We print in two materials, and people almost always ask for the stronger one. That is usually the wrong question. The better one is: where is this object going to spend its life?
PLA is the default for a reason
PLA holds fine detail better than anything else we run. Sharp edges stay sharp, text stays readable down to a couple of millimetres, and the surface takes light beautifully — which is why most of the catalogue is printed in it. It is also plant-derived rather than petroleum-derived.
Its one real limit is heat. PLA begins to soften around 55 °C. That is fine for a desk, a shelf or a mantelpiece, and not fine for a car dashboard in May.
PETG is for objects that have a job
PETG bends before it breaks, shrugs off a drop, and tolerates a hot windowsill. It gives up a little crispness in exchange — very fine text and knife-edge corners come out slightly softer than the same model in PLA.
- Indoors, decorative, detailed — PLA.
- Handled daily, or lives near heat — PETG.
- Going outside for long stretches — neither, honestly. Ask us.
If you are unsure, send the file anyway. We look at every model before it prints, and we will say so if the material you picked is going to disappoint you.