Filament & materials

Understand your printer, improve your workflow and find answers for your next project.

Practical printing guides

Filament & materials

PLA vs PETG vs ABS

Choose material from the part's service requirements rather than from a universal ranking. Temperature, stiffness, impact, dimensional stability and processing conditions all matter.

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How Much Filament Does a 3D Print Use?

Consumption is determined by sliced toolpaths. The object's outside volume alone cannot capture walls, sparse infill, support, brim and purge.

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How Long Does a 1kg Filament Spool Last?

One kilogram is a stock quantity, not a fixed number of printing hours. Tiny parts, large walls and multicolor purging spend it at very different rates.

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Filament Density Explained

Density links solid material volume and mass. It is needed when a slicer or converter moves between meters, cubic centimeters and grams.

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How to Calculate Filament Length

A filament strand can be modeled as a cylinder. Its diameter determines area, and density converts that cylindrical volume into mass.

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How to Reduce Filament Waste

Reduce avoidable waste by distinguishing failed parts, supports, startup extrusion and color purging. Each category requires a different intervention.

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How to Dry and Store 3D Printer Filament

Filament moisture sensitivity varies by product. Storage reduces future uptake, while drying removes existing moisture under controlled conditions.

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How to Reduce Multicolor Filament Waste

Multicolor waste is driven by transitions, not merely the number of colors. Many changes on every layer can dominate a small decorative object's mass.

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