Which Filament

Materials › PETG

Price tier $

PETG

The tougher everyday choice. More heat- and impact-tolerant than PLA, and decent outdoors in the shade.

Also called: standard petg, regular petg, plain petg

A 1 kg spool of PETG filament in its box
Photo: Suit, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons ↗

Good for

  • Functional parts
  • Load-bearing / mechanical
  • Outdoor / sunlight
  • Hot environments
  • Wet / water-resistant

Not great for

  • Display / decorative

Typical settings

Nozzle
230-250 °C
Bed
70-85 °C
Speed
40-120 mm/s
Cooling
30-60% part fan

You'll need

  • Dry filament (a dryer or sealed box with desiccant)

Ratings

Strength
4 out of 5
Heat resistance
3 out of 5
Flexibility
3 out of 5
Ease of printing
3 out of 5
Print speed
3 out of 5
Looks / finish
3 out of 5
Durability
4 out of 5

Ratings are relative, 1-5, for a typical filament of this type. Start from your filament maker's recommended settings.

Use it for

  • Parts that need to work, not just look good: garage organizers, car interior parts, planters, bike mounts, water bottle holders, and snap-fit housings.

Watch out for

  • Stringing and “zits” unless retraction and temperature are tuned.
  • It bonds very well to smooth PEI plates. Use a thin layer of glue stick or a release agent so it does not pull chunks out of the surface.
  • Absorbs moisture quickly, which shows up as bubbling and rough surfaces.
  • Not for years in full sun: UV can yellow and weaken it, especially in light or clear colors. Use ASA for that.

Tips

  • Lower the part cooling compared to PLA for stronger layers.
  • Keep it sealed with desiccant between prints.
  • Printing a lot? Try Rapid PETG.

Sources

Figures vary by brand and test method; check your filament's datasheet.

Commonly printed in PETG

Other PETG types

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