PLA is a commonly remixed filament, often changed by blending it together with different materials. With this process, you can make some really cool colors and even visual effesilcts. This has been done with coffee, glow in the dark PLA, wood — even beer! — and now you can 3D print marble filaments like marble PLA.
By adding marble powder to PLA, we can give the filament a marble-like finish which is perfect for 3D printing sculptures, miniatures, and other decorative items that look as though they’re made from stone.
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Top Budget pick
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Premium pick
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$52/kg
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Marble PLA: Top Brands
What is Marble PLA?
Marble PLA is PLA filament that’s usually blended with marble powder and additional polymers to recreate the rock’s own aesthetic.
We say ‘usually’ here because it’s not always the case. Some brands of marble PLA simply use additional polymers with the stone-like effect needed to achieve a real marble-like aesthetic.
Simply speaking, marble PLA is regular PLA filament treated to look like marble. While it has few practical applications, it makes for some great 3D printed decorations and even garden ornaments due to its natural-looking rock-like surface.
Unfortunately, technology is still limited, and you’ll be able to tell that marble PLA isn’t a real stone even with a quick glance. But that isn’t to say that the attractive results don’t mimic stone well, you just won’t be able to fool anyone into thinking that it’s really naturally occurring rocks.
That being said, there are quite a few brands that really do come close to looking like the real thing, and we’ll be looking at some of those top marble PLAs available as well as how to use them.
Can You 3D Print Marble PLA?
While stones and rocks aren’t really 3D printable (yet), that doesn’t mean marble PLA isn’t a worthy substitute. 3D printing with marble PLA isn’t as complicated as you’d think, but there are a few things to keep in mind before you set out to use it.
How to print marble PLA will depend on the brand. When in doubt, its best to check the recommended setting the manufacturer will likely lay out for you. If you’re still not sure, there are some generally ideal settings you should use.
Setting your nozzle to around 190 – 220℃ is a good start. Because marble powder is naturally non-abrasive, you shouldn’t need to use a strong steel nozzle, but it is recommended if you plan on printing at higher temperatures.
A heated bed is also a good idea, with its temperature set to no more than around 70℃. Though don’t worry if you don’t have a heated bed, as stone-based filaments generally have quite good bed adhesion even without one.
As for printing speed, this will vary widely depending on which marble PLA you’re using, but you should have no trouble printing up to 70mm/s, though around 40mm/s is recommended for more highly detailed projects.
Marble PLA’s only real advantage is that it looks cool. It isn’t as durable as other filaments or even standard PLA, so it’s not recommended for making mechanical parts or supporting structures. Essentially, it’s only really good for decorative pieces.
Marble PLA isn’t very abrasive, and while it is prone to tangling, you should find it to be a very easy-to-use filament with a low risk of clogging. This makes it a generally hassle-free material with some really great-looking results.
Marble PLA is harder to find than most other PLAs and PLA variants, so here we’ll take a look at some of the best places to get yours and why.
Best Marble PLA Filament
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Matterhackers Marble PLA PRO / PETG
- Price: $52/kg — Available at Matterhackers here
- Print Speed: 50 – 100mm/s
- Recommended Nozzle Temperature: 190 – 220℃
Pros
Sturdy and reliable.
Great for beginners or people who don’t want to tweak their settings too much.
Great print quality.
Cons
Expensive.
Matterhackers is a well-known brand in 3D printing, offering a variety of cool and reliable filaments with a range of colors and features. Their marble PLA PRO has been treated with a patented polylactic polymer to give the desired aesthetics in a filament that’s both sturdy and reliable.
Matterhackers marble offerings are advertised as a color rather than a separate filament, being added to their general PLA PRO line instead of having its own separate category.
While this may be a red flag to those of you who want a true marble filament, it actually ensures printing as easy as with standard PLA, making it an ideal starting point for beginners or people who don’t want to tweak their settings too much.
This marble PLA is simple enough to use, and boasts high tensile strength and print quality with a reputation of reliability and quality that Matterhackers has earned. It is quite expensive, however, which may be a turn-off for those of you on a budget or who simply aren’t sure about spending that much on what is a mere aesthetic distinction.
For an extra $5, you can also see Matterhacker’s marble PETG, which is good news for those of you who want tougher, more resilient marble prints.
Sunlu Marble PLA
- Price: Check price on Amazon here
- Print Speed: 50 – 100mm/s
- Recommended Nozzle Temperature: 190 – 230℃
Pros
Bubble- and tangle-free experience.
Reliable and affordable.
Can print up to 100mm/s.
Cons
Easily gets tangled.
Sunlu’s marble PLA makes an excellent first impression without even adding to your cart. A picture comparison on their store page between real marble and their filament shows what you’re likely expecting and what you’ll get, which is the kind of honesty that puts the company in good light.
As we’ve discussed, marble PLA far from perfectly mimics the impossible to predict swirls of the real thing, but seeing how close it can get is pretty cool. And with a bubble- and tangle-free experience, Sunlu’s marble PLA is as reliable as it is affordable.
While it can print up to 100mm/s, we recommend selecting a lower print speed as marble PLA does have a habit of clogging at higher speeds. With this in mind, Sunlu is the perfect way to go for marble filament because of its generally hassle-free printing and very low price tag.
It’s worth noting that while Sunlu’s marble PLA can be printed from 190℃, it can handle as high as 230℃, so it’s perfect for high-power machines. A heated bed is also not necessary, but if you have one then setting it to around 60 – 80℃ should help with adhesion.
Eryone Marble PLA
- Price: $25/kg — Available at Amazon here
- Print Speed: 30 – 80mm/s
- Recommended Nozzle Temperature: 200 – 220℃
Pros
Affordable and a cool-looking filament.
Realistic stone-like finish.
Good bed adhesion even without a heated bed,
Cons
Can be difficult to use.
Another affordable marble PLA that won’t disappoint is Eryone’s own offering of the cool-looking filament. Eryone doesn’t just use a polymer to ape the effects of marble, but actual marble powder. Because of this, it doesn’t simply have the speckled look of many other marble PLAs, but rather a more realistic stone-like finish that’s very pleasing.
Some people have reported success printing at 100mm/s, but we recommend sticking to no higher than 80mm/s with Eryone’s marble PLA for the best results and more reliable use print after print. That being said, it is better to use higher nozzle temperatures, with around 210℃ being the optimal temperature according to most reviews.
Our recommended print speed does mean you’ll be waiting a little longer for your prints, but you’ll be okay with the wait once you’ve seen the results.
You’ll also be happy to know that Eryone’s marble PLA also boasts good bed adhesion even without a heated bed. Overall, Eryone’s offering here is highly accurate, anti-tangle, and has an excellent marble-like look, and all for a very affordable price.
Amolen Marble PLA
- Price: Check price on Amazon here
- Print Speed: 30 – 55mm/s
- Recommended Nozzle Temperature: 190 – 220℃
Pros
Great for those on a budget.
Good quality filament.
Cons
Not suited for beginners, as it is prone to tangling and has poor bed adhesion.
Like Matterhackers, Amolen’s marble PLA is more of a color option than its own separate material. That does not, however, mean that you’ll be sacrificing quality.
The marble finish both looks and feels like actual stone, or at least as close to it as any PLA can get, and its relatively cheap cost is great news for those of you on a budget who want to experiment a little before going for a more expensive brand.
Amolen’s marble PLA is better suited to smaller projects like recreating famous statues as chess-set size pieces, as larger projects will simply look like gray plastic with some speckled additions (which is in essence what many marble PLAs are).
In general, Amolen is a good choice for any 3D printer, but is probably not suited to beginners nor the impatient. More prone to tangling than others, and with relatively poor bed adhesion, it’s not recommended for those of you without a heated bed.
The low recommended printing speeds may also be a disadvantage if you don’t want to wait around or otherwise need a quick turnover (for example, if you run a business with your 3D printer and need high output to keep up with demand).
However, with the right machine and ideal settings, Amolen is certainly worth a look for anyone who wants a quality marble PLA and doesn’t mind that just needs a little more care and a bit more of a wait for great results.
Ziro Marble PLA – Best Cheap Marble Filament
- Price: $22/kg — Available at Amazon here
- Print Speed: 30 – 19mm/s
- Recommended Nozzle Temperature: 180 – 220℃
Pros
One of the cheapest marble PLAs.
Hassle-free printing, with no stringing or bubbles.
Tough and capable of making complicated structures.
Cons
Not suited for decorative pieces.
Ziro may not be a household name like Matterhackers or Sunlu, but that doesn’t mean they don’t produce noteworthy filaments. Their own marble PLA is the cheapest on this list, which is good news for those of you on a budget, but it has a good marble look and feel that’s well worth its low price.
Customers have been happy with its hassle-free printing that has no stringing or bubbles, resulting in smooth, neat prints with a marble finish and texture that doesn’t disappoint.
Ziro marble PLA is also quite tough and capable of making more complicated structures with relative ease and stability. That being said, it is one of the most clog-heavy filaments on this list, so you’ll need to be careful when using it.
While we still don’t recommend using it for anything but decorative pieces, this durability makes it ideal for garden decorations or even board game and chess pieces as it can stand up to more punishment than the average PLA.
Special Mention: Hatchbox Stone PLAs
- Price: Check latest price at Amazon here
- Print Speed: 30 – 80mm/s
- Recommended Nozzle Temperature: 180 – 220℃
Pros
Good color variation.
Provides good finishes.
Cons
Not a marble PLA.
Hatchbox stone PLAs get an honorable mention on this list because they no longer offer marble PLA as an option. Though they do still offer other stone-blended or stone-inspired filaments that mimic the colors and textures of things like granite and brick quite well.
The main reason to go for Hatchbox PLAs over marble ones is the color variation. Because they’ve branched out beyond standard marble, you can get a darker gray granite look or even old-style red brick.
This may not sound too exciting to those of you with your hearts set on printing marble, but I personally like the wider range of stone colors and finishes that make me wish Hatchbox did still deal in marble PLAs too.
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