down your printer nozzle between prints. We also recommend removing any unused PVA from your printer when not in use to limit its exposure to potentially humid air.

Which PVA Filaments are Best?

We recommend the following PVA filaments:

• Matterhackers MH range of PVA 3D printing filaments
• Dynamism range of PVA filaments
• Selection of PVA we recommend on Amazon

Best PVA 3D Printers

As it is rarely used on its own, only dual extruder printers can effectively 3D print PVA. These printers have two print heads, and can be loaded up with two different materials, such as PLA and PVA.

So, if you’re looking for a PVA 3D printer, view our dual extruder 3D printer ranking here.

What Can You Use PVA Filament For?

PVA filament’s main application is that of a water-soluble support material for dual extruder printers. Being both non-toxic, soft, and easily dissolved in water, it is ideal as a support filament, able to be easily removed without blemishing the final print.

PVA can also support complex shapes, or fill concave or hollow objects, allowing these opbjects to be easily printed and supported where breakaway supports would struggle.

Outside of 3D printing, PVA’s non-toxic properties allow it to be used in many of the plastic household objects we take for granted. Laundry capsules such as Tide pods, disposable contact lenses, coatings for pills and tablets, fishing bait-bags, food packaging and biodegradable plastic bags are all common uses for PVA.

How to Store PVA Filament

It is important to store your PVA correctly to ensure that it comes into as little contact with moisure as possible before printing. Dry PVA will give you the best printing results, and will be far less likely to ooze or clog in your printhead.

Ensure that it is always stored in an air-tight container: Most PVA will be delivered in a sealed or air-tight disposable bag, a bag that will predictably become a lot less airtight once opened. Ensure that before you open these bags, that you have an air-tight container ready to store your filament.

We recommend the following filament storage:

• Printdry 5 vacuum sealed filament storage containers

Recovering Wet PVA

If your PVA does become wet the spool isn’t necessarily ruined, as there are ways to recover it.

Assuming that your spool hasn’t completely dissolved like cotton candy, your first clue as to whether your PVA has absorbed too much water will be a soft and sticky texture, or the filament appearing warped. Your next clue will be a hissing or steaming printhead while in operation, and your final clue will unfortunately be a poor-quality print.

Recovering your PVA is luckily as simple as using a commercially available dehydrator. Failing that, your PVA can be dehydrated by heating it. We recommend heating it to between 45⁰C-55⁰C for two hours on a heated build-plate, or 113⁰F-131⁰F in an oven.  Exact drying times and temperatures will vary depending on your brand, and how wet your filament is, so expect a measure of trial and error when trying to dehydrate your PVA.

Alternatively, you can purchase a filament dryer. These are specially designed to dry your filament and replenish its best 3D printing properties. We recommend the following:

• PrintDry filament dryer on Matterhackers

Water Soluble Filaments: PVA vs HIPS

PVA is not only water-soluble, it is also hygroscopic. This means that it naturally absorbs water from the air that surrounds it. This makes PVA extremely sensitive to humidity.

If PVA is exposed to air that contains too much water it will begin to lose its tensile strength and degrade. Therefore, it is always important to store PVA in an airtight container, perhaps one containing a desiccant, especially if you live in a climate that experiences high humidity on a regular basis.

HIPS does not have this problem, since it is neither water-soluble nor hygroscopic. However, HIPS’ non-water solubility gives rise to another problem – removing it as a support medium once you’re finished printing.

Unlike PVA, you can’t simply chuck a HIPS model in water. Instead, in order to remove HIPS you have to use Limonene, a chemical solvent. Unlike water, Limonene isn’t odorless. So, using HIPS can be, potentially, more irritating than using PVA.

In the end, it comes down to a matter of preference. PVA requires more careful storage than HIPS, but is water-soluble. HIPS is easily stored, but requires a chemical solvent to remove. If you don’t mind taking the steps to protect PVA in storage then it probably provides an easier soluble support solution than HIPS.

Making PVA Filament

Polyvinyl Alcohol begins life as Polyvinyl Acetate (white glue). It is first dissolved in alcohol, usually methanol or ethanol, before being treated with an alkaline catalyst such as sodium hydroxide in a process fittingly called “Alcoholysis,” a specific type of hydrolysis reaction. Once completed, the “acetate” groups are removed from the molecule, resulting in Polyvinyl Alcohol.

Raw PVA usually comes in the form of solid pellets or a solution. Once thoroughly dried out, it can be extruded and rolled into a spool, ready for 3D printing.    

Is PVA Good for the Environment?

PVA will completely biodegrade, with PVA and starch blends theorized to take just over 12 years to degrade by 70%. By comparison, PLA would take 80 years to completely degrade if left in an open environment. 

Its low toxicity also means that water solutions can be safely disposed of down the sink, with the solution easily filtered out by treatment plants. Even untreated water concentrations of less than 5% are safe for fish. 

Additionally, unlike other plastics, PVA has no risk of producing micro-plastics. As it biodegrades it breaks down into monomers, which in turn decompose into nutrients and safely re-enters the environment.

The result is a zero-waste product which, if properly managed, has no long-term environmental impact. A truly guilt-free 3D printing filament.

History of PVA in 3D Printing

PVA was first discovered in 1924 by German Nobel Laureate Dr Hermann Staudinger. Japan began PVA research, resulting in “Synthetic Fiber No. 1” being produced in 1939, under Professor Ichiro Sakurada of Kyoto Imperial University. The research was then picked up by the Kuralon company, becoming the first company in the world to mass-produce and commercialize PVA fibers in 1950.

Although PVA filament could have been produced from the inception of 3D printing, it struggled to find a use until the adoption of multi-material 3D printing in 2006. Rather than just being able to print an object that will ultimately degrade in the open air, suddenly, the opportunity arose for PVA to be used in its now defining role, as a water-soluble support material.

3D software modeling tools range from being easy to use by even the newest of beginners to pro-level software that can take years to learn – so it’s important to pick one that matches your skill level.

I’d recommend Daz 3D as the best free 3D modeling software overall due to its massive library of pre-built elements, allowing users to assemble amazing characters and scenes quickly.

However, complete beginners should opt for TinkerCAD. It’s a very intuitive – albeit limited – tool with a way shorter learning curve, making it perfect for hobbyists who want to easily create basic 3D models.

In this guide compare the 12 most popular free 3D modeling programs I’ve tested across all the important criteria – device compatibility, features, ease of use – as well as any hidden quirks you should know about.

So let’s work out which is right for you.

Best Free 3D Modeling Software 2023: Criteria

Here are some of the criteria we used to evaluate the best free 3D modeling software tools for 2023:

• Ease of use: free software tools are often used by beginners so this is important.
• Depth of 3D software: being easy to use because there isn’t much you can do with the software doesn’t count as a plus. The ideal free 3D modeling software tool is not only easy to learn and use, but with a wide and deep range of tools to create professional 3D models.
• Novelty: a ranking of ten 3D software tools that perform the exact same function is boring. Bonus points were given to a 3D software program that took a completely new approach to creating 3D designs.

1. Daz 3D: Daz Studio

• Price: Free, with extra downloadable premium assets

Daz 3D, creators of Daz Studio, offers some of the most fascinating and accessible innovations in the 3D software industry. Daz Studio is a powerful 3D creation and rendering tool that streamlines many of the medium’s more technical aspects, such as animating, posing, setting up lighting, and rendering.

They also host a massive online library full of Daz-ready content created by professional artists, allowing you to assemble amazing characters and scenes quickly. It’s helpful for hobbyists and professionals alike, and can be downloaded for free.

A few features that make Daz Studio stand out include:

Premier Characters and Content

Daz’s character range and toolset really stood out for us. Their Genesis 8.1 Male and Female characters take center stage for character design — high-definition 3D figures that can be posed, animated, dressed, and customized easily using Daz’s morphing system and modular system. You can morph your Genesis Character’s physical appearance in so many ways, by mixing, matching, and blending content to create unique characters ready for photo-realistic rendering.

Face Transfer and Morphing

Have you ever wanted to see what you’d look like if you were half hippo? Or how you’d look with crazy new hair? Daz 3D’s Face Transfer allows you to do all those things – and more.

Simply take a photo of yourself and upload it; the software will take care of all 3D rendering to create an accurate 3D model of your face, with all the intricacies of your face fully adjustable as you transfer. Your bone structure will adjust accurately as you morph your 3D model, no matter how outlandish your changes are. Once you’re satisfied with your half-hippo look, you can animate yourself and make your character dance!

You aren’t limited to just half-and-half morphs either. Feel free to customize and morph any two figures – for example an alien and a werewolf – and create something 80% one character, and 20% the other. The possibilities really are endless. Of course, you can also use this to create unique, lifelike characters as well.

While the FaceTransfer feature is limited to 3 free renders without any watermarks in Daz Studio, users can enjoy the freedom of character morphs, which are how you customize and tweak physical appearances in Studio.

dForce Simulated Physics

Another innovative tool available in the free-to-download Daz Studio is their dForce hair and cloth simulating feature. With Daz Studio you can intuitively replicate stunning and lifelike cloth and hair movement.

Intricate aspects of clothes and hair move based on gravity, wind, and any character movement, and can be simulated to a hyper-realistic level. So, whether you want to have a running character’s clothes move in the wind, or an athlete’s hair adjust as they jump, you can do it all with dForce. Despite being such an advanced feature, you get full dForce access within Daz Studio for free.

Daz 3D has a number of tutorials and examples on site, and while Daz Studio is free to download, they have a range of premium 3D models and assets, such as people or animals of all shapes and sizes, you can purchase too.

2. TinkerCAD — best free 3D modeling software for beginners

• How free is it: Completely free!
• Company based: USA
• Accessibility: Browser-based 3D software

One of the many 3D software tools offered by 3D CAD software giant Autodesk, TinkerCAD is a deceptively deep tool. Though it looks fairly basic due to how easy it is to use, TinkerCAD has proved time and time again that it is up with the best free 3D modeling software out there for creating 3D models.

Utilizing what some might consider to be basic shapes, TinkerCAD allows you to create detailed 3D models by connecting different shapes together. The learning curve is far shorter than some of the more in-depth 3D software out there, making TinkerCAD the perfect 3D modeling software for beginners or children. It’s ideal for teaching kids 3D printing by creating models to print.

Further showing TinkerCAD’s ease of use, it’s the most used 3D modeling software in schools and classes worldwide. As a free online 3D modeling software, it’s browser based so you can get started in minutes without any complex or lengthy downloads. What’s more, you can download the TinkerCAD app and play around with your favorite models on your smartphone or tablet!

Though Autodesk make a number of different software for various industries, TinkerCAD is perfect for beginners who want to play around with 3D design software and maybe make something cool. You can then export your models as STL files or any other file format, and send them to a 3D printer to be 3D printed. Though once you gain more experience you may want to advance to something more complex like AutoCAD, TinkerCAD is a great place to start your 3D design career.

3. 3D Slash — easy free 3D modeling software for beginners

• Price: Free, with a $2/m premium version available

Ideal for complete beginners, 3D Slash feels less like a conventional (and perhaps intimidating!) 3D modeling software tool, and more like a friendly, interactive 3D world where you can create to your heart’s content. 

The team have clearly thought about how they can make the experience as natural as possible, so non-designers will easily understand how to create their own 3D models without the steep learning curves some programs have.

But that doesn’t limit you to just the basics — you can still create impressive and more complex objects if that’s your goal, but beginners will still find the features intuitive and user friendly.

3D Slash is free for the standard version, with a small monthly cost for Premium, and School and Professional plans also available.

4. FreeCAD — open source free 3D modeling software

• How free is it: Free and open source!
• Accessibility: Download

FreeCAD is a free 3D modeling software with some real skin in the game, having been initially released back in 2002, and despite still being in beta stage development has progressed significantly. It’s designed to make creating 3D versions of real-life objects as effective and simple as possible.

A very useful feature is the ability to start with a static 2D sketch, which you can then build your eventual 3D model from as you progress. FreeCAD works well on Windows as well as functioning effectively as a free 3D modeling software for Mac users, and once you’ve created your model, you can seamlessly export it as an STL, OBJ, or even DXF files for other uses such as CNC.

Though designed with mechanical engineering in mind, FreeCAD complements 3D printing as complex, interesting shapes and figures can be created with relative ease — despite not being as complicated as some CAD programs on this list. What’s more, FreeCAD is open source, so if you wish to tinker with the software itself, you’re free to do so with Python.

FreeCAD is ideal for users with some design experience as some tools may take a little while for complete beginners to learn. But overall, it’s a very powerful free 3D modeling software tool.

5. SketchUp

• How free is it: Free version, $299/year for Pro version
• Company based: USA
• Accessibility: Download, browser (depending on free/pro)

Created by Lastsoftware in 2000, SketchUp is a veteran of the 3D modeling software industry. A versatile and powerful option, Google acquired the software in 2006 to implement into their services, though it has since been sold to Trimble Inc.

Now offering a free version functioning as an excellent free 3D design software, SketchUp is a great choice for budding designers. Similar to TinkerCAD, SketchUp has a shorter learning curve than most 3D software out there, and comes stocked with tools for almost everything you could ever need.

Despite being currently known mostly in the architectural scene and for its affiliation with Google, SketchUp is becoming more relevant as a free 3D modeling software for 3D printing. They are working to become better integrated with creating STL files, and the tools are surprisingly compatible with those who wish to create 3D CAD files. You can currently download the SketchUp STL extension to enable STL files to be created within SketchUp.

SketchUp features an easy-to-use interface without being overloaded with information. You can figure out the basics behind this free 3D software in a few hours easily and be on your way to creating detailed 3D models on your first day that look so realistic they could have been scanned on a 3D scanner. You can easily view your models in 3D, and upload them to 3D Warehouse when you’re happy with the finished product.

6. Blender — advanced free 3D modeling software

• How free is it: Completely free!
• Company based: The Netherlands
• Accessibility: Download

Arguably the most popular 3D design software, Blender has a huge, active community who share their STL files and 3D models as well as information online. A quick Google or YouTube search will yield thousands of results with people eager to showcase their 3D designs or teach you how to use the Blender 3D software. This is down to Blender being a 100% free 3D modeling software tool which is open source, giving users freedom to create just about anything with its huge range of tools.

Though it has a steeper learning curve, Blender has huge depth to it, making it one of the most complete free 3D software tools out there. This depth makes it a very versatile 3D modeling tool, with uses ranging from film VFX, video games, 3D model design, and it’s also used as a 3D design software for 3D printing. Furthermore, Blender even comes with an integrated game engine, as well as detailed sculpting tools and video editing capabilities.

It isn’t for beginners, or probably even for intermediates, but it is an incredible free 3D modeling software that is ideal for game developers and experienced 3D modelers.

7. Meshmixer

• How free is it: Completely free
• Company based: USA
• Accessibility: Download

Meshmixer is an interesting 3D software, in the unique position that doesn’t fit into any one particular category. Another one of Autodesk’s 3D software, Meshmixer differs from its rivals in that it enables you to edit existing models with a variety of useful tools including animation, hollowing/filling, and tools for repairing models.

Meshmixer is therefore a fantastic free 3D modeling software for modifying designs to ensure their quality. This makes it a very useful software for beginners and experts alike, allowing them to polish their models so that they’re ready for 3D printing.

Another main selling point of Meshmixer is its use in topological optimization. With its simple hollowing and similar tools available within the free 3D software, parts can be made lighter, saving weight and costs. This is especially useful for eventual 3D printing in industries such as the aerospace and automotive sectors where cutting weight is very important.

Overall, Meshmixer is a versatile and consistent option for those who need to polish their 3D files. It’s perfect for beginners who want to modify their designs, as well as experts who need to optimize their industrial designs. Therefore, Meshmixer is a great free 3D software which encompasses many sectors.

8. Fusion 360

• How free is it: Free for personal use for a year, Pro version is around $500/year
• Company based: USA
• Accessibility: Download

Created with schools and academic institutes in mind, Fusion 360 is yet another 3D software created by Autodesk. It’s undoubtedly a 3D software modeling tool for experts, however it is user-friendly enough for an educated beginner to be able to use. Packed to the brim with innovative features, Fusion 360 is a very collaborative 3D software that allows users to share STL files via the cloud to collaboratively edit and optimize models.

With powerful tools for accomplishing almost any industrial 3D design, Fusion 360 really is an incredible piece of software. It has built-in features to assess stresses that components of your 3D design will encounter, allowing designers to locate potential weak points before printing. Once created, you can then easily export your 3D model as an STL file or any other file format.

Having recently been made free for students, startups, and more, Fusion 360 is a more accessible 3D software than ever before. If you’ve got some experience, or looking to level up your 3D design skills, this is the perfect 3D software for you.

9. Vectary

• Price: Free, with Premium features $12/month

Founded in 2014, Vectary calls itself the most accessible 3D and AR design platform — and it’s a completely web-based free 3D modeling software. 

Usefully, Vectary offers templates with pre-rendered and lit screens that you can place your 3D models in front of for product shots and other aesthetic uses. The simple workflow makes for easy lighting, modeling and sculpting with their toolset, and you can seamlessly export your finished design or scene as an AR model.

The free package includes access to Vectary Studio to create and design models, as well as the ability to export your creations in OBJ or STL file formats, though for other formats you’ll need to upgrade. Within their free offering you can create up to 25 projects, and you get access to Vectary’s library of 3D assets, materials and icons. Upgrading gives you access to their AR preview tools, and have project and team sharing features for better and quicker feedback between multiple people.

10. SelfCAD

• Pricing: $14.99/m, or $599 perpetual license. There are discounts for educators.
• Accessibility: Browser-based as well as downloadable versions

SelfCAD focuses on being the best browser-based free 3D modeling software for students all around the world, allowing people to design 3D files without having to download anything. This has made it a popular choice in the US for schools looking to teach students 3D design. There’s also a PC and Mac downloadable version however for those who prefer it.

Focused on simplicity and ease of use, SelfCAD offers all the necessary tools to create whilst still retaining a short learning curve that beginners can use. Built with 3D printing in mind, SelfCAD also includes browser-based slicing tools for preparing your STL or G-code files for 3D printing.

Overall, SelfCAD is a simple 3D design software program with a clean layout that doesn’t scare you off. It includes all the tools necessary for students and beginners to create amazing 3D models to print, without the steep learning curve involved in some other 3D software tools. There’s a reason it is becoming increasingly adopted in schools worldwide.

11. BlocksCAD

• How free is it: Free to use, with paid education plans for schools
• Company based: USA

At 3DSourced our priority is to educate, and therefore we have a soft spot for any individual or company with similar priorities. BlocksCAD firmly has education in mind, having been created to complement 3rd to 8th grade STEM education. BlocksCAD is a cloud-based free 3D modeling software that encourages the learning of math, computational thinking, coding concepts and designing models to be 3D printed.

There’s a wide range of projects in their freely available gallery to use as personal or class projects, ranging from snowmen, to jewelry rings, to fish, and even the infamous Among Us cafeteria.

Designed to collaborate closely with OpenSCAD, BlocksCAD is designed to be simple, fun, and child-friendly. 3D designs can be created through colorful, easy-to-manipulate blocks, which can then be exported either as STL files or as files to be opened and edited in OpenSCAD. For complete beginners, BlocksCAD offer extensive tutorials on the basics of 3D modeling, and how to use their 3D software.

For educators, there are added features for managing student’s accounts, and a range of lesson plans are also available.

12. OpenSCAD

• How free is it: Completely free!
• Accessibility: Download

Though a free 3D CAD software, OpenSCAD looks intimidating as you are enveloped in code and scripts. It’s a powerful tool – but be warned, it’s not for the faint-hearted or for those who aren’t used to coding.

Launched back in 2010 by Marius Kintel and Clifford Wolf and maintained by regular updates and patches, OpenSCAD has attracted a niche cult following among 3D designers who prefer the scripting rather than artistic method of design. It is also worth noting that you can design 3D parts in OpenSCAD with just a mouse, though this is not the sole intent of the program.

Overall, we’re impressed with OpenSCAD for offering something new – and doing it for free. We recommend at least intermediate knowledge of scripting before trying it however, or you’d probably be better off with one of the other 3D CAD software options on our list.

13. Wings 3D

• Price: Free

Wings 3D is a completely open source and free 3D modeling software that has been actively developed and improved since 2001. It’s not as modern-looking or user-friendly as software like Vectary or TinkerCAD, but works very well for character, tabletop model and other creative 3D modeling projects.

It’s fairly easy to navigate with features that make tweaking your models — such as via sculpting, welding, cutting, bridging or bending parts — simple even for beginners. 

Each menu is context-sensitive, so when you right-click different selections, different options appear based on what you’re most likely to need. This advanced time-saving tool makes it a great 3D modeling software option for beginners and experts.

Other articles you may be interested in include:

• If you need a 3D slicer — here’s our guide to the best 3D slicers for FDM 3D printing
• For all software for optimal 3D printing, we also have a ranking of the best 3D printing software
• For resin 3D printing, you’ll need a slicer specialized for resin prints. Here’s our guide to the best resin 3D slicers
• If you’re interested in 3D printing, we have a ranking for the best 3D printers for beginners

Other curated article recommendations from our team:

• The best 3D animation software
• Best VFX software
• Best architecture design software
• Best product design software
• Best CAD sofware for 3D printing
• Best 3D Modeling Software For Mac
• What’s the Top Free CAD Tool for Mac?

We’re here to help: we continuously update this best 3D printer guide with the latest 3D printer reviews, and we’ve tested over a dozen 3D printers on this site to create this buyer’s guide.

If you’re in a rush, here’s our 3 top picks:

BUDGET OPTION

Creality Ender 3 V2

Reliable low-cost 3D printer

Easily upgradable with a wide range of printable or purchasable upgrades

Improved print bed for better adhesion

Available At Creality Here Amazon here

RESIN PICK

Anycubic Photon Mono X

High-quality mid-range resin 3D printer

Fast 60mm/h resin printing

Powerful 4K LCD screen for precise details and miniatures

Available at Anycubic here Amazon Here

PREMIUM PICK

Prusa i3 MK3S+

Gold standard in DIY FDM 3D printing

Super reliable workhorse

Upgradable to print 5 colors simultaneously

Available At Prusa here

What makes a good 3D printer?

We used the following criteria, along with our hands-on experience, to make our top picks:

• Print quality: resolutions, accuracy and consistency
• Build volume: not a problem if you just want to print miniatures, but bigger can be better
• Reliability: especially important in cheap printers, we picked durable printers that work reliably
• Versatility: from the range of materials you can print, to any extras such as a dual extruder, enclosure, and more
• Easy to use: easy assembly, simple and intuitive to set up, and straightforward slicer software

We’ve split our recommended picks into different categories to help you find the best 3D printer based on your needs.

Then, below we have our full product reviews of each printer with the full details, and where to get the best price.

Here’s the full list:

Best Under $300

For new and experienced makers alike, finding the best 3D printer without breaking the bank is important.

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Creality Ender 3 V2 — best 3D printer for the price

• Price: Check price at Creality Official Store here / Available on Amazon here
• Build volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm

One of the leading 3D printers for $200, the Creality Ender 3 V2 is a very powerful machine for the price. It can be assembled in under an hour, and also features a heated bed.

An affordable workhorse 3D printer, the Ender 3 V2 is known for its reliability, churning out part after part without issue. The open printing area means it isn’t ideal for tougher filaments like ABS or Nylon, but as a PLA 3D printer it works well.

The Ender 3 V2 features a number of small but useful improvements on the best-selling Ender 3. The print volume is the same, but the print bed is now carborundum glass mounted on an aluminum bed, improving adhesion and making removing finished prints easier than on the previous magnetic bed. The HD screen is better than the original LCD interface, a small but pleasant quality-of-life improvement.

If you’re going to be spending $200 on a 3D printer, you can’t expect the quality to be flawless. If you want a Creality 3D printer and you have an extra $200 – upgrade to the Ender 3 S1 Pro, which also features on this ranking. I’ve also tested and reviewed the Ender 3 V2 Neo previously.

Anycubic Photon Mono 4K

• Price: Check price at Anycubic Official here / Amazon here
• Build Volume: 165 x 132 x 80 mm
• Bed Leveling: Manual
• LCD: 6.23” 4K monochrome LCD
• XY Resolution: 35 microns
• Filament Compatibility: Resin
• Connectivity: USB

The Anycubic Photon Mono 4K is a major upgrade on the standard Photon Mono, retaining the simplicity of the original while pumping up the XY resolution from 50 to 35 microns to put it in line with the pricier Mars Elegoo 3.

This major shift comes courtesy of a pivot to a 6.23″ LCD pushing 3,840 x 2,400 pixels. Although the 165 x 132 x 80 mm tails behind the Mars 3’s 143 x 90 x 165 mm, it still offers ample space for most resin-based home projects and then some.

The 1-2 second cure time remains identical to the original Mono, but you’re effectively able to produce the same prints in the same time frame but at a higher overall quality. Elsewhere, the 4K jumps to a new 15-LED matrix parallel light source that allows for more uniform light distribution, resulting in richer details.

So why opt for the Anycubic Photon Mono 4K over the Elegoo Mars 3? While the Mars 3 offers a sleeker overall printing experience, the Anycubic Photon Mono 4K just about keeps in pure specifications and print quality, all for $80 less.

If you’re after that sweet spot between spending as little as possible but still want a reliable, quality resin 3D printer, the Anycubic Photon Mono 4K hits the mark.

Elegoo Mars 2 Pro / Mars 3

BUDGET PICK

Elegoo Mars 2 Pro

Print Volume: 129 x 80 x 160 mm

Screen size: 6.08″ 2K Monochrome LCD

XY Resolution: 50 microns

Speed: 30-50 mm/h

Cleaning/Curing: Elegoo Mercury Plus/X

Available at:

Elegoo here Amazon here

PREMIUM PICK

Elegoo Mars 3

Print Volume: 143 x 90 x 175 mm

Screen resolution: 6.6″ 4K LCD

XY Resolution: 35 microns

Speed: 1.5-3 seconds per layer

Cleaning/Curing: Elegoo Mercury Plus/X

Available at:

Elegoo here Matterhackers here Amazon here

We were very impressed when we tried out the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro – especially for such a low price. It was easy to set up and get started, and the surface finish on our prints was fantastic.

However, you can upgrade from the Mars 2 Pro’s 2K screen to the Mars 3’s 4K screen if your budget can stretch that far, offering crisper details and ultra-fast 1.5-second layer curing.

The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro’s quality is great, and should be more than enough to print good-looking miniatures and models. The Mars 3 is not a necessity, but if you do want to overhaul the resolution and quality, go for the Mars 3.

The Mars 3 also has a larger build area: 143 x 90 x 165 mm, vs the Mars 2 Pro’s 129 x 90 x 150 mm. You can print 15mm taller models, and you have 14mm on the X-axis for printing more miniature models at the same time.

For XY resolution, the Mars 3 clocks in at 35 microns, an improvement on the Mars 2 Pro’s 50 microns. However, both are very well-made, with robust parts and CNC machined aluminum bodies.

So, if you’re fine with the 2K LCD screen, smaller build area and slightly slower print speed, then the Mars 2 Pro is a great budget pick. But if you want those extra upgrades, go for the Mars 3 – or even the Mars 3 Pro. The Mars 3 also comes with a year’s free ChiTuBox Pro, which usually costs $150+.

Read more: our review of the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro

Toybox: Best For Kids & Complete Beginners

• Price: $299 – Available at Toybox Official store here
• Build volume: 70 x 80 x 90 mm

The Toybox isn’t your high-tech, workhorse 3D printer to start a business with, but it is one of the simplest and most accessible 3D printers we’ve ever tested – ideal for kids and beginners. 

The build volume is small – just 70 x 80 x 90 mm, but if you have modest 3D printing goals to print miniatures and other fun characters, it’s a great choice. 

Toybox have partnered with numerous big players to bring you a huge range of free models you can 3D print too, from Batman and Wonder Woman, to fun 3D printable dragons, tanks, cars, and so much more.

For kids it’s super safe: it only prints low-temperature PLA, and any hot parts are kept well away from prying hands. You get small spools of many different color filaments to print away with – affectionately called 3D printer “food” by Toybox – and we found it to be reliable yet super accessible.

If you’re brand new and want a hassle-free run, or want to get your kids into 3D printing cheaply, the Toybox is great. You can also read our full Toybox 3D printer review, as well as our round-up of the best 3D printers for beginners.

Anycubic Kobra – best under $300

• Price: Check price at Anycubic here / Amazon here
• Build Volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm
• Bed Leveling: Yes, LeviQ automatic bed leveling
• Build Platform: PEI-coated spring steel heated bed
• Filament Compatibility: PLA / ABS / PETG / TPU
• Connectivity: USB, SD Card

The Anycubic Kobra delivers incredible value for the asking price, with a spec sheet that reads like one for a printer twice its price. We were lucky enough to review the Anycubic Kobra, and despite some minor slicer issues, we were thoroughly impressed with Anycubic’s latest entry-level printer.

Standout features include Anycubic’s in-house developed LeviQ automatic bed leveling and homing system, a PEI-coated spring steel heated bed, a direct drive extruder, and one of the sharpest touch screen UI’s we’ve seen at the price point. It’s frankly baffling to see these types of features on a printer costing less than $300.

The Anycubic Kobra’s budget appeal also extends to the quality of the prints. With a bit of software wrangling, the Kobra is capable of fantastic prints for the price, and the bang-on average 220 x 220 x 250 mm build volume should cover all your everyday 3D printing needs. 

A layer thickness range of 50 to 300 microns and print speeds pushing up to 180 mm/s have you covered for everything from sharp, detailed prints through to quick, functional parts.

Overall, the Anycubic Kobra is an affordable printer that stands out for taking some of the more frustrating and time-consuming aspects of the hobby out of the picture so that you can concentrate on the actual printing.

If you’re a first-timer looking for a gentle introduction to 3D printing, the Anycubic Kobra is arguably the best option out there currently.

And if the build volume isn’t enough, upgrade to either the Kobra Plus or Kobra Max:

• Kobra Plus: 300 x 300 x 350 mm build area – Available here
• Kobra Max: 400 x 400 x 450 mm build area – Available here

Best Under $500

Prusa Mini – Best Premium-Budget Printer

• Price: $350 – Available at Prusa Official here
• Build Volume: 180 x 180 x 180 mm
• Bed Leveling: Yes, SuperPINDA probe
• Build Platform: Removable magnetic spring steel sheets
• Filament Compatibility: PLA, PETG, ASA, ABS, Flex
• Connectivity: USB, Ethernet

With the Prusa Mini, the company leverages all the Prusa i3 MK3S+’s usability and specs into a comparatively affordable printer. The Prusa Mini’s price is entry-level, only marginally higher than you’d pay for the ever-popular Ender 3 and Anycubic Kobra.

It’s a sophisticated 3D printer that focuses on simplicity. It features automatic mesh bed leveling courtesy of a superb SuperPINDA probe, a classy PEI-coated spring steel removable bed, and instructions that are as clear and user-friendly as they come.

The Prusa Mini also pairs well with a broader range of materials than your standard budget printer, covering PLA and ABS along with PETG, ASA, HIPS, and produces decent results with demanding exotics like PC blends and CF-PETG.

However, for all the Mini’s fantastic attributes, it’s abundantly clear where Prusa trimmed the fat, with a rather measly 180 x 180 x 180 build volume.

For the average maker, especially first-timers, the Mini’s build volume should be more than enough for most common print projects. However, if you want to print large models, or large terrain areas for miniatures, opt for an Ender 5 Plus.

Volume aside, the Prusa Mini is a solid premium-budget option for those buying a first printer and even more experienced makers looking to add to their printer line-up.

Ender 3 S1 Pro

• Price: Check latest price at Creality here / Amazon here
• Build volume: 220 x 220 x 270 mm
• Minimum layer height: 0.05mm
• Bed leveling: Automatic
• Max extruder temperature: 300°C

We highly recommend the standard Ender 3 or Ender 3 V2 for a very low-cost FDM kit, but if you want premium features for a couple hundred bucks extra, the Ender 3 S1 Pro is one of the best printers under $500.

We were really impressed with the quality when we printed out some test prints during our Ender 3 S1 3D printer review.

The build volume is mostly the same (270 mm vs 250 mm on z-height) as the standard Ender 3, but the S1 Pro has an all-metal and direct drive extruder, versus the Ender 3’s PTFE bowden extruder. This makes it much easier to print flexibles like TPU, and reduces filament jamming from the generally higher quality extruder.

The S1 Pro can also handle up to 300°C temperatures, so high-temp Nylon and other filaments are no problem – a rarity at under $500. The Ender 3 standard runs up to 255°C, and the Ender 3 S1 (not Pro) can handle 260°C.

Another major advantage is the auto-bed leveling. While you can buy a CRTouch or BLTouch for the Ender 3, it’s a hassle and a time sink, so the Ender 3 S1 and S1 Pro coming with this is a big plus.

The z-axis is also generally sturdier and of higher quality for more reliable and precise printing, and if you do intend to print fine details, the Ender 3 S1 range goes down to 0.05mm layer heights, versus the 0.1mm on the other Ender 3 printers. You can also read our full Ender 3 S1 Pro review.

Anycubic Vyper

• Price: Best price on Anycubic Store / Also Available on Amazon
• Build volume: 245 x 245 x 260 mm

We were impressed with the Anycubic Vyper when we tested it last month. The build volume is impressive, and slightly larger than you’d expect for this price range — yet the printer is compact, and fits on most desktops.

The auto leveling makes life easier and can be done via 1 click, and the Vyper also automatically adjusts your nozzle height for optimum printing. The spring steel magnetic platform makes it easy to remove prints, and its magnetism means you can remove the entire plate, remove your model in a more convenient place, and then click it back into place for your next print.

Though we kept it at the standard 50-60mm/s during our test, Anycubic highlight how the Vyper’s innovative new double fan system lets you print at up to 100mm/s without creating issues. Still, if you’re going to use your printer as a speed demon, be careful when printing very small models.

The large 4.3-inch touchscreen makes printing a breeze, and the layout is intuitive and simple to operate. It doesn’t have WiFi connectivity, but it’s very easy to move models from Cura to the SD card and print them on the Vyper. Overall, it’s a good compact 3D printer for home makers. You can read more in our full Anycubic Vyper review.

Best Large-Format Resin

Anycubic Mono X

• Price: Check price at Anycubic Official Store here / Available on Amazon here
• Build volume: 192 x 120 x 245 mm

The Mono X is a big upgrade on Anycubic’s lower priced LCD printers. This home 3D printer can print intricate tabletop or D&D models in fantastic detail, and is one of the best 3D printers for miniatures. It prints at a very respectable 60mm/h.

The 4K screen makes for incredibly precise layers for the price, and in fact you’ll barely be able to see any visible layer lines if you use more accurate print settings. Additionally, the upgraded double linear Z-axis improves stability, further improving performance.

The 3.5” touchscreen makes it easy to operated, and the Mono X works over via WiFi or USB/SD. Overall, it’s one of the best 3D printers for resin molds and models under $1,000, and a great 3D printer for resin.

Elegoo Saturn S – Best Large Resin 3D Printer

• Price: Check latest price at Elegoo here / Amazon here
• Build Volume: 196 x 122 x 210 mm
• Bed Leveling: Manual
• LCD: 9.1-inch 4K HD Monochrome
• XY Resolution: 48 microns
• Filament Compatibility: Resin
• Connectivity: USB

The Elegoo Saturn S is a new-look upgrade on the standard Saturn, bring it in line with larger resin competitors like the Anycubic Mono X series.

Compared to the standard Saturn, build volume jumps from 192 x 120 x 200 mm to 196 x 122 x 210 mm. 

This is a slight increase, but these numbers position the Saturn S as one of the larger format printers priced under $500 – ideal for printing batches of your favorite high-detail figurines.

Elsewhere, the Saturn S 4K screen refines the XY resolution to 48 microns, offering a slight jump in fine detail over the Saturn’s 50 microns. You could spend a further $200 on the Photon Mono X 6K to drop to 34 microns. Still, the differences at this scale are virtually indistinguishable to anyone but the most discerning makers.

When compared with the Anycubic Mono X (not the 6K version), they have similar 4K screens and resolutions, with the Saturn S having a 4mm larger X-axis, and the Mono X with a 35mm larger Z-height. So if you want to print taller models, go with the Mono X.

They’re of similar speeds, and have similar connectivity via USB – so it’s mostly down to what you plan to print: do you want to print wider, or taller? For wider, go with the Saturn S, for taller, the Mono X. And for a 6K screen, go for a Mono X 6K.

Best Large-Format FDM

Ender 5 Plus – Best Large-Format 3D Printer Under $1,000

• Price: Check price at Creality Official here / Amazon here
• Build Volume: 350 x 350 x 400 mm
• Bed Leveling: Yes, BLTouch auto-bed leveling probe
• Build Platform: Glass heated bed
• Filament Compatibility: PLA, ABS, TPU, Composite-Filled
• Connectivity: SD Card, Browser Interface

The real highlight of the Ender 5 Plus is the 350 x 350 x 400 mm build volume – far above the average found on sub-$1000 printers. It’s one of the best large 3D printers for the price.

So much real estate opens the door for far more ambitious hobbyist prints – cosplay items and accessories, batch printing smaller parts, large vases or household pieces, and any other projects that benefit from the extra space.

As the most premium of the entry-level Ender line-up, it also throws in a few quality-of-life improvements, notably BLTouch-powered automatic bed leveling, which blazes through normally fiddly calibration. It also features a quality removable tempered glass plate, filament runout sensor, and a sharp 4.3″ touchscreen.

Beyond these, the Ender 5 Plus is a functional printer much like the Ender 3, with few extra bells and whistles. A possible downside for some but a genuine benefit for others as the Ender 5 Plus offers a solid foundation ripe for upgrades and tinkering.

All-metal extruder, direct drive system, enclosure, mainboard, all-metal hot end, and countless 3D printed upgrades are all possible add-ons to transform a solid printer into an exceptional one capable of handling all manner of exotic and abrasive filaments.

Some mods are more daunting than others, but the Ender 5 Plus popularity means there’s an in-depth guide, tutorial, and video available for every upgrade to walk you through every step, courtesy of an engaged and active community.

Best FDM 3D Printer For $1000

Prusa i3 MK3S+

• Price: $749 as a kit — Available on the Prusa store here / $999 fully assembled — Available on the Prusa store here
• Build volume: 250 x 210 x 200 mm

Literally the gold standard of desktop FDM kits, Josef Prusa has sold over 100,000 of his 3D printers over the years. Known as the premier 3D printer to emerge from the RepRap movement, the Prusa i3 MK3S+ is packed with features that make it a great 3D printer for both makers as well as businesses.

The MK3S+, released at the tail end of 2020, features a number of small yet beneficial improvements over the MK3S. The new SuperPINDA probe allows for fully-automatic mesh bed leveling, with other improvements including easier to mount bearings on the Y-axis that provide better support.

You get there bed surface options for spring steel sheets – smooth, textured or satin – covering various different material printing and making finished prints easier to remove than ever. The Prusa can print almost anything, with an extruder temperature up to 300°C possible — so even filaments like Polycarbonate are no issue.

If you want to print multi-color parts, you can upgrade your Prusa i3 MK3S+ with Prusa’s multi-material upgrade 2.0 kit, allowing you to print five colors or materials simultaneously, for $300. Moreover, the high-quality Bondtech gears and E3D nozzle within their custom-designed extruder make for great quality prints as well as top workhorse-like reliability. It’s also a fast 3D printer, able to travel and print up to 200mm/s.

• You can purchase the Multi Material Upgrade Kit here.

You can buy your own Prusa 3D printer online for $999 for a ready-made printer, or save a couple of hundred dollars and assemble it yourself. Overall, it’s one of the top 3D printers for $1,000, and one of the best 3D printer kits around.

Best Dual Extruders Under $1000

Sovol SV04: Best Low-cost IDEX 3D Printer

• Price: $539 — Available at Sovol store here
• Build volume: 300 x 300 x 400 mm

If you want the best dual extruder 3D printer, and don’t want to pay more than a thousand bucks, then there’s only two games in town: the Sovol SV04 and the Flashforge Creator Pro 2.

The main difference is the Sovol SV04’s much larger build volume: it’s the same as the Creality CR-10, at 300 x 300 x 400 mm. This lets you print large objects with multi-colors, or even two fairly large models at the time using the IDEX dual extrusion features.

We tested the Sovol SV04 for a few days while reviewing it, and managed to print some really cool multi-colored 3D prints like the frog and cube shown below.

We also printed some great plant pots for some flowers and a cactus using the Copy Mode feature, with each extruder printing a plant pot simultaneously for double the productivity. 

To be short: if you want a dual extruder 3D printer with a large build volume that works well, go for the Sovol SV04. The IDEX is a really handy addition (the Sovol SV02 isn’t IDEX) for quickly making multiple parts.

But, if you don’t mind having the smaller build volume, and instead prefer the enclosed build chamber to better print materials like ABS and Nylon, then go for the Flashforge Creator Pro 2.

Flashforge Creator Pro 2

• Price: Check price at Flashforge Official store here / Available on Amazon here
• Build volume: 200 x 145 x 150 mm

The Flashforge Creator Pro 2 is one of the best desktop 3D printers on the market for dual extrusion. This makes the Flashforge Creator Pro ideal for low-cost multi-material or color printing.

The Creator Pro 2’s main upgrade on the original Creator Pro is it now features an IDEX 3D printer system, meaning that the two extruders can move independently on the Y-axis rather than being locked together.

This opens up possibilities for both duplication 3D printing (printing two identical parts at the same time), and mirror modes (printing mirrored parts like two opposing shoe soles), greatly improving efficiency. This comes at the cost of some X-axis size, down to 200mm.

The Creator Pro 2 is an accurate 3D printer, with a minimum layer height of 0.05mm. Its closest alternative is the Sovol SV04, a similar-priced IDEX printer, but whereas the Sovol has a larger build volume, the Creator Pro has a sturdily built enclosure for better heat control.

Overall, it’s another terrific 3D printer, and a safe and reliable printer for the price.

Best 3-in-1 3D Printer, CNC and Laser

Snapmaker 2.0 AT (A250T and A350T): Best 3-in-1 3D Printer

• Price: $1,199 to $1,799 — Best price on Snapmaker Store here / Also Available on Amazon here
• Build volumes: up to 320 x 350 x 330 mm

Snapmaker manufacture the best 3-in-1 3D printers, and you can easily switch the extruder module out and switch in the CNC carver, or the laser engraver module in just a few minutes and get working.

The 3D printer module stands on its own as high-quality – we were surprised by just how reliable, accurate, and effective it was when we tested it. It doesn’t feel like you lose anything on the 3D printing side when you add on the other options. The metal structure and linear rails are sturdy, retaining precision even on the largest A350T we tested.

You can 3D print all major hobbyist filaments like PLA, flexible filaments like TPU, and ABS. The smartphone-shaped touchscreen makes it really easy to operate, and the WiFi connectivity saves you hassle from constantly plugging in SD cards or USBs.

You get a range of premium features — auto-leveling, filament run-out detection, dynamic print speeds via the intelligent software –generally making your 3D printing experience more pleasant and productive.

By default you get the weaker 1600mW cutting module which we still managed to laser engrave with nicely, as well as cutting through thin and soft wood (though it takes a lot longer than specialized lasers).

However, you can purchase the 10W high power laser for an extra $399, which can engrave anodized aluminum (check out our wolf engraving below), and comfortably cut through acrylic and wood – we cut out an entire rhino puzzle from black acrylic in under 15 minutes.

You can carve soft and hard woods, as well as carbon fiber sheets and acrylics. We also used the 4-axis CNC module to carve chess pieces from epoxy blocks, and the bit can comfortably carve most woods and similar materials.

We cut chess pieces using the v-bit carver, and the 4-axis rotary module add-on (this costs an extra few hundred bucks though) which lets you carve into cylindrical blocks like a lathe to create detailed characters. Snapmaker Luban software handles the four axes well, and it’s a very well-designed software and slicer generally (vs buggier 3D software like Revopoint’s RevoScan).

If you want to engrave contrasting images, you can use the laser engraver. It can engrave on woods, as well as leather, fabrics and acrylic. We engraved a few cylinder-shaped blocks to test the 4-axis engraving module, as well as using the laser cutter to cut through a thin piece of wood to make this gift box.

We recommend also purchasing the enclosure to improve your printing experience and keeping you safer — and you may want to also pick up some extras for CNC. Their wide range of extras and goodies are on their site, which you can visit here.

If you’re considering the newest A250T or A350T vs the standard Snapmaker 2.0, the newer version is upgraded for a faster and quieter 3D printing experience generally, with a newly designed 3D printing module as well as more intelligent fan speed adjustments and a more powerful power module. There’s even rumors of a dual extruder module coming soon.

You can see more Snapmaker models in our article comparing Snapmaker 2.0, Snapmaker J1, and Snapmaker Artisan.

Best Professional Resin Printers

Prusa SL1S Speed

• Price: $1,999 — Available on Prusa Store here
• Build volume: 127 x 80 x 150 mm

The SL1S Speed is an upgrade on the original SL1, featuring 25% larger build volume, even more improvements to part quality, and more speed than ever.

One of the fastest resin printers around, the SL1S Speed cures layers in 1.4 seconds, and can fill the entire 150mm-high build chamber in just 3 hours. The high-resolution mono 5.96-inch LCD panel accurately cures layers of resin with the UV LED array, with even very small parts retaining their quality and intricacy.

Another major benefit is Prusa’s commitment to open source — with the SL1S being one of the only open source SLA 3D printers. It’s compatible with third-party resins, though Prusa also sell their own high-quality materials. And being a Prusa 3D printer, naturally it’s reliable and durable. 

We recommend you also pick up Prusa’s wash and cure machine for post-processing your resin models. It washes, dries and cures your prints after the printing process, and costs an additional $599.

Formlabs Form 3

• Price: $3,499 — Available on Dynamism Store here
• Build volume: 145 x 145 x 185 mm

Retailing at $3,499, Formlabs’ Form 3 has become the resin 3D printer. It’s popular in both the dental and 3D printed jewelry markets due to its tremendous accuracy and for being significantly faster than traditional methods.

The upgraded Form 3 has a number of improvements on the Form 2, including new LFS technologies and what Formlabs call a new Light Processing Unit which improves the surface finish of prints.

• The Formlabs 3B can also be purchased here / The Formlabs 3L can also be purchased here

The build volume hasn’t drastically increased in the newer Form 3 (just 10mm taller Z axis), but it now boasts incredible 25 micron accuracy. You can buy Formlabs resins, or there are a number of third-party resins compatible with the Form 3 which we’ve linked below.

• For Formlabs official resin: you can buy 1 liter here
• For third-party resins (may result in loss of quality of print): 1 liter here for significantly cheaper, or 500ml here

Best Professional FDM Printers

Ultimaker S3

• Price: $4,080 — Available on Dynamism Store here / Available on Matterhackers here
• Build volume: 230 x 190 x 200 mm

Dutch manufacturer Ultimaker have released some of the best 3D printers of the last few years. With a dual extruder and accuracy up to 20 microns, the Ultimaker S3 is a great 3D printer for rapid prototyping, and is used by small businesses, designers, and makers worldwide.

In addition, the Ultimaker S3 has a very decent 230 x 190 x 200 mm build volume, and includes a built-in camera for remotely monitoring your prints. You can connect to the printer via WiFi, USB or Ethernet very simply. Moreover, the Ultimaker S3 has an auto-leveling system for prints to make sure printing goes smoothly.

If you’re looking for the best 3D printer in terms of accuracy, ease of use, and equipment, and don’t mind spending upwards of $4,000, the Ultimaker S3 is the printer for you.

Ultimaker S5

• Price: $5,995 — Available on Dynamism Store here / Available on Matterhackers here
• Build volume: 330 x 240 x 300 mm

Compared with the excellent S3, the S5 is more expensive, moving away from the desktop 3D printer price range, but features a number of improvements and new features designed to make the Ultimaker S5 a more viable manufacturing method for prototypes and small batch production.

Featuring a larger 330 x 240 x 300 mm maximum build size, this is certainly an advantage over the Ultimaker 3. This makes it a better 3D printer for larger prototypes, shown as the Ultimaker S5 has already been used in companies such as Volkswagen. Ultimaker have earned a tremendous reputation over the years for creating great machines, and we feel the S5 is no different.

Buyer’s Guide – Things to Consider When Buying a 3D Printer

Which type of 3D printer do you want? And which materials do you want to print?

Different technologies do different things. For accurate minis for D&D, go for a resin 3D printer (MSLA / LCD) – they can print with much finer resolutions and smoother surface areas. But for a simpler setup and generally more relaxed experience (no curing, no chemicals) with stronger prints, go for an FDM printer. 

Within this, you need to decide which material – filament or resin – best suits your needs. 

For many PLA filament works just fine as it doesn’t really warp, doesn’t require a heated bed or enclosure (but is still good if you have the choice), comes in a wide variety of colors and blends (even conductive, or glow in the dark!), and it’s cheap.

ABS is tougher despite being just as cheap, and still comes in a wide range of colors – but it can warp and crack if not printed under the right conditions, and requires a heated bed and chamber. Some consider PETG to be a happy medium: it’s great for adhesion and super tough – but its stickiness makes it difficult to print overhangs and supports.

For resins, you don’t have the same range of options as you would with FDM, in materials or colors. There are a few color options, but most use standard resins – though companies like Formlabs have developed dental, jewelry casting, tough ABS-like resins, and a few other types.

What size models do you want to print?

Don’t waste your money on an enormous 3D printer if you just want to print miniatures, but also don’t skimp on a smaller machine if you want to print huge cosplay swords.

Think about what you want to print right now – and what you might want to print in the future. With good 3D printers starting in the $300 price range, it can be an expensive decision to get wrong. Also consider the size of your workspace – 3D printers are deceptively big and you need to make sure it’ll fit.

Also, resin 3D printers typically have smaller build volumes than FDM printers, so if size matters, go FDM.

What do you want to 3D print generally?

Beyond size, think about exactly what you want to 3D print for your projects. If you’re not as fussed about perfect quality, go for a printer with high top speeds (delta 3D printers are generally better for this) – especially if you’re printing cubes and similar shapes that don’t have details. 

But, if you want high-resolution, pick printers that can handle lower layer heights and take smaller nozzle sizes – or resin printers with the most precise XY resolutions. 

For high-temperature filaments, either get an enclosed 3D printer like the Creator Pro 2, or buy an enclosure for your printer – Creality sell their own enclosures, and there are popular DIY projects for the Prusa and other best-selling printers.

If you want to print PC, Nylon, carbon-fiber mixes, and other abrasive blends, you’ll need a printer with a hot end that can handle these temperatures – either go for a Prusa or higher-spec printer, or buy a hot end upgrade kit.

And if you want to print flexible filaments like TPU, opt for a 3D printer that’s either a direct drive 3D printer, or has a direct drive kit like the Ender 3 range – though while you can use a Bowden extruder, it requires a lot more oversight to prevent issues coming up.

Do you want an easy 3D printing experience?

While you shouldn’t be discouraged if you’re a beginner, we recommend you pick 3D printers with features such as auto-leveling, WiFi connectivity, filament run-out sensors and print resume functions, and easy-to-use software and touchscreens to save you hassle if you’re newer or less technical.

Self-leveling is a nice extra that saves you manually re-leveling the printer every few prints, and should guarantee you crisp prints rather than janky blemish-full messes.

WiFi connectivity saves you from taking SD cards back and forth from your laptop to your 3D printer for every print, and is generally a nice addition to have that boosts print productivity.

Filament run-out sensors and print resume features (in case of a power cut or similar) are fairly ubiquitous now – even most entry-level 3D printers have them. But they can be a lifesaver, especially if you lose power during the latter stages of a 24-hour or longer print of a large prototype or cosplay costume piece.

For easy-to-use software, Cura should have you covered for the slicer, but some 3D printers have more intuitive interfaces than others. Most now have touchscreens (though turnable knobs on printers like the Enders and Prusas are fine), and we particularly liked the Snapmaker’s easy-to-use touchscreen interface and design. 

Go for a trusted brand and model if buying on the cheap side

There are hordes of low-cost 3D printers in the $160-$300 range. Most aren’t that reliable, and we recommend sticking with FDM kits like the Ender 3 range, Anycubic entry-level printers, and Elegoo or Anycubic resin printers for lower price printers that actually work well.

The last thing you want to do is get burned and left with an expensive brick. Opt for a highly-reputed printer with large communities and active forums, in case you run into trouble – we recommend these here.

Do you want to print in multiple colors?

For fully multi-colored prints – as in, colored by the pixel (or voxel in 3D) – you’re going to struggle. XYZ made a full-color 3D printer a few years back but the colors looked washed out and it cost $3,500. 

But you can get multi-color prints from a few other ways. You can pick a dual extruder 3D printer and print with two colors, or use a filament splicer like a Palette to print with up to four different colors simultaneously.

Color options for resin LCD or MSLA printers are very limited, unfortunately. To get multi-color resin prints, you mostly need to rely on post-processing.

FAQs

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But now? We are spoiled with hundreds of great, low cost printers from innovative companies across the globe.

Therefore, we ranked the best affordably priced 3D printers, based on their reliability, ease of use, price-performance ratio, and a range of other factors. We’ve included both budget FDM and resin picks, and split our recommendations into each price range: under $200, under $300, $500, and $1000.

FDM PICK

Creality Ender 3 V2

Reliable 3D printer for under $300

New upgraded version with key improvements

Simple to set up and get started with

Available at Creality here Amazon here

RESIN PICK

Anycubic Photon M3

Great quality low-cost resin printing

Speed improvements to create figurines faster than ever

Better surface finish than FDM

Available At anycubic here Amazon here

PREMIUM PICK

Prusa i3 MK3S+

Wide filament choice (including tougher filaments like PC)

Super reliable & a workhorse

Trusted by 130,000+ makers

Available At Prusa here

So, you want to buy a cheap 3D printer

Well, you’re in the right place. There are some lower priced 3D printers out there that do a fantastic job, reliably printing precise models in a variety of different materials.

However, the lower price you go, the less features, precision, and reliability you get. The cheapest 3D printers we recommend start at around $200-250, though there are options below this, but we have not found any that reliably print to the level we would recommend.

At a certain level, it is worth paying an extra $30 for the peace of mind and to avoid the headache of an inconsistent, often faulty printer. Therefore, we have included cheap 3D printers that still offer good reliability, quality and are not too difficult to use.

3DSourced is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Best 3D Printers Under $300

Creality Ender 3 V2 — Fantastic Affordable 3D Printer

• Price: Check latest price at Creality here / Available on Amazon here
• Print volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm

Creality make some of the world’s most popular low-cost 3D printers, including the CR-10, Ender 5 and Ender 3 range. The Ender 3 is cheaper than the CR-10 and has a smaller maximum build volume of 220 x 220 x 250 mm, but we feel it’s the overall better buy (and it’s cheaper!).

The upgraded Ender 3 V2 is not too dissimilar from the hugely popular original: for $60 extra you get an improved carborundum glass bed for better print adhesion and print quality, and this bed also makes removing prints easier — lessening the chances of damaging the model during removal.

The new HD screen is also a nice touch, and a pleasant extra to have. And if you would rather save the $60 and get a standard Ender 3, you can do that too.

For most makers looking to buy a cheap 3D printer, you want reliable, adequate printing on a machine that doesn’t give you a headache with its constant errors and faults. The Ender 3 V2 certainly fits the bill, with good quality printing that can generally be relied upon.

It’s also versatile, with a number of Ender 3 upgrades available, and the printer itself has had its 3D printer extruder improved so it doesn’t clog as much, for a less stressful 3D printing experience. There’s a reason why it’s currently the best-selling 3D printer in the world.

Voxelab Aquila – Cheapest 3D Printer in the World (that actually works well)

• Price: Check latest price on Amazon here
• Build Volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm
• Minimum Layer Height: 100-400 microns
• Premium Features: Carborundum glass build surface

3D printing is a pricey hobby, from the printer to keeping a stock of good quality filament, so we always perk up when a manufacturer produces a machine that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The risk is that cost-cutting will make the printer a shoddy product, causing more hassle than quality prints, but the Voxelab Aquila.

It’s very cheap, but has everything you need to embark on your 3D printing journey in style. It has an average 220 x 220 x 250 mm, 100-micron minimum layer height, easy assembly, and, remarkably, for such a low-cost printer, a carborundum glass build surface that delivers super first-layer adhesion.

For all its merits, the Voxelab Aquila is still a budget printer and is light on features. There’s no automatic bed leveling, it features a Bowden extruder system rather than a direct drive, and the build quality is a far cry from even printers a few hundred dollars up the pricing scale.

If these are must-have features, you might be better off with something a bit more decked out, like the Anycubic Kobra or the Ender 3 V2. But, if the price is the top driver in your decision-making, then the Voxelab Aquila is a gusty printer capable of shepherding you through the first year or two of your 3D printing journey.

We would say that this is the cheapest 3D printer that you can actually rely on. Many other sub-$200 3D printers aren’t great, but the Voxelab Aquila and Ender 3 are rare reliable cheap printers.

Anycubic Photon M3 – Best Budget Resin 3D Printer

• Price: Check latest price at Anycubic here
• Build Volume: 163 x 103 x 180 mm
• XY Resolution: 40 microns
• Minimum Layer Height: 10 microns

For a very cheap pick, you can still pick up the standard Photon Mono, but for a bit more we recommend upgrading to the Anycubic Photon M3, with the larger build volume and 4K LCD screen.

Resin printers cure entire layers at once, unlike FDM, so the larger 163 x 103 x 180 mm build volume is a bigger advantage than ever: you can print a handful of tabletop minis at once, and at the same speed it would take to print just one. The extra height is also great for figures up to 180mm tall.

The Photon M3 is our pick for best cheap resin 3D printer, over the Photon Mono 4K, with the M3’s larger 7.6” screen for the larger build volume. You sacrifice 5 microns of XY resolution (40 microns vs 35), but this is barely noticeable even on the more intricate resin projects, and personally we prefer the larger size. 

The 4K is a notable upgrade on the standard Photon Mono’s 2K LCD, which delivers good detail on even fairly complex D&D figures and other designs. The print speed is 50mm/h which is fairly fast, too, so you can print 28mm minis in just over half an hour.

Anycubic Kobra – one of the cheapest 3D printers with auto-leveling

• Price — Check latest price at Anycubic here / Amazon here
• Build Volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm 
• Minimum Layer Height: 50-300 microns
• Premium Features: LeviQ automatic bed leveling, direct drive extruder system, touchscreen

The Anycubic Kobra emerged somewhat out of nowhere in early 2022, wowing both us and makers worldwide with a range of premium features that simply hadn’t been seen on a printer under $300 before. You can read our full hands-on Anycubic Kobra test for the details.

The running theme behind the Anycubic Kobra is to deliver a hassle-free and user-friendly introduction to 3D printers – but it might not have enough to satisfy the needs of more demanding makers.

It achieves this with features like dead-easy automatic bed leveling, a direct drive extruder system that allows for excellent flexible prints, a responsive and smooth touchscreen, and one of the best textured PEI-coated build platforms we’ve seen under $300.

If you’re looking for a first printer or are looking to replace an aging Ender 3 with something teeming with modern comforts, the Anycubic Kobra is the best budget printer currently available.

Toybox 3D Printer – the best cheap 3D printer for kids and absolute beginners

• Price: $300 — Available at Toybox store here
• Build Volume: 70 x 80 x 90 mm
• Minimum Layer Height: 200 microns
• Premium Features: Wi-Fi

While gimmicks are always a little hit or miss, the Toybox 3D Printer is undoubtedly a success. It aims to provide absolute beginners and young budding makers with a compact, easy-to-use machine that allows users to channel their creativity free of the time-consuming and technical aspects that usually weigh down 3D printing.

It’s very much a complete package and ensures the printing process is enjoyable from start to finish. Few printers make it quite so simple to jump in with little to no printing experience.

The Toybox 3D Printer does, however, come with a set of limitations that mean it isn’t suited to more ambitious projects. Chiefly, the small 70 x 80 x 90 mm build volume is tiny, and the Toybox 3D Printer is only compatible with PLA, limiting your options for experimentation with other materials.

If you’re comfortable with these limitations and understand the printer targets a very select user base, then the Toybox 3D Printer is nothing short of a joy to use. Check out our hands-on review for more details and our take on this mini, kid-friendly printer.

Best Low-Cost 3D Printers Under $500

Prusa Mini+

• Price: $399 — Available on Prusa Store here
• Print volume: 180 x 180 x 180 mm

Following from the runaway success of the Prusa MK3 versions, their mini 3D printer version keeps most of the MK3S’ great features, but in a smaller package and at a lower price.

While you still keep the automatic calibration, 0.05mm layer heights, and up to 200mm/s print speed, the Prusa Mini+ can only reach slightly lower extruder temperatures at up to 280°C, restricting the filaments you can print compared with the Prusa MK3S. However, you still have a healthy range of filament options, including PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, and flexible filaments.

The Prusa Mini also comes with a magnetic heated and removable spring steel build sheets, making it extremely easy to remove finished prints by bending the build plate. The Mini comes with PrusaSlicer for preparing any STL files for printing, and if you do have any problems, Prusa’s support team are on hand 24/7 to help, via live chat or email.

Best 3D Printers Under $1,000

Ender 3 S1 – one of the best 3D printers under $500

• Price: Check latest price at Creality here / Amazon here
• Build Volume: 220 x 220 x 270 mm
• Minimum Layer Height: 50 microns
• Premium Features: Direct drive extruder, automatic bed leveling

Creality is a household name in 3D printing circles, and with good reason, thanks to the Ender 3’s success. The Ender 3 S1 is the most recent in a long line of Ender 3s and is regarded as the best yet.

With the classic Ender 3 now available for under $180, the question is whether the Ender 3 S1 is worth the extra money.

In our opinion, it’s a resounding yes.

Creality has implemented more than a few features – automatic bed leveling, the excellent Sprite direct drive extruder, and fantastic build surface – that should suit those put off by the DIY upgrades that usually come hand-in-hand with owning an Ender 3. The Ender 3 S1 is a sharp and smart upgrade of a superb printer, and that’s worth every penny.

For those that want something even more sophisticated, it’s also worth considering the Ender 3 S1 Pro. It takes all the best features of the Ender 3 S1 and latches on an improved all-metal extruder with a titanium alloy tube and heat block that opens the door to a maximum extruder temperature of 300°C.

This means access to a broader range of materials such as metal and wood fill filament. Elsewhere, the Ender 3 S1 Pro features a spring steel PEI magnetic build plate, a larger touch screen, and some fancy, if unessential, LED light strips.

And if you want more firepower, the Ender 3 S1 Pro does everything that little bit better – and you can read our full Ender 3 S1 Pro review here.

Ender 5 Plus — Best Cheap Large 3D Printer

• Price: Check latest price at Creality here / Amazon here
• Build Volume: 350 x 350 x 400 mm 
• Minimum Layer Height: 100-400 microns
• Premium Features: Large build volume, BLTouch bed leveling, touchscreen

If you’re looking for a large-format 3D printer that prints accurately and doesn’t break the bank, the Ender 5 Plus ticks all the boxes. It’s the cheapest large-format printer on the market, and the best cheap 3D printer with a large build volume.

The Ender 5 Plus is designed to suit all those large-scale projects that simply aren’t part of the deal with most budget printers. It can print projects that most can’t, such as full-sized helmets, large cosplay pieces, oversized household items like tower-like vases, and all kinds of small-to-medium-sized parts and models. Therefore, you pay for versatility, a hot commodity in 3D printing.

Aside from the massive build volume, the Ender 5 Plus impresses with a BLTouch automatic bed leveling probe, a pleasantly responsive touch screen, a tempered glass build surface, and a dual Z-axis to ensure stability throughout its large build volume.

If large-format printing is top of our list of requirements and you have a bit more budget, it may be worth taking a peek at the Anycubic Kobra Plus and Max. Both are modeled on the excellent Kobra but with much larger build volumes suited to bigger projects like those possible with the Ender 5 Plus. Overall, it’s one of the best-value 3D printers for larger prints.

Prusa i3 MK3S+ – Best Value 3D printer

• Price: $749 as a kit — Available on Prusa store here / $999 fully assembled — Available on Prusa store here
• Build volume: 250 x 210 x 200 mm

This wouldn’t be a valid list without including the Prusa i3 MK3S+. The most successful and popular printer to emerge from the RepRap philosophy, the Prusa i3 sports a print volume of 250 x 210 x 200 mm, and weighs just over 6kg. For an extra $300, you can upgrade it with Prusa’s Multi Materal Upgrade Kit, allowing you to 3D print in up to 5 colors simulatenously!

• You can purchase the Multi Material Upgrade here.

Prusa 3D printers are meticulously designed to be as simple and effective to use as possible. Accurate up to a layer resolution of 50 microns, the Prusa i3 is a precise, cheap 3D printer which dominates its RepRap 3D printer competitors. You can either buy the Prusa fully assembled for around $999 or build your own for around $749.

It’s also fast, able to print at up to 200mm/s, and is famed for its reliability and durability. Beyond standard filaments like PETG, PLA and ABS, you can also print trickier materials like Polycarbonate. Overall, it’s the king of 3D printer kits, and the Prusa is simply marvelous.

Flashforge Creator Pro 2

• Creator Pro 2: $649 — Available at Flashforge Official here / Available on Amazon here
• Print volume: 200 x 145 x 150 mm

3D printer manufacturer Flashforge are well-known for making some of the best cheap 3D printers of the last few years, including the Adventurer 3, Finder, Hunter, and now the Creator Pro range. The newest versions, the Creator Pro 2 and Creator Max 2, expand into new territory: IDEX 3D printing.

Whereas the original Creator Pro already had dual extruders, they could not move independently. Now on the Creator Pro 2, two print heads each feature their own extruder so they can each print concurrently, offering a range of new applications and opportunities.

With a minimum layer thickness of 0.1mm, the Creator Pro 2 is fairly accurate for the price. Owing to the new IDEX 3D printing system, this cheap 3D printer has a slightly smaller print volume that the original Creator Pro, at 200 x 145 x 150 mm, though still easily enough for casual printing. The Flashforge Creator Pro is overall a consistent and reliable option for anybody looking for a dual extruder 3D printer.

Buying Guide – Things To Consider When Buying a Cheaper 3D Printer

Buying a cheap 3D printer isn’t so much about what you get, but what you don’t get. We’re talking about the extra niceties that you sacrifice in paying less, which would make your printing experience that much more enjoyable and, to an extent, hassle-free.

Here’s a quick breakdown of where the cost-cutting generally takes place and the extras you might not get when choosing a lower-cost 3D printer.

Auto Bed Leveling

Auto bed leveling is very often the first feature to go when manufacturers look to keep costs down. It is by no means essential but makes calibrating a printer much more straightforward than manually turning a set of knobs under the bed to compensate for natural blemishes and inaccuracies on the surface.

However, some low-cost 3D printers do feature auto-leveling, such as the Anycubic Kobra and Prusa Mini.

Enclosure

Cheap 3D printers are few and far between because penning a printer into a more or less sealed chamber is expensive. The lack of an enclosure won’t be an issue for most only looking to dabble in PLA, PETG, and flexibles, but if you want to print ABS, you’re best opting for a 3D printer with an enclosure – or buying or building an enclosure for your printer.

Assembly

Shipping a fully-assembled, ready-to-print machine costs time and money, so manufacturers often opt to ship their 3D printers semi-assembled or in kit form. The time and effort required to put them together varies, but expect to spend at least 30 minutes to an hour setting up before you can print.

Touchscreen

Though less of a luxury than they used to be, touchscreen interfaces on cheap 3D printers are another comfort that often goes out the window when it comes to cutting costs. They are generally replaced by rotary knob controls that while functional don’t have the intuitive appeal of a touchscreen.

Wi-Fi

SD card and often USB connectivity are relatively standard across most of the best cheap 3D printers. On the other hand, Wi-Fi isn’t and generally comes with a hefty premium. As a general rule, don’t expect Wi-Fi on 3D printers priced under $300, except in rare cases.

FAQs

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However, most balding men can’t rock the PLA plastic hair look (who can?), so we need a better alternative when it comes to 3D printed hair for transplants.

What we haven’t been able to do is 3D printed hair grafts that can grow human hair.

Wigs and toupées offer solace for many with receding hairlines, but for a lot of people, the loss of confidence goes beyond the aesthetic. Thinning hair or complete hair loss is a huge issue for thousands of men and women all over the world.

3D printed hair offers a hopeful solution to this issue, and breakthroughs have already been seen across the scientific community.

Here, we will look at the history of 3D printed hair, and what it means for the future of transplants and grafts.

Early Research into 3D Printed Hair

While making filaments look like hair is a simple enough process, the first notable breakthrough in usable 3D printed hair was in 2016, when L’Oreal took a new step in their 30-year-long research into artificial biological tissue by partnering with 3D bioprinting company Poietis.

This was big news at the time, as the combination of L’Oreal’s expertise in hair biology and Poietis’ breakthroughs in bioprinting brought with it exciting potential for viable 3D printed hair.

In 2017, Poietis used this research to further its existing partnership with German chemical company BASF to help develop 3D printed skin as a means to develop cruelty-free testing of drugs and cosmetics.

In 2019, Poietis CBO Bruno Brisson claimed:

“I can confirm that we have gone successfully through interesting validation steps over time on a project that is a real challenge since no one has so far managed to bio-print the most complex organ of the human body: the hair follicle!”

He further cited that there would be “some scientific communication within the next months as an outcome of this collaborative research agreement.”

The results of this research were kept relatively quiet until 2020, when L’Oreal announced the findings of their research into mimicking embryonic cells to cultivate 3D printed hair follicles that could be used to ‘clone’ human hair.

L’Oreal has been making strides in hair growth therapies using what they call follicle culturing, which involves growing hair from follicles in vitro and making them ready for transplant, rather than actively encouraging natural hair growth.

Columbia University Research

It’s important to note that 3D bioprinting hair follicles, and creating an environment/skin they can grow on, are two completely different things.

In researching the viability of 3D printed human hair, researchers at Columbia University looked to mice as they, among other animals, seem to have natural inhibitors to stunt fur growth after a certain length.

Specifically, they wanted to see if they could revitalize what they called ‘dormant follicles’ into promoting hair growth where none was occurring. In essence, they wanted to see if they were able to trick the body into creating more fur where it otherwise wouldn’t have grown at all.

They found that they could stimulate hair growth on grafted mouse and rat skin. However, the same process was unsuccessful in human trials.

They reported that they believe this happens due to cell loss as skin grows, concluding that these follicle revitalization techniques won’t work in humans in the same way they work for rats.

Dr. Angela Christiano, a specialist in regenerative therapies for skin and hair in Columbia University’s Florence and Herbert Irving Centre for Dermatology and Skin Cancer Research, said: “Cells from rats and mice grow beautiful hairs, but for reasons we don’t understand, human cells are resistant.”

Instead, they looked into 3D printing a mold that replicates the conditions in which hair follicles grow. The skin itself grows around the mold, replicating how human hairs grow.

Within these molds, the cells have a structure to follow. Cells can be placed within this mold, as well as keratin and collagen gel. The follicles would float on the gel in these microwells, which mimics the way they would grow on the human body.

The reason this is possible is down to newer technology within 3D printers. Whereas previously, they may have attempted to use techniques like soft lithography.

This method is used to create stamps and molds using elastomeric materials, hence the term soft. The new techniques “allowed for creation of structures with high aspect ratios”. The ratio for a human hair follicle is different from that of a rat, so that’s something that will make a clear difference.

They observed hair growth after around three weeks. Hairs even grew at different angles, replicating how human hair naturally grows.

Three weeks may seem like a long time to grow a small amount of hair, but this is a massive step towards helping people who suffer from hair loss, as this process encourages further hair growth rather than simply transplanting existing hairs.

Dr. Christiano is keen to perfect research into 3D printed hair follicles as a means to treat all kinds of hair loss, from receding hairlines to those suffering from severe burns.

The Benefits of 3D Printed Hair Follicles

The obvious use for the growth of hair follicles on bioprinted skin is in hair transplants. Currently, FUE hair transplants involve taking hair follicles from the back of the head, where men do not commonly lose hair, and transplanting them to the area of the head where hair loss has occurred.

However, regardless of how much hair can grow, the number of follicles is roughly the same in every human being, this means that there is only a finite amount of follicles that can be transplanted. Anyone without enough transplantable hair follicles could ideally instead have hairs 3D printed and transplanted instead, leaving their remaining hairs intact.

In addition, any removed hair follicles leave scars on the back of the head that can itch, and remain visible for a long time. Because of this, many people choose to avoid going through the process of hair extractions. 3D printed hair follicles could theoretically remove the issues of these scars and the need for painful hair extraction.

As well as creating artificial skin and hair for cruelty-free testing of cosmetic products and drugs, the ability to 3D print hair follicles could also aid research into the physical and psychological reasons for hair loss, and further studies into prevention methods.

The Future of 3D Printed Hair

While current research into 3D printed hair follicles looks promising, we’re nowhere near being able to 3D print hairs that grow and act like our hairs do.

However, research has shown that functioning human hair follicles can be 3D printed. This breakthrough displays exciting and vast potential for the future of the cosmetic industry.

The science still has a way to go, but 3D printed hairs could offer a solution for the millions of people who have lost their hair through various means, be they genetic or through an accident. These future treatments have the potential to be life-changing via massively increased confidence and self-esteem in those for whom hair loss has negatively affected their lives.

Though difficult, 3D printing human hair goes far beyond the original plastic or wooden 3D printed hairs hobbyist projects use, and we look forward to seeing further advancements.

Other articles you may be interested in:

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It also predicted that the largest threat to this growth wasn’t external, instead explaining that the “high cost of the customized orthotic devices are expected to restrain the market growth.”

However, since the report’s publication, 3D printing has inserted itself further into the custom orthotics industry.

The result: cheaper, faster, and in some cases more effective orthotics treatments. So, with that in mind, here are three exciting ways that 3D printing is changing the orthotics industry.

1. 3D Printed Orthotic Insoles

Shoe insoles are perhaps the best-known type of orthotic. Over-the-counter insoles are used to treat common podiatry issues such as flat feet. However, there is a growing market for custom insoles.

Going custom ensures the most effective treatment and comfortable fit possible. Although this is overkill for most patients, going custom can be useful for patients with severe issues, or for athletes who may have mild issues but regularly put large amounts of force through their feet.  

Custom insoles are usually produced with a plaster impression of the patient’s feet. This is used to hand-make the required insole, ensuring that it meets the patient’s prescription, and fits perfectly.

Unfortunately, custom insoles are expensive, making them inaccessible for some patients. A pair of over-the-counter insoles rarely cost more than $50, whilst custom pairs can run from $200-$800, with additional costs for consultations and medical fees.

SLS 3D Printing of Insoles

Although not every podiatrist will have them available, 3D printed insoles have grown in both popularity and availability. 

Usually, the medical assessment stage is identical, with dimensions of the patient’s feet taken with a 3D scanner or manually. However, instead of the insole being hand-made, it is uploaded onto 3D sculpting software before being 3D printed.

The resulting insoles perform indiscernibly from hand-made ones. To achieve this, most manufacturers use Selective Laser Sintering instead of FDM machines.

When describing their process, Phits, a manufacturer, explained that:

“[FDM was] completely inadequate for producing insoles because it is too slow, lacks accuracy, and most of all it doesn’t provide the necessary strength… We use a much more advanced technology called Selective Laser Sintering. During this process, a very fine powder (we use PA or Nylon) is hardened and bonded together layer by layer. The result is a very light, very strong final product.”

This sentiment isn’t just held by the manufacturers, with medical professionals also agreeing that SLS is really the only effective way to 3D print orthotic insoles.

Mark Ireland is a practicing podiatrist with his own Australian-based clinic. Whilst experimenting with 3D printing custom orthotics, he explained that:

“we quickly realized the FDM parts did not possess the mechanical strength we required from our products…  We also trialed SLA but unfortunately faced the same outcome… Our parts need to have a high degree of accuracy and can involve complex shapes… They also need to have some flexibility without shattering… Furthermore, a low moisture absorption is also key due to the environment such orthoses are commonly used in. According to Mark, the selective laser sintering process is one of the few additive technologies that could meet these demands.”

Replacing the conventional method?

The efficiency of 3D printing allows patients to receive their insoles faster. Additionally, manufacturers are able to produce their orthotics with the same level of accuracy, but with less material waste and working hours.

Unfortunately, these savings haven’t made 3D printed insoles significantly cheaper. As an example, the Blackberry Clinic in the UK charges £3260 for a pair of Phits orthotics.

Despite being 3D printed, this pricing matches up to be perfectly average for the custom orthotic insoles market.

Exactly why the improved production process hasn’t also reduced costs isn’t clear, but the future of 3D printed insoles remains promising. Currently, there doesn’t seem to be any significant obstacles against its continued use, with the technology poised to entirely replace the conventional method in the near future. 

2. 3D Printed orthotic casts

3D printed orthotic casts are perhaps the most visibly striking item on our list. But they’re not all glitz and glamor, with their design offering significant advantages over their plaster counterparts in almost every way.

When someone fractures a bone, it must be immobilized to ensure that it heals in the correct position. Some patients will be given a temporary splint at the site of their accident, but almost all patients will need to visit the ER as soon as possible to get a cast fitted.

Read more: our feature story on 3D printed casts

Provided that surgery isn’t required, the patient will be fitted with a plaster cast at the ER. Interestingly, the nature of treating fractures means that 3D printed casts are unlikely to ever replace this step. Fractures are medical emergencies and notoriously painful. If left untreated for even a day, the potentially misplaced and sharp bone can cause further injury, and even life-threatening internal bleeding.

As plaster can be applied immediately, it is perfectly suited to deal with this emergency – whereas a 3D printed cast would require hours to scan, design and finally print. During this time, the patient’s fracture would be left untreated.

However, after their initial cast, patients can almost always expect to get additional casts made, including 3D printed ones.

Replacement 3D Printed Casts

As the fracture heals, their doctors will have to regularly cut off their casts and make new ones. This is done to visually check on the fracture, ensuring that it’s free of infection and is healing properly.

Additionally, immobilized limbs will always become smaller over time, requiring new smaller casts to be made. This is because the swelling caused by the injury reduces over time, and because of the unused limb’s muscle atrophy.

Describing the process, Dr. Arun Sayal of the North York General Hospital in Toronto explained that:

“If the fracture starts to heal normally, you might be moved into a fiberglass cast… It’s a little harder to mold fiberglass, so often the emergency department will use plaster.”

These synthetic casts are so popular because they’re waterproof, allowing the patient to bathe normally.

But what about that 3D printed option?

Active Armor Casts 

Active Armor offers a range of custom 3D printed casts. As a medical device, a doctor’s prescription and agreeable insurance is needed to begin treatment.

Like all rigid casts, Active Armor cannot be used early in treatment. Instead, they are usually fitted once most of the patient’s swelling has gone. Although muscle atrophy will continue, it usually isn’t enough to make these rigid casts ineffective.

The process begins with the removal of the plaster cast and a scan of the injured limb. The doctor will verify the scan with a physical measurement, then the scan will be sent to a printer. The patient will get another plaster cast in the interim.

Once the manufacturer has printed and shipped the cast, it will be attached for the first time by the doctor, where they will do a final check to ensure that it has an effective and snug fit.

These 3D printed casts are significantly more comfortable than plaster ones. Their design leaves plenty of skin exposed. This is useful for doctors to observe the fracture healing, and also allows the patient to actually scratch their itchy skin. This also avoids the notorious smell that can arise from wearing waterproof casts for too long.

Read more: our feature story on 3D printing in medical

Additionally, 3D printed casts can be completely removed by the patient whenever they wish. In practice, there is little reason to do this whilst they are nursing a serious injury.

However, it does allow for more flexibility with washing, massaging muscles, cleaning the inside of their cast, and just allowing their skin to air.

Limb Shrinkage?

3D printed casts are expensive, or are at least far more expensive than the comparatively disposable price of plaster casts. This becomes an issue when reminded that muscle atrophy will continue as the fracture heals.

Unlike plaster casts, 3D printed casts cannot be cheaply cut off and remolded. To combat this, most patients are advised to apply tape to the inside of their cast whenever an area becomes loose.

But aside from this, they’ll just have to hope that their fracture heals before their injured limb shrinks too much.  

3. HeadStart Medical and Orthotic helmets

Despite looking like toddler-sized crash helmets, these are actually specialized orthotics.

Plagiocephaly, also known as “flat head syndrome,” occurs in about 1 in 5 infants.  The condition is caused by infants laying or sleep in one position for too long, causing their soft skulls to become misshapen. This condition usually resolves itself over time, however parents may decide to explore orthotic treatment.

An orthotic plagiocephaly helmet, similar to oral braces, gently forces the infant’s head into a symmetrical shape, ensuring that it fuses correctly.

Conventionally, these helmets are all custom-made using measurements of the baby’s head.

However, 3D printing the helmets makes the production process faster and cheaper – but most importantly, 3D printing results in much lighter helmets. This reduced weight allows treatment to begin earlier, as the children’s head and neck don’t need to be as strong yet. 

Starting earlier allows the treatment to be more effective, potentially reducing the impact of Plagiocephaly on an international scale.

However, despite the merits on display here, the treatment itself has come under criticism.    

A Treatment Under Fire

The process can be invasive, with babies younger than six months having to wear the helmets for 23 hours every day. Additionally, as the babies grow, they’ll require regular doctor’s visits to shave down the orthotic. Predictably, this growth and constant rubbing usually result in moderate to severe rashes.

But perhaps the most damning criticism comes from the fact that it is unclear whether orthotic helmets actually work!

However, there is no clear government-led evidence suggesting that these helmets correct Plagiocephaly.

With the treatment usually costing over $1000 for the initial helmet, and then more for follow-up consultations, some may see it as a large investment for a condition that may resolve itself over time.

And not without cause. With the rapidly advancing and naturally competitive industry of military-technology, these innovations are already showing signs of being on the horizon.

However, we’re still a way off from anything out of science-fiction. Instead, and much like many large manufacturers, most international militaries are currently experimenting with 3D printing as a way to improve the cost and efficiency of manufacturing equipment and buildings.

But that doesn’t mean that the industry is lacking in exciting projects. Indeed, military operations naturally demand a high degree of reliability and effectiveness from their equipment.

This means that militaries are generally more willing to invest time and money into 3D printing research than civilian sectors.

So, with that in mind, here are four ways that the military is using 3D printing today.

3D Printing and Military Logistics – The British Army

A common issue for foreign military deployments is that of supply. Whenever a deployment is stationed abroad and cannot supply itself locally, then it must rely on logistics from home.

This is especially true for deployments in hostile environments, or combat operations, where sourcing supplies locally presents an additional risk.

This is hardly a new issue, with foreign invasions from antiquity facing the same problem. Today, most modern militaries possess large and effective combat logistics networks to solve this very issue.

But that is just half of the problem. The other issue with supplying an army from home, is that it has always been incredibly expensive.

Although it’s not promising to remove the issue, the British Army has been experimenting with 3D printing as a way to reduce this financial impact.

The British Army in South Sudan

The British army is currently deployed alongside a UN peacekeeping operation in South Sudan.  Speaking about the situation in 2018, a spokesperson for the Royal Engineers explained that:

“engineering in South Sudan has faced many problems. A stretched and fragile logistical supply route has resulted in difficulties resourcing components. However, we have resolved some of these issues through the use of a 3D printer. This is the first time this technology has been used by UK land forces deployed on operations. With a production time of often less than 12 hours, resources which would normally take weeks to be shipped or flown into country can now be printed on demand with significantly reduced costs.”

During the deployment, a UN hospital was to be erected in the city of Bentiu:

“In order to complete construction we are using the 3D printer to manufacture essential small parts, the lack of which was previously hindering the progress of the build.”

Although perhaps not the most exciting use of 3D printing on this list, this example does demonstrate the growing use of the technology within the armed forces, as well as how it is tangibly benefitting operations today.

The 3D printed “Submarine” – US Navy

Moving onto what is perhaps a more visually striking project, let’s talk about the US Navy’s 3D printed submersible.

Navy SEALS (Sea, Air, and Land) are the world-renowned special operations soldiers of the US Navy. To achieve the “sea” component of their designation, they routinely utilize specialized submersible vehicles to deploy on operations.

Currently, this is done with the SDV (SEAL delivery vehicle) submersible. These submersibles can covertly deploy soldiers to both land and sea targets. The current model, the Mark 8 SDV, has been in operational use since 1983.

However, like a lot of specialized military hardware, production of these SDVs is often takes a lot of time and money.  The US Department of Energy states that “the cost of a traditional hull ranges from $600,000 to $800,000, and typically takes 3-5 months to manufacture.”

This price tag skyrockets when considering additional costs; technical and logistical support, engineering, and training for example. Indeed, when the UK was approved to purchase three vehicles in 2018, the official estimated program cost came to $90 million!

So, what happens to that number when you 3D print the SDVs instead?

The 3D Printed Seal Delivery Vehicle

In 2017 the Oak Ridge National Laboratory partnered with the US Navy to 3D print an SDV hull. Using large-format 3D printers, they created a concept hull out of six carbon-fiber composite sections.

This concept became the first 3D printed submersible hull ever produced by a world military. But perhaps the most notable finding from this prototype was its efficiency. The hull took only weeks to print, rather than months, and was 90% cheaper to produce.

This efficiency also opens up more operational uses for the vehicles. Could 3D printed SDVs be tailor-made for each operation? Could they even be treated as disposable insertion vehicles? 

These questions were tangible enough for the Navy to approve the project for further testing, with the initial aim being that fleet-capable prototypes could be introduced as early as 2019… This may have been optimistic however, as no significant updates on the project have been released since.

Instead, the US Navy have revealed that the Mark 8 SDV will be replaced by a newer non-3D printed model, the SWCS (Shallow Water Combat Submersible).

Read more: our feature story on 3D printed boats

So, It’s Not a Submarine?

Interestingly, and as an aside, despite being commonly referred to as submarines because of their appearance, this is not technically true. As the soldiers are exposed to the water whilst using their SDVs, they are technically only “swimmer delivery vehicles,” essentially beefed up and militarized underwater scooters.

The Future of the 3D Printed Submarine?

With the potential benefits it highlighted, it’s unlikely that the 3D printed submersible project has been entirely abandoned.

However, with the US committing $38.8 million to its SWCS contract, it’s also unlikely that they’ll be replaced any time soon.

So, although it’s unlikely we’ll see fully 3D printed military submarines in operation any time soon, it is now at least both a proven and desirable concept.

3D Printed Covid Swabs For The Swiss Army

Let’s look away from 3D printing’s combat potential for a moment and consider what the technology can bring to deployments on home soil. With a recent example of pushing boundaries coming from the Swiss Army’s use of 3D printing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic’s height in 2020, the world experienced an international shortage of Covid test kits, specifically, the swabs. With so many countries racing to test their populations, demand for the swabs quickly outpaced manufacture.

Switzerland, concerned by the shortage, and the prospect on being totally reliant on international supply lines, turned to its Army to develop an in-house solution.

Designing the Swabs

However, this wouldn’t be a simple case of 3D printing an existing design. Medical swabs of this type, (nasopharyngeal swabs) need to be long, strong, flexible, and feature a bristled section, with an intentionally weak section that allows the bristled end to break off.

Whilst converting all these attributes to a 3D printable medium was certainly possible, it would be quite the undertaking to create swabs that were also mass-producible, and able to stand up to the scrutiny of clinical testing.

To achieve this, the Surgeon General of the Swiss Armed forces partnered with medical technology company GobiX GmbH, creating a multi-disciplined team to develop a new swab design.

The team experimented with 3D printing the swabs. They used non-toxic resin and had to ensure that the swabs could survive an autoclave (a sterilization machine that subjects the swabs to lots of heat and pressure).

The team began testing with a selection of Formlabs resin 3D printers, specifically the Form 2 and 3. They quickly found success, with 3D printing allowing them to produce swabs quickly.

Indeed, similar testing in Spain using the same 3D printers were able to print 650 swabs every 24 hours.

Soon after Switzerland’s design was completed, the swabs also passed their clinical testing, becoming CE-Certified and fit for medical distribution.

Once distribution began nationwide, Switzerland became one of the first European countries able to fill their own demand for Covid swabs independently.

The Concrete Barracks Race – US Armed Forces

Over the past 5 years the US military has been experimenting with 3D printing concrete as a way to construct buildings rapidly and economically.

In 2017 the Army constructed a 3D printed B-Hut (type of barracks) in a Champaign Illinois research laboratory. The project demonstrated the potential efficiency of the technology, with each hut using half the shipped materials and 62% less manpower than the conventional plywood design.

In 2018, the Marine Corps printed another prototype barracks in the same Illinois facility. At the time it became the “largest continuous 3D concrete print of a building in the western hemisphere.”

Although the building never became operational, the Marine Corps still has faith in the merits of continued research.

Speaking about the project, Captain Matthew Friedell stated that:

“traditionally we build houses, schools, and homes where a natural disaster has happened… If we can just set up a machine, we can guarantee quality, consistency, and ideally we can just leave the machine there to start rebuilding those communities.”  

Despite their strides however, neither force would be the first to complete and use a functional 3D printed barracks. Both would be beaten to the punch by the Texas Military Department.

Everything’s Bigger in Texas

Rather than being controlled by the national government, the Texas Military Department serves as an armed force of the Texas government itself. As such, its Adjutant General is even appointed by and reports to the Governor of Texas.

Their involvement with 3D printing came when they partnered with construction company ICON to build a new and innovative barracks for one of their military training centers. 

Located in the Swift Training Centre in Bastrop Texas, the building became the largest 3D printed structure in North America.

With the completed project only being unveiled this month, this barracks is not only the newest project on this list, but it’s also currently the first and only 3D printed barracks currently in operation.

Evan Loomis, the CEO of ICON, explained how the structure was bult. “We have a foundation, the printer shows up, and it begins printing almost like a layer of cake…  And so, you print up to the very top of the wall, and then you put on the roof in the traditional way.  And you’re able to do it with just incredible speed.”

In this way, the Texas Military Department were able to take what had had up until now been prototypes and exciting concepts, and actually put them to use for the first time.

Being such a new development, it’s unclear how the soldiers using this facility feel it compares to a traditional barracks, but it still serves as an exciting prospect for the technology’s continued use. 

So, if these developments are meant to be just around the corner, then how is 3D being used in the industry now?

The Oil and Gas Industry 

The oil and gas industries are perhaps best known for the massive scale of their engineering, both in terms of size and cost. Power plants, drilling operations, and offshore oil rigs represent enormous amounts of money, assets, and people, to both manage and keep safe.

Adding to this, the industry can be volatile. Oil is a highly political and controversial commodity – many want to see it replaced by greener and more environmentally friendly options – and its price can fluctuate unpredictably due to international policies.

More relevant for us, however, are issues that arise from these power stations and oil rigs themselves. If anything goes wrong, or production is slowed or halted in any of these installations, then the downtime cost could hurt the company’s wallet dearly.

Because of this, any innovation that can improve reliability and safety is given significant amounts of research and attention here. To this end, it’s unsurprising that 3D printing has continued to see more and more integration across the oil and gas industry. 

And the implications here aren’t subtle. As you’re about to see, 3D printing could radically change and improve upon many of the ways this industry does business.

1. Spare and Repairs

Using 3D printing to produce spare parts is hardly new. One of the first things most industries will experiment with is whether existing parts can be produced more efficiently with 3D printing. However, in the case of oil and gas, it’s worth explaining just how important it is to be well stocked with spare parts.

Running Costs

Large energy installations are incredibly expensive. Not only in terms of the cost of building, but also just the cost of operation.

For example, the industry publication “Reservoir Exploration and Appraisal 2013,” found that an oil drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico can cost up to $800,000 to operate per day and take up to 150 days to fully complete excavate a well.

And this is just for an exploratory well. Additional installations and operations are needed to actually extract the oil, assuming that is, that the exploratory well actually finds any.

So, any malfunction in an installation, even for a day, can be incredibly expensive. This is amplified if the delay also impedes the rest of the extraction process.

Remoteness

Additionally, oil and gas installations commonly suffer from being installed in remote locations. Obviously, off-shore facilities are understandably remote, but even on-shore installations can be affected. Indeed, many energy-producing facilities are purposely built apart from urban or residential areas.

This remoteness means that even with good supply networks, getting equipment to sites can be slow. This is a problem considering that if a vital component fails, and spares aren’t on hand, then that facility will remain offline and generating costs until a replacement arrives.

The traditional method

The solution to this would seemingly be to just ensure that each facility is well stocked with spare parts, however that strategy comes with its own problems too, problems that 3D printing has offered a solution to. But before introducing the 3D printed method, let’s explore the problems it’s going to be solving.

In terms of cost, having a large collection of spare parts is useful, but expensive. It is also a very physically expensive solution. A large amount of space has to be reserved for storing spare parts that may never be needed. 

Additionally, there remains the problem of moving these parts to where they are needed. Unless a facility happens to have a part on hand, then even if their company owns a replacement, it still needs to be moved to that location. And again, during this downtime the installation will be costing money.

3D Printing Spare Parts

What 3D printing offers is the ability to produce these components on demand. Using industrial 3D printers and metal 3D printing techniques such as Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) means that many installation components can be replicated. 

In this way both issues are mitigated. Spares won’t need to be hoarded, and printing on-location means that parts simply won’t need to travel. Although not all components can currently be 3D printed, the list of available parts continues to grow.

Shell in Nigeria

An example of this approach in action came during Shell’s offshore operations in Nigeria. On their website, the energy company explained that a polymer seal covering on a mooring buoy needed to be replaced. However, the part was simply no longer in production.

Additionally, simply replacing the entire unit wasn’t an option either. The seal itself was part of a larger assembly, and would require complex, dangerous, and expensive heavy lifting to entirely replace.

So, instead, they tried a new approach. They explained that “the Nigerian team modelled the component with a 3D scanner from a local supplier… 3D printing reduced the final cost of the maintenance by 90% compared to a conventional replacement and it took merely 2 weeks to produce the parts.”

Could there be a more explicit case for 3D printing your spare parts on demand? But we must move on. So, moving away from simply recreating existing components, what else has 3D printing done for the industry?

2. Next Generation of Scale Models

Rapid prototyping is again another very common application of 3D printing, with the technology routinely used in the research and development process of many large industries. However, here, the process has also established itself as a way of significantly improving safety.

Let’s use miniaturized prototype models as an example. Although an increasingly common technique, the scale and complexity of oil and gas projects makes these 3D printed models especially valuable. Considering how expensive these installations are, and how dangerous construction accidents can be, it’s worth ensuring that they’re built right first time.

Read more: best 3D printers for miniatures

Whilst documenting the assembly of another buoy installation, Shell released a video discussing the benefits of these 3D printed models over conventional alternatives.

Traditionally, a 2D drawing was used to describe the installation. However, with the buoy being comprised of over 222 heavy foam blocks that had to be assembled in a specific sequence, there was perhaps room for an improved method.

“What we have done is we’ve actually used a 3D printer, and we created the model in 3D of the structure, and then a model of all 222 components of the foam blocks, so that we could then plan it, and make sure the sequence was right to ensure that we did it safely… Having a model like this in the design process really bridges the gap between design and fabrication. It’s already added value in understanding whether the dimensions are correct, and whether we have clashes or not. It’s a great tool to be able to plan the work, execute it, and anticipate the problems, and come up with a workaround before the process even starts.”

3. Novel Production

So far, we’ve seen how 3D printing is being used to support existing processes. But an emerging use of the technology is in novel production.

Rather than simply replicating a component with a 3D printer, Novel design studies instead redesign components to make them more effective. This practice is common within aerospace, where parts are continually redesigned using 3D printers in an attempt to make them lighter and stronger.

Although the use of 3D printing in these studies is not universal, the technology has already replaced and improved several oil and gas installation components.  

APS Technology & EOS

One such tale of success came in 2018 with electromechanical manufacturer APS technology.

One of the products offered by APS are well drillers. These machines are used to cut boreholes through miles of rock, to eventually create oil wells. The machines are complex, with various systems installed to allow the drills to be literally steered onto the best path through the rock. 

Additionally, the nature of their work means that they must withstand significant abuse. In their report, APS revealed that:

“aside from the obvious difficulties involved in cutting rock hundreds of feet under the earth, the pressurized fluid used to cool the drill head and flush away cuttings is highly abrasive, and rushes past very fast. This can wreak havoc not only on the down-hole systems, but also on many other types of drilling equipment, even destroying super tough Inconel and 17-4 stainless steel.”

Seeing these challenges as areas to improve in their design, APS began developing various ways of reducing the wear on their products. This prompted their experimentation with using 3D printing to upgrade their components.

The 3D Printed Drill

APS partnered with industrial 3D printing company EOS, where they used their DMLS 3D printers to print various components out of durable metal powders. As these new components were also made of stainless steel or Inconel, they are just as durable as conventionally built ones.

But by using 3D printing, APS was able to “build long-lasting parts in a short space of time… Create complex geometries that could not previously be manufactured,” and “parts that are far more space-efficient than their traditionally machined counterparts.”

So, although these new 3D printed components failed to be significantly more durable, they didn’t need to be. Instead, they were cheaper, simpler to assemble, and as we covered in an earlier point, could simply be re-printed and replaced on demand once worn out. 

APS released what they felt were the results of their collaboration:

“By using EOS technology, APS has reduced the part count in a drilling assembly from four separate components to just one. DMLS is also creating cost savings in the company’s extensive machine shop, where jigs and fixtures that once took days or even weeks to machine can now be printed, unattended, overnight. Aside from the advantages APS has seen in part-count reduction and novel component shapes, designers are finding that product development cycles are substantially shorter.”

The Future of 3D Printing Within Oil and Gas

Seemingly, the industry seems to be mostly experimenting with how 3D printing can make their installations more autonomous. This makes sense too, after all, having to support remote facilities has been an unavoidable hurdle for the industry. Until now at least.

Using 3D printing to produce spare parts and develop new prototypes is helpful. But what about the next step for novel designs? What happens when instead of some components being made on-demand, all of them were?

Moving into speculation, it’s feasible that the continued use of 3D printing could lead to entirely autonomous facilities. Imagine a system where instead of relying on extensive supply lines, each installation is instead only supplied with raw materials, which it then uses to 3D print its own components on-demand. 

Rather than expensive and helicopter-reliant oil rigs, could the future see fleets of giant self-sustaining oil extracting robots? 

Well, perhaps that is going too far. But what is certain is that the immediate future is likely to see 3D printing become the dominant way new novel designs and components are produced across the industry. 

Why? Here are some key stats:

• The 3D printing market is predicted to grow 30% per year to 2026.
• There are over 422,000 working 3D printers in the USA.
• The USA, UK, France, Germany & China are all heavily adopting 3D printing.

Continuing to explode in popularity for both hobbyists and industrial uses, budding entrepreneurs are looking for opportunities to start a 3D printing business. But what opportunities are there?

Honestly, there are so many industries being shaken up by 3D printing — medical, hearing aids, dental, metal part production, spacecraft, even food — that listing every potential use would take too long.

Some have already taken areas of 3D printing and made themselves synonymous with the sector. Wiivv and 3D printed custom sandals, Relativity Space and 3D printed rockets, and Sonova and 3D printed hearing aids. What will your 3D printing business be known for?

This article focuses on how to start a 3D printing business, which 3D printing businesses you could start, and what you need to be able to start and be successful in the 3D printing industry.

How to start a 3D printing business

Naturally, to start a 3D printing business you need to know everything there is to know about 3D printing. You’ll need to know your 3D printer — and the technology that powers it — in and out. 

• You can view all our 3D printing technologies guides here

Write your 3D printing business plan

Now you need to create a business plan. Though you feel you already know exactly what you need to do, it’s always best to get your thoughts down in writing, as well as any predictions around revenues, sales, and the amount you’re prepared to invest.

When writing this, think of what you will need to spend money on: potentially renting a location, buying new equipment, hiring or training people — and do you have any guaranteed income you can factor in, or are you starting from zero?

It’s very likely your 3D printing business plan will change dramatically as your business adapts and changes — and that’s fine! — but a business plan will get your future and present ideas down on paper. If you’re planning on lending money from a bank or other institution, a business plan is crucial.

Buying your equipment

If you haven’t chosen which 3D printer (or 3D printers if you’re planning on multiple), you’ll need to choose carefully based on what you plan to print, or what services you plan on offering. Prototypes are often made using SLS 3D printers, as well as MJF, PolyJet, FDM, and more.

For deciding which to buy, you can check out our guide to every type of 3D printer.

If you know what type of 3D printer you’re planning on using, but aren’t sure on which printer, you can check out our buyer’s guides:

• Our buyer’s guide for the best FDM 3D printers
• Buyer’s guide for the best resin 3D printers
• The best SLS 3D printers
• Our metal 3D printer buyer’s guide
• The best 3D printers for small businesses

3D printers don’t run themselves, so you’ll need to make sure you have the right software, including a 3D slicer such as Cura, and if you’re designing your own models, a 3D modeling software tool. If you’re managing multiple 3D printers, you may want to invest in software to manage them more easily.

For FDM 3D printing you’ll need a steady supply of filament in every material and color range you plan to offer. For more industrial printing you may want to offer Polycarbonate, HIPS, PEEK, Nylon and ASA, but for more standard jobs you may just need PETG, ABS and PLA. The same goes for resins for resin 3D printing for any planned uses, including castable for jewelry molds, and any powders for SLS.

Running costs & marketing costs

As well as this, you’ll need to factor in costs for replacing any parts of your 3D printer that wear out, such as nozzles, resin vats and so on. Electricity isn’t free, but shouldn’t be a major cost. 

If you’re planning on launching your own website or webstore, you’ll need to decide how you’ll accept payments, which cart software to use such as Shopify, or Woocommerce on WordPress, and which hosting provider to use.

For marketing, you can opt for social media ads across Facebook, Instagram, or PPC ads on Google for a quick buzz. You can also try to capture people’s attention through generally interesting social media content, such as showing your factory in action, some of the cool things you’ve 3D printed, or vlogging yourself at work. For industrial B2B clients, LinkedIn and direct outreach may be better options.

Where to sell your products

If you’re planning to sell your models on existing platforms like Etsy, Amazon or eBay, you’ll need to decide your plans for those. Or, you may decide to niche down and sell on specialized 3D model platforms. If you’re planning on acting as a service, signing up to Treatstock or Makexyz can save you marketing time and pair you directly with clients.

3D Printing Business Ideas: Which 3D printing business should I start?

A true visionary may want to create an entirely new category, like 3D printed rockets, pizza or hearing aids. Nevertheless, here are some tried and tested existing 3D printing business models:

Printing on demand

Do you already own a 3D printer? This is the easiest way to make money from 3D printing.

The business model is simple: you offer to print someone else’s 3D file. The only problem with this 3D printing business plan is that it’s already getting quite competitive, and your service is easily seen as a commodity. Fortunately, we’ve listed some tips for making it in printing on demand.

How?

Sign up on one of the major 3D printing service marketplaces, or sell your service to individual companies outside of a marketplace.

1. Establish yourself in a niche market – B2C

Instead of trying to please everyone, you need to find a tribe of loyal customers who see you as their trusted vendor. To find your ideal niche, do some market research by Googling your market, checking sites like Quora and Reddit, and reading blog posts.

Start on a marketplace and then expand beyond it when you have some experience and know which customers you want to attract.

Many creatives, nerds and designers just want their design, such as favorite D&D model or character, in front of them, right now — and they don’t want to buy an entire 3D printer just to print it. Instead, they’ll find someone to do the odd job for them here and there.

Starting a 3D printing business printing consumer models requires less start-up investment, less expensive filaments or resins, and perhaps slightly lower accuracy and precision requirements. More affordable desktop 3D printers will work here, so you could potentially get started as a 3D printing business for just a few hundred dollars with an Ender 3 or Prusa 3D printer.

That isn’t to say there aren’t jobs for individuals that require more industrial 3D printers. Classic car fans looking to get a car part 3D printed will require perfect accuracy and a tough material used, with the crisp surface finish only accessible on higher end machines. But for most consumer jobs, less professional 3D printers should suffice.

There are even marketplaces for local 3D printer service businesses that’ll help you find customers. Treatstock, for example, puts you in contact instantly with thousands of local 3D printer businesses to have your parts printed for you in a variety of different materials.

By becoming a vendor, you potentially skip the expensive marketing costs associated with drumming up business at the beginning of your 3D printing business journey. There are other similar sites to Treatstock like makexyz, but 3D Hubs no longer allow individuals to sign up and offer their printing services.

2. Offer your service to B2B customers

Alternatively, you can offer your services directly to B2B customers. Typically, these customers tend to have deeper pockets, a more consistent need for 3D printing services, and they tend to place larger orders.

Start on a marketplace and as you grow, transition to your own brand or site. A successful business that uses this business model is Stratasys, a company that’s active in the engineering, manufacturing, production, and prototyping industries.

Again you’ll want to establish a niche, I see far too many home-based 3D printing businesses try to appeal to everyone doing everything just to make money 3D printing. To really get penetration in the market in a sea of ‘me too’ businesses and franchises -you’ve got to target, accurately.

In B2B — business to business — 3D printing businesses make prototypes and other parts for companies that want to test them. This could be for shape and aesthetics, or functional testing based on how it holds up in certain situations.

Common client needs include architectural and interior design models (a huge advantage if you can print multiple colors, such as by using a Palette), sunglasses and other fashion prototypes, engineering prototypes, resin, ceramic or metal prototypes for various industries, and medical parts, including orthotics, prosthetics and medical implants.

Your ability to run this kind of 3D printing business really depends on the 3D printers you have. With massively growing demand for metal 3D printing — predicted to grow to a $11 billion industry by 2024 — metal additive manufacturing for automotive, space, medical and other uses is a great area to launch.

However, metal 3D printers cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in most cases, so this is not a venture for anyone looking to get in cheap and make some beer money.

Standard affordable 3D printers may not offer the level of precision companies expect when they hire your 3D printing business to print parts and prototypes for them. And many companies may be looking for more expensive types of 3D printing for their parts, such as SLS 3D printers or even PolyJet.

Overall, if you’re planning on starting a B2B 3D printing business acting as a 3D printing services for industrial clients, you’ll probably need a large investment to start with. For marketing, social media and more hobbyist forms of marketing won’t work as well, so you’ll need to either harness PPC ads or grow your network within the industry to find contacts looking to get manufacturing done. But, with this big risk comes the potential for big reward.

Open up your own 3D printing e-commerce store

[Source: AudioQuest]

3D printing is already disrupting the manufacturing industry. That’s why now is the time to set up an e-commerce shop where you sell products that you design and print. 3D printing makes the whole process flexible and cheap. If you’re wanting to know how to make money with a 3D printer, this is one of our favorite 3D printing startup ideas. 

How?

Before actually going all-in starting a 3d printer business, you could validate your idea by using crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. You can sell your products by building a shop on Shopify and on Amazon, NotOnTheHighStreet.com and Etsy.

1. Jewelry, home furnishing, decorations and fashion

The design industry is the perfect industry if you want to open an e-commerce shop. There are lots of options here; jewelry, home furnishing, decorations and fashion. If you want to start small, Etsy is the perfect platform, because its customers crave individualized design. NomaniFOLD sells 3D printed jewelry and is a pioneer in this industry.

2. Monthly subscription box

Monthly subscription boxes are insanely popular. Some of them are something of a trend, but others are a convenient way for people to get products delivered to them. But what if you could use this idea to 3D print monthly items that people need and want as a recurring service? For example, deliver toys or pet or baby products on a monthly basis.

3. Events  

The event industry is massive. There’s everything from weddings, birthdays, graduation parties to company events and conferences. Tap into this market by printing event decorations and other products.

4. Other products

With the ideas above, we’re just scratching the surface. There are so many 3D printing business opportunities you can explore!

Customized products

[Source: Open Bionics]

3D printing is changing the way we do business. No wonder; one of the main advantages of 3D printing is that it enables us to mass-customize products. Why not start a shop that’s all about customization? The possibilities for making money with 3D printing business opportunities are endless and this is an area with significant growth potential.

How?

Use Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Etsy, Amazon, Ebay and Shopify to sell items.

You’ll need to price your models based on the amount of filament or resin they use, as well as the time value of your 3D printer’s time. In addition, since you’ve created real tangible models, posting them to your customers will cost money, too. This can vary wildly depending on whether your customer is in your city, or if they’re half way across the globe.

It’s safest to use your own files, as many models from free STL file sites may not authorize you to commercialize them. If you want to add even more value, you could even paint your models, making them stand out and letting you charge higher prices.

You’ll need to think about marketing for this type of 3D printing business. People are unlikely to just find your 3D printing shop unless you’re savvy about getting your name out there: either on social media, or by paid ads such as PPC on Google or Facebook ads. You’ll need to continually optimize any paid ads to make sure you’re selling enough products to make the ads profitable, and keep a beady eye on the data.

If successful however, it’s one of the most rewarding and independent ways to make it as a 3D printing business.

1. Customized products  

There are no limitations here… mobile cases and covers, special parts that enable you to use items in different ways (e.g. toys), jewelry and so forth. For example, check out Lantos Technologies, a company that prints customized in-ear products.

These 3D printed toys and similar models are always popular, and there will always be a demand for 3D character prints of peoples’ favorite video game or movie characters, musicians, actors and more. Cosplayers are always looking for new elements to use, too.

If you’re a good 3D designer — and if you want to learn, check out our ranking of the best free 3D modeling software tools for beginners — you can design your own creations harnessing your boundless creativity and signature style, or just create 3D models based on real people or things. You can then either sell these models and send them fully printed, or sell the STL file and let them print their own.

2. Customized collectibles and figures

Fans LOVE customized collectibles and figures of their favorite athletes, artists and gamer avatars. Just make sure to check all licenses if you want to use this for your business. On the other hand, there’s a market for customized figures of people themselves, e.g. a figure of someone posing in his or her sports gear or their own gamer avatar.

For example, CoKreeate is a company that has successfully established itself in this market. Want to learn more about how to set up your own shop? Here’s a story that might inspire you.

Selling small items like this could be much easier if you’re wanting to set up a home-based 3D printing business. Lower storage and shipping costs for your home-factory business.

Read more: the best 3D printers for D&D miniatures

3. Prosthetics

Prosthetics are expensive and difficult to manufacture. 3D printing is solving several problems in this industry. It makes prosthetics better, more customized and more affordable. Additionally, 3D printing is making it easier to manufacture wheelchairs and other support tools. Some companies that are producing prosthetics and support tools are e-Nable and Open Bionics.

Read more: our feature story on 3D printed prosthetics

4. Customized clothes

Typically, clothes are a mass market product. When you walk down the street, you’ll probably meet someone wearing the same item from the same chain. But thanks to 3D printing, it doesn’t have to be this way. 3D printing makes it easy to customize clothing. For example, a popular item that could be 3D printed and mass-customized are clog like foam shoes. One of the advantages of these shoes is that the foam forms itself to your feet. 3D printing enables you to improve this product.

Want to check out some successful companies in this space? Kinematics dress and Continuum Fashion are some of the companies that are already selling customized clothes and fashion related accessories. 

Read more: how 3D printed clothing is changing the world

Read more: 3D printed fashion: the latest trend

5. Customized sports and hobby products

People spend a lot of money on sports and hobbies, and this is the perfect market for customized items. For example, you could sell customized tennis racket covers to teams or customized fishing and golfing gear.

Read more: our feature story on 3D printed shoes and sneakers

6. Customized gifts

The best gifts are personal. The problem is that most customized gifts are expensive because they cost so much to manufacture. That’s why 3D printed customized gifts are the best choice; 3D printed customized gifts are affordable and flexible to print.

Read more: 3D printed gifts you can download and print today

7. 3D printed photographs  

People love storing memories of their loved ones. A great idea for a 3D printing business is to create 3D printed family photographs. Many would love the possibility to store a model of their child, grandparent, pet or even a model of their house.

8. Customized baby products

Naturally, most parents want the best for their babies and babies need different tools that fit them. By starting a business that customizes baby products, you tap into this lucrative market. Some of the companies that have noticed this are Spuni, a company that prints spoons, and Technologia Humana 3D, a company that prints 3D models of fetuses.

9. Customized B2B products

Not all customized products are in the B2C space. Businesses want to stand out from their competition. You could 3D print customized furniture, signature decoration or other products and sell them to companies.

If you’ve got an eye for designs that’ll sell well online, such as miniatures, tabletop models and D&D-esque designs, this might be the route for you. 

Become a 3D printer reseller and expert

Most cheap 3D printers are bought from Amazon. They come with instructions to get you going, and normally have some form of tech support if you run into serious problems. 

However, with more complex professional and industrial 3D printers, installation, training and ongoing support may be required.

Resellers sell printers from major 3D printer manufacturers to domestic or local customers, and can provide all the required support and installation locally so the manufacturer doesn’t need to be involved.

To be a reseller, you’ll need to be an expert on every 3D printer made by the brand you’d be reselling, and may need to purchase one at full price first to fully understand it before becoming licensed and gaining access to wholesale rates. 

To find customers you’ll need a full understanding of the uses and applications of the particular 3D printers you sell, as well as likely buyer personas. The more industrial and expensive the 3D printers you sell, the smaller your potential client base will likely be.

Another variant of this is focusing on education and 3D printing in schools. Experts on 3D printing may be required to assist with either informing schools to install 3D printers, creating and teaching, or selling to educational establishments. However, check the regulatory rules for your country first.

Design 3D printing files

[Source: History.com]

Love design? Then designing 3D files and selling those designs might be one of the better 3d printing business ideas you’re looking for.

The setup is simple: create and sell designs that your customers can print with their own 3D printers.

How?

Sell your designs on 3D file marketplaces like MyMiniFactory, CG Trader, Shapeways or i.Materialise or create your own online store with Shopify or WordPress (via Woocommerce).

1. Create designs for a niche market

Become the go-to person in a niche and sell designs on marketplaces. For example, you could provide designs in the home furnishing niche that companies can buy and use to sell their own prints.

2. Create prototypes for companies

Another idea is to create prototype designs and sell them to companies. You’re not printing the designs, which means that you can scale faster.

It’s important to start in a specific niche. For example, say a medical company needs 3D prototypes. If you’re a 3D printing company specializing in medical prototype designs, it’s much more likely that you’ll land them as a client than if you produce generic designs.

3. Create designs for museums, architects and interior designers

Typically, museums, architects, and interior designers need a lot of prototypes and other models. For example, History.com uses 3D printed Viking models in its Vikings project and architects need building models.

4. Set up your own online store

If you don’t want to sell your designs on marketplaces, you can open a store with a service like Shopify. Sell designs that people can buy right away to use for their own businesses.

Full-Service 3D Design and 3D Printing Agency

Want to take it a step further and set up a shop that takes care of the entire process? With this business plan, your customers come in and talk about what they want you to print. Then, you design the product and print it.

Because the whole process can be quite expensive, you probably scale faster if you target B2B customers or those looking to get started with a new prototype. 

How?

1. Create prototypes for companies 

Companies need prototypes, and they can be very expensive. That’s why 3D printed prototypes are such a great alternative; they’re easier to produce, and they’re cheaper.

 2.  Design and print products for e-commerce stores

E-commerce companies need to find reliable factories overseas because it’s too expensive to manufacture products locally. As the factory is far away from where the company is based, there might be a range of problems; long production times, varying factory standards and long and costly delivery times.

Many times, e-commerce companies have to source more stock than they need to avoid running out of products. With your services, you can offer a flexible and affordable solution to these problems. By designing and printing products for e-commerce shops, you tap into a major pain point in the industry.

It’s important (and with any of the other business ideas listed here) that you don’t just see this as a way to profit from 3D printing. When starting a business like this, you want to make sure you’re really passionate about the quality or products and the service levels you want to deliver. Otherwise, it will show. 

Think about what types of aspects matter most to the types of companies that would want your services and tailor your business plan to address these concerns. Creating small batch production items for an e-commerce company will require a slightly different service than perhaps just creating initial one-off prototypes for new startups.   

3. Create promotional goods

You know, promotional goods can be really powerful for a company’s marketing strategy. The only problem is that it’s expensive and difficult to find creative promotional goods if the company wants to go with something else than t-shirts. 3D printing doesn’t have the same restrictions, and that’s why your 3D printing service can solve this problem. Besides targeting the end user (companies), you might want to offer your services to ad agencies.

4. Repair and maintenance

As the 3D printing industry grows, there will be a growing demand for reliable repair and maintenance services. Set up your own repair and maintenance shop and repair and maintain 3D printers and prints.

Conclusion

Overall, with massive industry growth — especially on the industrial side — additive manufacturing is very attractive area to be in. If you’ve got the risk-taking chops, business acumen and love and knowledge for 3D printing, and are willing to put the work in, who knows, perhaps you could be the next 3D printing billionaire!

But which filament is best for you?

What is 3D printer filament?

Filaments come on spools, making them easy to feed into your 3D printer. Filaments are plastic materials in spaghetti-like strands that are melted and extruded onto your printer’s print bed to make your 3D model according to the specs you chose in your 3D software.

3D Printer Filament Types

There are two main types:

• 1.75mm filament: the 1.75mm size is by far the most common, and is the smaller diameter of filament available.
• 2.85mm filament: sometimes referred to as 3mm filament, 2.85mm filament appears to be going increasingly out of fashion with makers drawn to 1.75mm filament instead. However, some printers including BCN3D Sigma printers and Ultimaker’s range of 3D printers take 2.85mm filament, including the Ultimaker 3, S3 and S5.

What is the best 3D printer filament?

Well, it depends. If you’re a beginner to 3D printing, then ABS or PLA are your best bet, with PLA considered the easiest filament to 3D print with overall. PETG is considered a good middle ground between ABS and PLA, which is explained in more detail in each 3D printer filament type section below.

If you’re looking to print crazy glow-in-the-dark, clear or conductive models, there are PLA blends with all of these attributes. PLA is considered the most versatile filament, and clear PLA filament, conductive PLA filaments and others are commonly used for specialized projects.

For those looking to print flexible parts, TPU, TPE and other flexible filaments exist for these uses. These are explained in more depth in their flexible filament section within this filament guide.

For experts looking to print with the strongest 3D printer filaments, PC, Nylon, Carbon fiber-filled, or even PEEK may be more appropriate — though tougher filaments cost more.

Cheap vs expensive filaments

PLA and ABS are the cheapest 3D printer filaments, starting at around $20 per kilo. PETG is only marginally more expensive, costing around $25 per kilo, and is more durable than PLA.

Tougher materials like Nylon start to get more expensive, while the most expensive 3D printer filaments such as PEEK filament can set you back hundreds of dollars per kilo. This is due to its strength, heat resistance and industrial use, which we’ll explain further later on.

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Hobbyist 3D Printer Filaments

PLA (Polylactic Acid)

• Temperature: 180-210°C
• Heated bed: optional at 40-60°C
• Heated chamber: not required
• Glass transition temperature: 60-65°C
• Adhesion: can use glue stick, blue painter’s tape, and more

PLA or PolyLactic Acid is the ‘go-to’ 3D filament for most makers. PLA filament is an eco-friendly biodegradable material made from cornstarch.

History:

Now probably the most widely used filament for makers worldwide, PLA is a product of the RepRap movement, with co-creator Vik Olliver discovering the material’s potential for 3D printing while trying to unearth a good filament for the first RepRap machines.

15 years later, PLA is used by millions worldwide to 3D print all types of models, and is known for being a very cheap filament as well as for being the only biodegradable filament.

3D printing tips:

It’s easy to print with because it requires some of the lowest temperature settings of any 3D printer materials and generally doesn’t warp. You’ll find PLA is also non-toxic and doesn’t smell much when printing.

Whereas 3D printer filaments like ABS and ASA are made of plastic compounds, PLA is made from renewable and biodegradable crops like corn starch. This makes PLA the undisputed eco-warrior favorite, and also means that when printing there is no foul smell or toxic fumes, unlike ABS.

Due to the purity of the raw materials used, higher quality PLA also yields better results with post-print finishing, such as sanding or drilling if required.  

If you’re not sure what material to use, and just want something easy to 3D print (it’s forgiving on your slicer settings, though it can ooze and string) with respectable strength and usability – PLA is worth trying out. 

It’s worth noting that PLA is typically brittle in comparison to most other durable filaments. If you need something just like regular PLA but more durable, or with higher temperature resistance, PLA+ could be your answer.

Unlike ABS, PLA does not require a heated bed when 3D printing filament, but we still recommend using one for the best results. You don’t need a heated chamber or enclosed build area, making it a favorite of DIY 3D printer owners that typically have open print areas.

We recommend the following PLA selections:

• PLA selections on Amazon here
• PLA filament range on Matterhackers here

There are a large range of PLA filaments available, with a huge variety in quality and strengths. Generally, it’s considered weaker than ABS – but higher quality 3D printer PLA can result in a surprising amount of finished part strength.

There are a huge number of different filament blends available. Common blends include wood filaments, as well as copper PLA and carbon fiber filament — you can even get glow-in-the-dark PLA for nighttime projects.

However, PLA melts at far lower temperatures than filaments like ABS, making PLA parts far less suited to high-temperature applications. PLA is also brittle, and if enough pressure is placed on a PLA part it can snap. It can’t be acetone-smoothed like ABS, though it is very easy to paint your finished parts, and gluing multiple PLA parts together is also no problem.

Read our full guide: PLA 3D printer filament guide

Best filaments: Best PLA filaments

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

• Temperature: 230-250°C
• Heated bed: required, recommended temperature 90-110°C
• Heated chamber: highly advised
• Glass transition temperature: around 105°C
• Adhesion: glue stick, blue painter’s tape and others

Perhaps the second most commonly used filament is ABS (or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene on Sundays) – it’s a common plastic used in a lot of casings and consumer products that require a durable material. Your phone case or keyboard is likely made from, or has some components in ABS. 

Good ABS filament is stronger than good PLA (and considerably stronger than cheaper varieties) and has a higher temperature resistance (it won’t go soft in a hot car on a sunny day) but takes a little more care when printing. Cheaper ABS can be crumbly or inconsistent to print.

As well as being one of the most widely used 3D printer filaments, it’s also one of the most versatile, available in many different colors and sizes — you can even buy clear ABS to paint after printing. ABS also has good heat resistance, with a glass transition temperature of around 105C — far higher than filaments like PLA (60-65C).

It is also cheap, costing around $20 per kilo, and as a result is commonly used for rapid prototyping.

3D printing tips:

This is because it has a tendency to warp if your heated bed is not hot enough (as it contracts when cooling), and requires a hotter extruder temperature. However, once your ABS plastic filament settings are tuned in and everything is at the correct temp – printing it is no harder than any other material. 

This material can also be smoothed with acetone. This means you can make it look more like a non-3D print, but that’s usually at a cost to detail.

As with all 3D printing filaments, it’s extremely important to only print in a well-ventilated area. ABS is no different. The very process of printing can release microparticles into the air during the heating and extruding process – so always read the guidelines from your printer’s manufacturer.

ABS filament requires a heated bed, and preferably a heated chamber — so RepRap 3D printers and 3D printer kits may struggle. Without a heated chamber ABS may warp and pull upward at the corners, and the midsection may even crack if the warping pulls two areas apart. It can also smell bad when printing, with pungent odors that can cause nausea — so it is best to 3D print ABS filament in a room you don’t need to use.

Is ABS filament transparent?

Not naturally, like PLA and some other materials (see below) but we do a modified ABS that is, also it prints more translucent unless you acetone smooth. 

• We also have a full, in-depth guide dedicated to ABS filament.

We recommend the following ABS selections:

• ABS filament selection on Amazon here
• ABS filament range on Matterhackers here

However, for the price there aren’t any stronger filaments or more durable filaments than ABS. Nylon is tough but more expensive, and PEEK is more than 10x pricier. Therefore, ABS is perfect for anyone looking to create sturdy and high-quality parts without breaking the bank.

For more info on ABS:

• Best ABS filament and brands
• Best ABS 3D printers

PETG filament (Polyethylene Terephthalate with added Glycol)

• Temperature: 220-245°C
• Heated bed: optional but recommended, at 70-90°C
• Glass transition temperature: around 80°C
• Adhesion: blue painter’s tape and other options
• Density: 1270kg/m³

PETG is PET with added glycol in order to improve its 3D printing characteristics. PET is widely used to make water bottles as well as in injection molding, with glycol added to make it less brittle and improve impact resistance and durability.

It is effectively almost unbreakable – layer adhesion is excellent and it will just keep bending, rather than snapping like more brittle plastics might. 

Other benefits include hardly any warp and virtually no smells when printing. It also bridges well. When printed optimally for transparency, PET is one of the clearest.

3D printing tips:

Although easy to print with, you want to make sure your PETG filament settings are dialed in properly.

The main advantages of PETG filament are that it has good impact resistance and fantastic thermal characteristics but without the problems with warping associated with ABS or brittleness associated with PLA.

For these reasons, PETG is considered a stellar third option for those deciding between PLA and ABS, and is becoming an increasingly popular filament.

Possibly the main advantage of PETG however is how great layer adhesion is during 3D printing. It’s natural stickiness makes for fantastic layer adhesion, leading to strong and durable parts that do not warp — this makes PETG one of the best 3D printer filaments for long and thin parts that are a nightmare for ABS.

We recommend the following PETG selections:

• PETG selection on Amazon here
• PETG range on Matterhackers here

However, PETG’s softer surface makes it prone to wear and tear from general scratching, and is therefore not an ideal material for any application that involves heavy use or that needs to retain a certain surface finish.

Additionally, PETG’s great layer adhesion has some downsides. It sticks so well that it is a poor option for printing supports, bridges, and other structures. For this reason, PETG is less of an attractive option unless you have a dual extruder 3D printer and can print a better support filament such as PVA or PLA. You should also be wary of stringing, and correct your 3D slicer settings if you notice excessive oozing.

For a more in-depth guide to PETG 3D printing:

Flexible 3D printer filaments — TPU, TPE, TPC

• Recommended extruder temperature: 220-260°C depending on the flexible filament type
• Heated bed: optional, recommended temperature 40-60°C

TPE — or Thermoplastic Elastomers — blend plastics and rubber together to create this special type of flexible 3D printer filament. These filaments are flexible and elastic — far more so than other flexible 3D printer filaments like PLA.

Flexible filaments are any material that can be easily bent out of shape, and then returns to it’s original (post printed) shape once released. These are different, but share similarities to semi-flexible, extremely durable materials like PETG and Nylon. 

Flexi filaments have various vibration dampening, impact absorbing and shape restoring properties. Excellent uses involved model car tyres (or tank tracks), bouncy objects and custom printed stress balls – but the uses are limitless. 

They’re available in different hardnesses, often referred to on the Shore D hardness scale. Lower numbers are softer, and higher are firmer materials. 

It is commonly advised when 3D printing soft material to do so at half the usual speed, at around 20-30mm/s, at least to start with. You may also want to check the extruder you use is compatible with flexible materials – as some extruder designs can cause problems, especially with softer grades of flex.

• We have a specialized article focused on TPU if you want to find out more about TPU filament.
• For TPE and other flexible filaments, we have an article explaining every type of flexible filament.

There are several different types of TPE, the most popular being TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane). These flexible 3D printer filaments are great for absorbing shocks, as well as dampening vibrations.

They also have very good heat resistance properties, making TPU and other flexible filaments perfect for creating less rigid tools that can withstand high temperatures. When printing with TPE or TPU, you’ll notice it has fairly similar characteristics to PLA.

We recommend the following flexibles:

• Range of flexible TPU filaments on Amazon
• TPU and TPC range of filaments on Matterhackers

However, TPE can be difficult to print, and considerable care must be taken to maintain precise print settings, or the print could fail. TPU and other flexibles are also prone to small imperfections on printed models through stringing and oozing.

Additionally, extra care should be taken if using a Bowden extruder, as the longer feed lengths can cause jams.

For more info:

• The best TPU and flexible filaments
• Complete guide to TPU filament 3D printing
• Guide to flexible filaments

Nylon filament (Polyamide)

• Temperature: 240-275°C, generally around 250°C
• Heated bed temperature: 90-110°C
• Does Nylon require a heated chamber: Yes

Nylon is a form of Polyamide, with Nylon filament known for being very tough, heat and impact resistant, and difficult to scratch or wear down. As a result, not only is Nylon filament used in some maker projects, but is used heavily in industrial 3D printing situations for rapid prototyping and other uses, and Nylon PA12 powder is also used in SLS 3D printers and in MJF.

This is, hands down in our opinion the most versatile printing material currently available. It’s an amazingly strong filament. Outside the 3D printing world it’s commonly used in clothing, when printed thinly its flexible (think living hinges) and when printed thick it’s got a good level of stiffness to it.

Ultimately Nylon is very durable, has a low friction coefficient (often used in low RPM gearboxes and bushings) and in our Nylon 12 blend has an increased resistance to chemical and thermal influences than the more common grades such as Nylon 6. It is these properties that make Nylon so suitable for blending with other materials to create filament types with a range of excellent benefits.

3D printing tips:

You will absolutely need a heated bed as well as a heated chamber to 3D print Nylon filament. Without these additions, Nylon will warp and parts will be rendered useless. Therefore, use a heated bed as well as an enclosure or heated chamber to keep a steady temperature maintained, further preventing curling or warping.

Additionally, use the correct build surface for Nylon filament, such as an adhesive like glue stick, or PEI sheets or Kapton tape.

Nylon is more expensive than consumer filaments like PLA, with high-quality filaments starting at around $50 per kilo. There are several different Nylon filament types, including NylonX, which is mixed with carbon fiber, and NylonG, which is mixed with glass fibers. Both blends give Nylon added strength but cost much more than standard Nylon.

We recommend the following Nylon selections:

• Nylon filament range on Amazon
• Selection of Nylon filaments on Matterhackers

Nylon is considered tougher than even ABS, owing to its higher impact resistance from its flexibility. Unlike ABS, it also does not create bad odors during 3D printing. It is mainly used for its fantastic strength, impact resistance and flexibility.

However, Nylon’s proneness to warping and curling mean you must be very careful when 3D printing. Keep precise print settings to ensure your print doesn’t warp and fail, and do not attempt to 3D print Nylon without a good heated bed and chamber.

Nylon is also very hygroscopic and requires airtight storage in a dry place or its 3D printing characteristics will drastically worsen.

For more info on Nylon:

• Best Nylon filaments and brands
• Best Nylon 3D printers
• NylonX filament guide

Support Filaments

PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol)

• Temperature: 190-210°C
• Bed temperature: max 45°C
• Adhesion: blue painter’s tape (and others suitable)

PVA is probably best known for its ability to be dissolved water, and it is therefore often used as a support material in geometrically complex prints alongside PLA. It’s used with PLA as the two materials share similar melting points and print characteristics.

It is perfect for these prints as its solubility means that leaving a print overnight in water completely removes the PVA supports, leaving no trace or blemishes that would otherwise affect the quality of the print.

We recommend the following PVA support filament selections:

• Matterhackers PVA filament selection
• Amazon PVA filament range

If necessary, PVA can also be used to print models, rather than just as a support filament. It is however not ideal for this, as like PC it absorbs moisture from the air, and any contact with water will spell doom for your part. It therefore requires 3D printer filament storage to retain its properties.

Moreover, PVA is liable to clog the 3D printer’s nozzle when printing if left hot without extruding any 3D printer filament. It’s also expensive, which may be a barrier considering it cannot be used for any product intended to be taken outside.

It’s worth considering though it’s extremely hygroscopic – that means you’ve got to keep it dry and sealed with desiccant to preserve it

For more information, here’s our full guide to PVA filament:

HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)

• Temperature: 230-245°C
• Heated bed: required, recommended temperature 90-115°C
• Adhesion: blue painter’s tape, glue stick, and others also work well

HIPS is a dissolvable material mostly used as a support material when printing with ABS. The main advantage of using HIPS with your ABS 3D printer filament is that after printing, simply leave your model in Limonene to dissolve the HIPS supports.

It’s often regarded as just a support material, which it works as very well. However, it also works great as a standalone printing filament due to the fact it’s easy to print and generally regarded as quite strong and low warp.

In fact, it will actually print nicely as a higher impact alternative to PLA. 

HIPS is a copolymer combining the hardness of polystyrene with the elasticity of polybutadiene rubber to create a high-impact thermoplastic that’s pretty tough and strong – without the typical brittle properties. 

It’s for this reason alone we feel HIPS filament is a really underrated 3D printing material in its own right. 

As a support material, HIPS dissolves using Limonene solution – which is an easily obtained solvent that’s made from the skin of lemons. Once submerged for 24 hours, the HIPS will have dissolved and you’ll be left with the print with clean, crisp overhangs, and no evidence of any supports or any imperfections. 

Having similar properties to ABS, it’s perfect for use with a dual extruder 3D printer, and its light weight means it’s well suited to parts where cutting weight is the aim.

Moreover, HIPS is cheap, and though dissolvable in Limonene, it is still water-resistant. It’s stronger than standard polystyrene, and possesses good mechanical and strength characteristics, leading to its use in plastic signs and point of sale displays.

We recommend the following HIPS selections:

• Matterhackers HIPS range
• Dynamism HIPS range
• Amazon HIPS range

However, as with ABS, HIPS requires the use of a heated bed, and high temperatures are recommended along with a heated chamber with ventilation. HIPS 3D printer filament is liable to warp, so careful monitoring of temperature is required to avoid visible and rough looking layers.

Likewise, as with ABS it exudes strong fumes, and is guilty of clogging up the 3D printer nozzle which can waste time and material.

Read our full guide to HIPS filament here:

Composite Filaments

Wood filaments

• Extruder temperature: 180-220°C
• Heated bed temperature: optional 40-60°C
• Do you need a heated chamber or enclosure to 3D print wood? No.

Relatively new developments in 3D printing have made it possible to print beautifully finished wood models on even the most budget-friendly 3D printers!

These wood filaments are typically a mix of 70% PLA, and 30% wood elements, such as pine, bamboo, and other woods. These filaments give an authentic wooden sheen to your models, letting you create precise wood models that look almost identical to the real thing — only very close inspection will reveal the truth.

Beyond choosing the wood type like pine or birch, you can tailor your preferred wooden finish during printing. Higher temperatures will stain the wood a darker shade, with lower temperatures the opposite. However, don’t print too high — wood is flammable.

We recommend the following wood filament ranges:

• Amazon’s range of wood filaments
• Matterhackers premium wood filament range

Since it’s mostly PLA, wood filaments still print at low temperatures and with relative ease, so even low cost basic printers should be able to print without too much issue. After printing, you can finish, stain and polish your prints to create gorgeous wood-like aesthetics.

Read our full guide to wood filament printing here:

Metal filaments

• Extruder temperature: 190-220°C
• Heated bed: Optional, at 40-60°C

When we say metal filaments, we don’t mean 3D printing solid metal parts in the way industrial metal 3D printers do. Rather than being full solid metal, metal filaments use a percentage of metal powders mixed with standard filaments like PLA.

The most commonly used metal filled filaments include stainless steel, bronze, and copper. However, make sure before you buy that you are indeed buying a filament with metal powder in, rather than a metal color filament.

We recommend the following metal filament ranges:

• High quality metal filament range on Matterhackers here
• Selected metal filaments on Amazon here

Rarely used for things metals would be used for, metal filaments are mostly an aesthetic choice, creating metallic parts that can look like real bronze statues or metal cosplay features.

They’re easily printable on even standard desktop 3D printers, but you should upgrade to a hardened steel nozzle to avoid the composite filaments repeatedly wearing down your standard brass nozzles.

You can read more in our full guide to metal filaments:

Carbon Fiber filled 3D printer filament

• Recommended extruder temperature: depends on main material.

Carbon fiber filled 3D printer filaments are those which contain short fibers infused into the original filament – such as PLA or Nylon – to give it extra strength and hardiness.

Other carbon fiber-filled filaments exist, such as PETG, ABS, and PC. Markforged, as well as releasing their first metal 3D printer recently, have pioneered FDM 3D printers that use these filaments.

These extremely strong fibers mean 3D printed parts will be stronger, retain their shape better (as the fibers prevent shrinking), and best of all, lighter.

We recommend the following carbon fiber filaments:

• Matterhackers range of PLA and other composite carbon fiber filaments
• Dynamism range of premium carbon fiber composites
• Amazon range of carbon fiber filaments

However, the use of these carbon fibers within the 3D printer filaments can increase the chance of the printer nozzle clogging during printing.

Moreover, the filament itself is not suitable for all printers due to its enhanced properties and toughness – basic RepRap 3D printers or cheap 3D printers may struggle. Lastly, the filament becomes slightly more brittle with its enhanced strength, which may not always be ideal.

Carbon-reinforced Nylon 3D printing tips:

• Temperature: 260-275°C
• Bed temperature: 100-115°C
• Adhesion: Kapton tape

For more information, here’s our full guide to carbon fiber 3D printing:

Glass filaments

• PLA Glass temperature: 180-220C, heated bed optional at 40C+
• Glass-reinforced Nylon temperature: 255-275C, heated bed at 100-110C

Perhaps considered fragile by those who only know glass from easily shattered windows or drinking glasses that break when dropped on the floor.

In fact, glass fibers actually provide excellent strength and durability, and are added to standard filaments to notably improve their strength for prototyping and other industrial uses.

We recommend the following glass fiber filament range:

• Glass fiber filaments and NylonG range available on Matterhackers here

PLA glass composite filaments can be made 50% stronger, and 2x less flexible with glass additions. PLA is typically seen as brittle, with glass providing more flexibility without breaking.

NylonG, or Nylon glass composites, are also strengthened without losing Nylon’s trademark flexibility, and is used in industry for high-strength industrial prototyping and other applications.

The main benefits of this material, aside from those mentioned above,are its abrasion resistance. 

Need to print something that needs to take quite a bit of rough and tumble that’s low friction and hard-wearing? Like RC helicopter landing skids, or similar (OK, so we’re not thinking very inventively right now). This could be your go-to for tough stuff. 

Otherwise settings are similar to our standard Nylon 12.

For more information on glass filaments:

Professional 3D printer filaments

PC filament (Polycarbonate)

• Temperature: 300°C+
• Heated bed temperature: at least 90°C, recommended 120°C+
• Do you need a heated chamber or enclosure to 3D print polycarbonate? Yes
• Polycarbonate glass transition temperature: 150°C
• Adhesion: PEI sheets, glue stick

Polycarbonate filament is extremely strong, can take powerful impacts, and withstand very high heats. It also has a transparent finish that looks great.

PC is also lightweight, making it ideal for products that need to be clear, strong, resist heat, and light, and is a heavily used filament in engineering applications, as well as 3D printing sunglasses and riot gear – and even used with toughes glass to make it bulletproof.

• We have a full guide to PC filament in our complete Polycarbonate filament guide.

As a result of its toughness, not all 3D printers can handle PC filament, because your hot-end needs to run at around 260-300°C for it to print nicely.

One of the benefits of such a high printing temperature though is its thermo-stability – polycarbonate filament takes a bit of heat to soften it up. But that’s not to say it’s brittle when cold, far from it. This thermoplastic is also durable and takes quite a force to break it. 

Another interesting quality of Polycarbonate is that it is not strictly rigid but slightly bendy, meaning it can move flexibly without snapping or breaking with high tensile strength. This makes it useful in areas where flexibility is a necessity. Moreover, PC’s ability to retain its structure until around 150°C makes it ideal for use where high temperatures are involved.

We recommend the following PC filament selections:

• Range of PC filament on Amazon here
• Matterhackers range of PC filaments

However, as a result of these strong heat properties, very high temperatures are required to print the 3D printer filament. As it is difficult to prevent the rapid cooling of the part from these high temperatures, PC is very prone to warping – from small temperature deviations, or in the event of too much cooling – therefore requiring a specialized cooling chamber with heated bed.

Polycarbonate is also very hygroscopic and if not stored correctly will deteriorate as it absorbs moisture from the air. We explain how to store and dry affected filament in our PC filament guide below:

ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate)

• Temperature: 230-250°C.
• Heated bed: required, recommended temperature 90-100°C.
• Adhesion: Blue Painters Tape / Glue Stick / PEI Sheet

ASA is a 3D printer filament with good impact resistance as well as being resistant to heat and scratching. However, due to the different rubber material used to produce ASA, it is more expensive than standard 3D printer filaments.

Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate is a specialist material, which is new on the scene. It’s very similar to ABS, but with one key difference – it’s resistant to UV light. That means it won’t crack or yellow when left out in the sun over time. If you print practical outdoorsy things, or print for business this printing material is invaluable.

3D printing tips:

ASA filament otherwise has similar properties to ABS — it’s slightly denser, slightly more durable, and harder wearing. If you’d like to learn more about the differences between this and regular ABS filament, check out our comparison article.

Something to note when printing ASA though is that it needs to cool really slowly, or it can crack. This is easily solved by turning your cooling fans right down, to about 5% or 10%.

If you have an enclosed printing chamber, that’s even better – but otherwise, try keep the ambient temperature warm and no drafts and your prints will come out a dream. 

We recommend these ASA filament ranges:

• Matterhackers ASA filament range
• Amazon range of ASA filaments

In addition, this new material composition means it requires a high extruder temperature with recommended ventilation to counteract the fumes produced melting it. A heated bed is also highly recommended to prevent the warping that can be more unpredictable with ASA than some other filaments.

Read our full guide to ASA here:

PP (Polypropylene)

• Recommended extruder temperature: 220-250°C
• Heated bed: 85-95°C

PP is another semi flexible 3D printer filament like PC, and is very lightweight. It however lacks some of the strength of PC, and is therefore used mostly in low strength applications where its flexibility is needed, such as in making ropes, stationery, and in the automotive and textiles sectors. It is also a main material used in injection molding.

PP is useful in 3D printing as it is both impact resistant and fatigue resistant. This makes it perfect for parts that need to be able to absorb shocks, and its scratch resistance comes in handy here too.

We recommend the following PP filament ranges:

• Matterhackers range of PP filaments
• Dynamism Polypropylene filament range
• Range of Amazon Polypropylene filaments

However, PP lacks the strength necessary in many industries, ruling it out for many applications. It is also liable to warping during printing, and is also relatively expensive. Moreover, if you want to customize your model post print, PP is not a good option due to its low solubility for different colored dyes.

PEEK filament (Poly Ether Etherketone)

• PEEK 3D printing temperature: 360-450°C
• Heated bed: 120-160°C
• Do you need an enclosure or heated chamber when 3D printing PEEK? Yes.
• PEEK glass transition temperature: 143°C

PEEK is a very strong plastic that, due to its phenomenal thermal resistance (melts at 343C), requires extremely high temperatures to print. It’s a high grade, industrial material that offers the same strength by volume as steel, despite being 80% lighter. As a result, PEEK is seeing increased use in aerospace and automotive parts to save weight.

In addition to its use in the aerospace industry, PEEK has uses in high fashion 3D printed shoes, as well as wide use in the medical sector to create dental instruments, lightweight prosthetics, and implants as an alternative to standard metal implants. This is because PEEK doesn’t react to boiling water or steam, making it an ideal filament for areas where sterilization is required.

Absolutely not a consumer 3D printer filament, PEEK is reserved for high value-added industrial applications — though if in future prices come down it could see more day-to-day use. It is favored for its extremely high strength, fantastic temperature and chemical resistance, and low weight.

We recommend the following PEEK filament selections:

• Matterhackers premium PEEK range
• Dynamism PEKK and PEEK range

However, these advantages don’t come cheap, and PEEK is certainly far from inexpensive. Expect to pay around $500/kg, sometimes up to even $700. Moreover, it requires these very high temperatures to print, meaning that only industrial 3D printers can print it effectively, no cheap DIY 3D printer kit machines are likely to cut it.

Even small deviations in printing conditions can create imperfections in PEEK printed parts, so conditions must be kept very stable. Moreover, most desktop 3D printers do not come with hot ends that are able to 3D print PEEK, as they cannot handle the temperatures required.

For a more in-depth article on PEEK filament:

Other filaments

Cleaning Filament / Flushing Filament

• Temperature: 170-280°C+

Excuse us for getting personal, but you should be aware that carbon can build up in your hotend nozzle over time.

Now, if you print with the same material, at the same temperature, and your filament is always of a high quality – generally you shouldn’t need to worry about cleaning your nozzle as often. However, we would recommend it as a course of action periodically, especially if you’re a high-volume printer. 

Where you’re really going to see the benefits to nozzle cleaning filament though is when you change materials – especially if you’re going from a hotter printing material to a cooler temperature one.  

Let’s say you’re printing ABS at 250°C, and then take out the material to reload with PLA. PLA prints low, typically at around 180-210°C. That means, any ABS residue isn’t going to get hot enough to push out, and is going to cause friction. 

Not just that, but if you increase the heat of your hotend to 250°C to flush out the ABS with PLA, you risk cooking, or burning the PLA. Which can also clog your nozzle, so for best results, use Floss between 205-210°C to clean out PLA.

Therefore, cleaning filament works perfectly as a flushing filament to use between material changes (and once in a while even if you don’t change) – to keep your nozzle clear and blockage-free. 

What’s more, it only takes 30 seconds per clean making it a real time saver.

PMMA (Acrylic Filament)

• Temperature: 245-255°C
• Bed temperature: 100°C
• Adhesion: blue painter’s tape / glue stick

PMMA, or polymethyl methacrylate, is a hard, scratch-resistant, lightweight thermoplastic. Commonly known as acrylic, it’s well known for clarity and shatter resistance. 

Not as strong as Polycarbonate, but significantly more impact resistant than glass, PMMA filament is ideal when you require something easy to print yet with excellent translucency and scratch resistance. 

Think headlight lenses, aquariums and ice-rink protective glass as common uses for PMMA. 

In addition, PMMA can also be acetone smoothed, similar to ABS. It’s also used for lost-wax casting, as it cleanly burns away when using as a form for a cast mold.

Related articles:

• Filament calculator – how many meters of filament on a 1kg spool
• How much can you print with 1kg filament / PLA?
• The best filament dry boxes
• Best filament storage for 3D printing
• How to dry wet 3D printer filament
• How to smooth PLA
• How to acetone smooth ABS filament
• How to join or fuse filament
• Ender 3 filament buyer’s guide (and V2 / S1)