{"id":404,"date":"2026-01-20T06:52:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T04:52:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/pla-vs-petg-vs-tpu\/"},"modified":"2026-10-09T22:04:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T19:04:21","slug":"pla-vs-petg-vs-tpu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/pla-vs-petg-vs-tpu\/","title":{"rendered":"PLA vs PETG vs TPU \u2014 which material to print with"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Why the choice of material matters<\/h2>\n<p>The material determines how long a part will last, whether it can take the load and how the finished item will look. Customers often ask: \u201cWhat\u2019s best to print with?\u201d The short answer: it depends on the job. Read on for the full answer.<\/p>\n<p>Here we compare the three materials we use most often: <strong>PLA<\/strong>, <strong>PETG<\/strong> and <strong>TPU<\/strong>. For each one, we\u2019ll explain when it works well and when it\u2019s better to choose something else.<\/p>\n<h2>PLA \u2014 where everyone starts<\/h2>\n<p><strong>PLA (Polylactic Acid)<\/strong> is a biodegradable plastic made from corn starch. We print around 60% of orders in PLA. The reason is simple: it\u2019s cheap, looks good and prints without trouble.<\/p>\n<h3>PLA properties<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Print temperature:<\/strong> 190\u2013220\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bed temperature:<\/strong> 50\u201360\u00b0C (it can print without a heated bed)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shrinkage:<\/strong> minimal (under 0.5%)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Smell when printing:<\/strong> barely noticeable, slightly sweet<\/li>\n<li><strong>Heat resistance:<\/strong> softens at 55\u201360\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li><strong>Price:<\/strong> from <strong>5 UAH\/g<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>PLA advantages<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The easiest to print<\/strong> \u2014 minimal printer requirements, adhesion problems are rare.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Good surface quality<\/strong> \u2014 a smooth, neat surface with minimal defects. That\u2019s exactly why we often print display and presentation pieces in PLA.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A huge range of colours<\/strong> \u2014 dozens of options: silk, glitter, wood-effect, marble.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Biodegradable<\/strong> \u2014 breaks down in a few months under industrial composting conditions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The cheapest<\/strong> \u2014 from 5 UAH\/g of finished part.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Excellent detail<\/strong> \u2014 reproduces small features, textures and lettering well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>PLA drawbacks<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Afraid of heat<\/strong> \u2014 a part will warp at just 55\u00b0C. A real case: a customer left a PLA phone holder in their car in summer, and it deformed within a few hours.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Brittle<\/strong> \u2014 it cracks on impact rather than bending. Not suitable for mechanical parts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weak chemical resistance<\/strong> \u2014 not suitable for contact with aggressive substances.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not for outdoors<\/strong> \u2014 it gradually breaks down in sun and moisture.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What PLA is good for<\/h3>\n<p>Decor, prototypes for checking shape, figurines, cosplay, architectural models, stands and organisers for the home, POS materials, display samples. In our experience, 90% of decorative orders are printed in PLA.<\/p>\n<h2>PETG \u2014 when you need strength<\/h2>\n<p><strong>PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol-modified)<\/strong> is a modified version of ordinary PET, the plastic used for water bottles. Adding glycol improves printability and clarity. PETG combines the easy printing of PLA with strength close to ABS, which is why we recommend it for most functional parts.<\/p>\n<h3>PETG properties<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Print temperature:<\/strong> 220\u2013250\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bed temperature:<\/strong> 70\u201385\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shrinkage:<\/strong> low (under 1%)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Smell when printing:<\/strong> minimal<\/li>\n<li><strong>Heat resistance:<\/strong> softens at 75\u201385\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li><strong>Price:<\/strong> from <strong>6 UAH\/g<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>PETG advantages<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Strong<\/strong> \u2014 much stronger than PLA, handles mechanical loads.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Unafraid of moisture<\/strong> \u2014 doesn\u2019t absorb water, suits outdoor and damp locations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chemical resistance<\/strong> \u2014 resists household chemicals, acids and alkalis.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flexes on impact<\/strong> \u2014 unlike PLA, PETG bends rather than breaks. We\u2019ve tested it: a PETG part can be dropped on the floor \u2014 it bounces rather than cracks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Food-safe<\/strong> \u2014 if the filament is certified.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transparent<\/strong> \u2014 available in clear and translucent colours.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not hard to print<\/strong> \u2014 a bit fussier than PLA, but much easier than ABS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>PETG drawbacks<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stringing<\/strong> \u2014 it pulls thin threads between features. On our direct-drive Bambu Lab printers this is fixed by tuning retraction and temperature.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sticks to the bed too well<\/strong> \u2014 it can sometimes damage the build surface. We use a glue stick as a release layer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Surface not as good as PLA<\/strong> \u2014 not as smooth, can be slightly rough.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The spool must be kept dry<\/strong> \u2014 the filament absorbs moisture from the air (although the printed part is moisture resistant). How to do it right is explained in the article <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/how-to-store-3d-printing-filament\/\">how to store filament<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What PETG is good for<\/h3>\n<p>Functional parts, electronics enclosures, outdoor mounts, spare parts for appliances, holders, containers, parts in contact with water, car accessories. We often print Arduino and Raspberry Pi enclosures in PETG \u2014 they\u2019re both strong and heat-resistant.<\/p>\n<h2>TPU \u2014 flexible and elastic<\/h2>\n<p><strong>TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane)<\/strong> feels like rubber. TPU opens up possibilities that rigid plastics can\u2019t offer: cases, gaskets, shock absorbers.<\/p>\n<h3>TPU properties<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Print temperature:<\/strong> 220\u2013240\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bed temperature:<\/strong> 40\u201360\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shore hardness:<\/strong> 85A\u201395A (the lower, the softer)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Smell when printing:<\/strong> faint<\/li>\n<li><strong>Heat resistance:<\/strong> medium<\/li>\n<li><strong>Price:<\/strong> on request<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>TPU advantages<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Elasticity<\/strong> \u2014 it bends, stretches, compresses and springs back.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Absorbs impacts<\/strong> \u2014 ideal for protective parts. One customer ordered TPU bumpers for a drone from us \u2014 no damage after several crashes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wear resistance<\/strong> \u2014 much higher than PLA and PETG.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chemical resistance<\/strong> \u2014 withstands contact with oils and solvents.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dampens vibration<\/strong> \u2014 reduces noise from vibrating parts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Waterproof<\/strong> \u2014 with the right print settings, a part holds water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>TPU drawbacks<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hard to print<\/strong> \u2014 flexible filament is difficult to feed through the extruder. It only works properly with Direct Drive (Bowden causes lots of problems).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Slow printing<\/strong> \u2014 20\u201340 mm\/s, 2\u20133 times slower than PLA.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Supports are hard to remove<\/strong> \u2014 they\u2019re flexible too and cling to the part.<\/li>\n<li><strong>More expensive<\/strong> than PLA \u2014 we print it on request.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Less detail<\/strong> \u2014 small features can come out blurry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What TPU is good for<\/h3>\n<p>Phone cases, shock absorbers, gaskets, seals, flexible joints, vibration-damping mounts, soft grips and pads, medical orthoses, rollers.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison table: PLA vs PETG vs TPU<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Property<\/th>\n<th>PLA<\/th>\n<th>PETG<\/th>\n<th>TPU<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Price per gram<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>from 5 UAH<\/td>\n<td>from 6 UAH<\/td>\n<td>on request<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Ease of printing<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Very easy<\/td>\n<td>Easy<\/td>\n<td>Difficult<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Strength<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Medium<\/td>\n<td>High<\/td>\n<td>High (elastic)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Elasticity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Rigid<\/td>\n<td>Semi-rigid<\/td>\n<td>Elastic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Heat resistance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>55\u00b0C<\/td>\n<td>80\u00b0C<\/td>\n<td>80\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Moisture resistance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Low<\/td>\n<td>High<\/td>\n<td>High<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>UV resistance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Low<\/td>\n<td>Medium<\/td>\n<td>High<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Surface quality<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Excellent<\/td>\n<td>Good<\/td>\n<td>Fair<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Impact resistance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Low<\/td>\n<td>High<\/td>\n<td>Very high<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<h2>Which material to choose for your project<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s a simple cheat sheet we use ourselves:<\/p>\n<h3>Choose PLA if:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>You need a prototype to check shape and dimensions<\/li>\n<li>The part will stay indoors at room temperature<\/li>\n<li>Looks and a smooth surface matter<\/li>\n<li>Your budget is limited<\/li>\n<li>The part is decorative, with no serious loads<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Choose PETG if:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The part will work under load<\/li>\n<li>The item will be outdoors or in a damp room<\/li>\n<li>You need resistance to temperatures above 60\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li>The part is functional: a mount, enclosure or holder<\/li>\n<li>You need chemical resistance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Choose TPU if:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The part needs to be flexible or elastic<\/li>\n<li>You need impact and vibration damping<\/li>\n<li>The item works under friction and wear<\/li>\n<li>You need a seal, gasket or case<\/li>\n<li>The part must return to shape after deformation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How to order printing in the material you need<\/h2>\n<p>Can\u2019t decide on a material? That\u2019s normal \u2014 even experienced engineers sometimes hesitate. Message us, describe the job, and we\u2019ll suggest the best option. Over the years we\u2019ve seen hundreds of different projects and know what works in practice.<\/p>\n<p>At <a href=\"\/en\/\">3dprint.lviv.ua<\/a> PLA, PETG and TPU are available in different colours. More about each material is on the <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/materials\/\">materials<\/a> page. Printing prices are in the <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/prices\/\">price list<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Read also<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/petg-for-3d-printing\/\">PETG for 3D printing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/tpu-for-3d-printing\/\">TPU for 3D printing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/abs-plastic-for-3d-printing\/\">ABS plastic for 3D printing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/asa-filament-for-3d-printing\/\">ASA plastic for 3D printing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Got a project and need advice on materials?<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/contact\/\">Message us<\/a> \u2014 we\u2019ll help you choose the material, work out the price and make the part on time.<\/p>\n<h2>Order 3D printing<\/h2>\n<p>Need quality 3D printing? <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/materials\/\">more about materials<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/prices\/\">printing prices<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/3d-printing-services\/\">order printing<\/a>. Delivery across Ukraine by Nova Poshta.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why the choice of material matters The material determines how long a part will last, whether it can take the load and how the finished item will look. Customers often ask: \u201cWhat\u2019s best to print with?\u201d The short answer: it depends on the job. Read on for the full answer. Here we compare the three [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-materials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=404"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":475,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404\/revisions\/475"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dprint.lviv.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}