A Material Guide in the World of 3D Printing: Filament Notes from the Formasupra Studio

The journey of 3D printing technology is simply fascinating. Starting in the 1980s with those first fragile prototypes shaped by lasers in resin pools (SLA), this adventure pushes the boundaries of our imagination today. While we used to settle for rough, uniform plastics in the past; today we can print antique-looking sculptures with wood-dust infused filaments, manufacture aerospace parts with carbon fiber, and even talk about producing human tissue through bioprinting in laboratories in the future. This incredible evolution of materials has taken design to a completely different dimension. As the Formasupra brand, we are right at the heart of this evolution in our studio. While bringing our designs to life, especially our beloved historical motifs and digital craft products, we have conducted countless experiments with dozens of different filaments. We have personally tested how each material behaves in fine details and which one gives up in challenging geometries.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the most frequently used filaments, distilled from our experiments in the studio:

Most Popular Filament Types

1. PLA (Polylactic Acid) It is the most common 3D printing material, generally produced from biological sources like corn starch or sugarcane.

• Advantages: It is eco-friendly and undeniably the easiest material to print. It doesn't emit bad odors during printing (has a slightly sweet scent) and provides incredibly high surface detail.

• Disadvantages: It is very weak against heat. If you leave it in a car during summer or under direct sunlight, it can soften and deform. Additionally, it is not flexible; it is quite brittle.

• Studio Note: Let's confess; despite trying so many forms and technical materials in the Formasupra studio, the filament we love the most and always go back to has always been PLA! We wouldn't trade the convenience PLA offers for anything when it comes to capturing that flawless surface quality in our designs.

2. PETG It is a modified version (G - Glycol added) of the PET bottles we use in our daily lives, adapted for 3D printing.

• Advantages: It strikes a great balance between the ease of PLA and the durability of ABS. It is flexible, and much more resistant to impacts and heat compared to PLA. It is ideal for mechanical parts.

• Disadvantages: It is highly prone to "stringing" during printing. Fine-tuning its settings is a bit more troublesome than PLA, and its surface is harder to paint or sand.

3. ABS It is the main material of the legendary Lego bricks and many hard plastic household items.

• Advantages: It is very rigid and incredibly resistant to impacts and high temperatures (80-100°C). It is easy to post-process; the surface can be made smooth as glass with acetone vapor.

• Disadvantages: It is temperamental to print. It emits toxic and foul-smelling gases during printing (good ventilation is a must). Because it shrinks suddenly while cooling, it is notorious for warping off the bed or cracking; therefore, it requires an enclosed 3D printer.

4. TPU (Flexible Filaments) Used for "bendable" parts ranging from phone cases to flexible hinges.

• Advantages: It is like rubber. It bends, stretches, absorbs impacts, and doesn't break. It is great for fun and functional designs.

• Disadvantages: It puts a lot of strain on the printer's material-pushing (extruder) system. It can buckle and jam on its way from the spool to the nozzle. It requires very slow printing speeds and precise fine-tuning.

Which material is right for you depends entirely on what you want to produce. If you are printing a spare part that will stay out in the sun, you should choose PETG or ABS; if you are printing a flexible wallet, you should choose TPU. However, if you are focused on aesthetics, detail, and practicality, your path, like ours, will most likely cross with PLA.