Materials guide
Six materials cover almost every job that comes through the shop. Picking between them isn't about finding the strongest one — it's about matching the part to where it's going to live.
The toughest material is usually the wrong answer.
It costs more, prints slower, fails more often mid-job, and frequently solves a problem your part doesn't have. Here's how to tell when you actually need it.
Parts usually fail for one of three reasons: heat, sunlight, or the wrong kind of strength. Almost none fail because the material wasn't strong enough on paper.
That last one catches people out. A bracket that snapped probably didn't need a stronger plastic — it needed one that flexes instead of cracking. A dashboard piece that warped didn't need to be tougher; it needed to survive a hot afternoon. Strength is one axis out of several, and it's rarely the one that decides.
Material choice also changes what the job costs and how long it takes. Engineering-grade filaments print slower, need drying beforehand, wear out nozzles faster, and fail more often partway through. Sometimes that's exactly the right trade. Just as often it's money spent on insurance the part never needed.
So the useful conversation isn't "which filament is best." It's three questions: what does the part do, where does it live, and what happens if it breaks? Answer those and the material usually picks itself.
What we run
These are the filaments we stock and print regularly — not a catalogue of everything that exists. If your part needs something outside this list, say so and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right shop for it.
| Material | Best for | Heat limit | Outdoors & UV | Strength profile | Finish | Cost & lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLACheapest, sharpest detail | Fit-check prototypes, display models, indoor-only parts | ~140°F | Indoor only | Stiff, but snaps under impact | Crisp detail; sands and paints easily | Lowest · fastest turnaround |
| PLA ProTougher PLA, same heat ceiling | Indoor functional parts that take knocks | ~140°F | Indoor only | Stiff, far less brittle than PLA | As PLA — good detail, takes paint | Low · fast |
| PETGThe sensible default | Jigs, fixtures, brackets, enclosures, garage and attic parts | ~170°F | A season | Tough with a little give | Light gloss; glues well | Low · fast |
| PETG-CF17Stiff without the weight | Drone airframes and arms, camera mounts, anything that shouldn't flex | ~180°F | A season | Very stiff; more brittle as a result | Matte; layer lines nearly invisible | Higher · hardened nozzle, slower |
| ASABuilt for sunlight | Exterior trim, marine deck fittings, car interiors, anything living outside | ~200°F | Yes — years | Tough, good impact resistance | Matte; sands, paints and smooths well | Higher · enclosed chamber, slower |
| Nylon (PA)Bends before it breaks | Fastener-bearing parts, gears, living hinges, engine bay components | ~220°F+ | Moderate | Toughest here — flexes rather than cracking | Matte; resists glue and paint | Highest · needs drying, longest lead |
Heat figures are approximate softening points, not guarantees — a thin part under load gives up sooner than a thick one sitting still. Printed strength also swings with wall count, infill and how the part is oriented on the plate, sometimes more than the material choice does. Treat this as a starting point for a conversation rather than a spec sheet.
In practice
Same question every time — what does it do and where does it live. Two of these need an upgrade. Two of them need someone to talk you out of one.
Automotive
A car parked outside in a Texas August runs well past 140°F inside. PLA softens and the part sags out of shape, often within a single afternoon. ASA holds its geometry and won't chalk or fade where the sun comes through the glass.
Marine
PETG is more than strong enough here and would pass any bench test you threw at it. It just turns chalky and brittle after a season of direct UV. Strength was never the failure mode on this part — sunlight was.
Shop tooling
A jig has to stay rigid and hold its dimensions. Nylon is tougher, but it also absorbs moisture from the air and moves slightly as it does — worse for this job, and several times the cost. Over-specifying made the part measurably less accurate.
Product development
You're checking whether it fits and looks right, then you're throwing it away. PLA prints fastest, holds the sharpest detail and costs the least. Paying for heat resistance on a part that lives two days is money straight in the bin.
Straight answers
Worth knowing before you spend money. If your part falls into one of these, we'd rather tell you up front than take the job.
01
Printed parts are noticeably weaker along the build direction than across it. How a part sits on the plate can matter more than which filament it's made from — which is why we work that out before printing rather than after.
02
If a part carries real structural load, sits in sustained high heat, or someone gets hurt when it fails, printed plastic is usually the wrong tool. We'll say so rather than sell you a print that won't hold.
03
Printing holds good tolerances — not machine-shop tolerances. Where a fit has to be exact, we'll usually print it oversized and finish it by hand, or tell you it belongs on a mill.
Tell us what the part does, where it lives, and what happens if it breaks. That's usually enough to narrow it to one material — and when it isn't, we'll print a test piece before committing to the full job.