Yorick 3D
Materials

Which plastic should you choose?

Everything is printed on a Bambu Lab P2S. It can handle much more than just PLA. Below you'll find what each material does well, what to watch out for and what it's suitable for.

Nozzle
up to 300 °C, hardened steel
Print bed
up to 110 °C
Build volume
25.6 × 25.6 × 25.6 cm
Enclosure
enclosed, not actively heated

PLA

Polylactic acid

The go-to choice. Easy to print, a neat finish and the widest choice of colours.

Suitable for: Decorations, figurines, indoor parts and prototypes.

Pros

  • Prints most accurately, with crisp details
  • The widest choice of colours and finishes: matt, satin, marble, glitter
  • Made from plant-based raw materials and gives off no smell during printing

Cons

  • Softens from around 55 °C, so not for a hot car or next to a heater
  • Brittle: breaks rather than bends
  • Fades and weakens in full sun

PETG

Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (and PET)

Tougher than PLA and stands up to water, heat and knocks.

Suitable for: Holders and brackets, parts for the kitchen, bathroom and outdoors.

Pros

  • Tough: bends before it breaks
  • Resists water and most cleaning products
  • Stays firm up to around 70 °C and holds up reasonably well outdoors

Cons

  • Slightly less clean a finish than PLA, sometimes with fine strings
  • The surface scratches more easily
  • Fewer colours, and usually glossy

TPU

Thermoplastic polyurethane

Flexible like rubber: bends, springs back and provides grip.

Suitable for: Covers, feet, gaskets, bumpers and grips.

Pros

  • Flexible and springy
  • Resists wear and tearing
  • Dampens vibrations and provides grip

Cons

  • Prints slowly, so each print takes longer
  • Less dimensionally stable than rigid plastics
  • Not stiff enough for load-bearing parts

ABS

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

The classic plastic used in LEGO bricks: strong and heat-resistant.

Suitable for: Housings, car interiors and parts used near heat.

Pros

  • Stays firm up to around 95 °C
  • Impact-resistant and strong
  • Easy to finish: sand, drill and glue

Cons

  • Shrinks as it cools. The P2S has an enclosed chamber but no chamber heater, so large pieces can warp
  • Gives off odours and fumes during printing
  • Discolours and becomes brittle in sunlight

ASA

Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate

Related to ABS, but made for outdoor use: stands up to sun and rain.

Suitable for: Gardens, caravans, boats, car exteriors and anything mounted outdoors.

Pros

  • UV-resistant: keeps its colour and strength in sunlight
  • Stays firm up to around 95 °C
  • Neat, matt finish

Cons

  • Shrinks like ABS, so large parts can warp
  • Gives off odours and fumes during printing
  • More expensive than PLA and PETG, with fewer colours

PC

Polycarbonate

One of the strongest plastics for 3D printing, even at high temperatures.

Suitable for: Engineering parts that get hot and take a lot of punishment.

Pros

  • Very strong and impact-resistant
  • Stays rigid up to about 110 °C
  • Keeps its dimensions when hot

Cons

  • The trickiest material on the P2S: it needs a hot chamber, which the P2S cannot actively heat
  • Absorbs moisture and must be dry when printed
  • Expensive

PA

Polyamide (nylon)

Tough, smooth and wear-resistant: the material for moving parts.

Suitable for: Gears, hinges, snap-fit joints and wear parts.

Pros

  • Wear-resistant and smooth, so good for moving parts
  • Can flex repeatedly without breaking
  • Resistant to oil and grease

Cons

  • Absorbs moisture quickly and needs drying just before printing
  • Shrinks and warps without a heated chamber; fibre-reinforced versions fare better
  • Expensive

Fibre-reinforced

PLA-CF, PETG-CF, PET-CF, ASA-CF, ABS-GF, PA6-CF, PA6-GF, PAHT-CF, PPA-CF

A base plastic containing short carbon fibres (CF) or glass fibres (GF). Stiffer and more dimensionally stable than without them.

Suitable for: Frames, brackets, jigs, drone and RC parts.

Pros

  • Stiffer: bends less under load
  • Shrinks less, so ABS and nylon in particular print better with fibres
  • Attractive matt finish with barely visible layer lines
  • The P2S comes with a hardened steel nozzle as standard, which can handle these abrasive fibres

Cons

  • More brittle: less impact-resistant than the same plastic without fibres
  • More expensive
  • Few colours, usually black or grey

PVA

Polyvinyl alcohol

Not a material for the product itself, but for the supports underneath: it dissolves in water.

Suitable for: Supports under overhangs and inside cavities in a PLA print.

Pros

  • The supports wash away under the tap without leaving marks
  • Makes shapes possible that could not otherwise be printed

Cons

  • Only possible if the printer switches spools during a print, which takes extra time
  • Works especially well with PLA
  • Absorbs moisture and is expensive

For food and drink? No 3D print is automatically food-safe, whatever the material: dirt gets trapped in the seams between the layers.

Which colours? You can see what's currently in stock on the Colours page.

Not sure? Tell us what it's for in your request, and we'll choose the material together.

Can't find what you need? Just ask.

A broken part, a holder that needs to fit just right or an idea of your own. Send a photo or sketch and you'll get a proposal with a price.

Submit a request
  1. 1You send a photo, sketch or link
  2. 2You get a proposal with a price and lead time
  3. 3Happy with it? Then it goes on the printer, with a timelapse