Filament shopping nowadays can be overwhelming. The PLA family has become so huge that it’s hard to keep track of all the different kinds that exist.
PLA is the easiest filament to print. It’s perfect for beginner and expert printers. It’s also the cheapest and most available.
Having a reliable brand is a must when it comes to printing with minimal interventions. If your filament is bad, you’ll probably get a failed print. Ultimately, you waste time and filament to save a couple of bucks by buying a knockoff brand over the internet.
In this post, I’ll cover most of the PLA you can find on the market.
I’ll use Polymaker as an example, as they carry out a lot of different and unique kinds of PLA. This brand is also my personal favorite.
Everything I look for checks in with them:
- Extensive printing information
- Color code
- Empty spool weight
- No tangling
- Minimal waste with the cardboard spools
- Wide color choice
- Good tolerance
- Easy support removal
- Good price
- Fast shipping
- Wide varieties of filament
- Resealable bag with desiccant
The PLA family
PolyTerra
The PolyTerra PLA is my absolute go-to for fast prototyping or gorgeous prints. I really like the wide color selection and the matte finish of this category. The formula is a little different from other PLA in the family, claiming it will decompose faster. It is also more abrasive than regular PLA, so having a hardened steel nozzle is safer.
See this link to learn more about the compostability of PolyTerra
They also plant a tree for every spool bought!
See this link for an application example with HueForge
High-speed PLA
The high-speed PLA offers a filament with higher flow capabilities due to its different formula. This comes in handy when printing at high speeds like 300mm/s.
Polymaker offers a variety of colors, and the filament is reliable for high-speed applications.
PLA Pro
The PLA Pro is one the most sturdy PLA in the family; it also keeps the ease of printing that offers PLA!
PLA+
The PLA+ stands between the standard PLA and the PLA Pro. It offers enhanced rigidity compared to the PLA, but not as much as the PLA Pro.
Silk PLA
This PLA offers an impressive finish as the layer lines appear less. This product is perfect for figurines or models that you want to do a minimal finish after printing.
Temperature reactive PLA
The temperature-reactive PLA is quite unique. If you want to create a model to monitor the ambient temperature visually, this filament is perfect!
UV reactive PLA
In the same realm as the temperature-reactive PLA, but depending on the sun!
White in the shade and orange when exposed to the sun.
Gradient PLA
A gradient PLA will change color over the printing layers, making a cool effect!
Marble PLA
The marble PLA gives a nice finish that looks like it’s rock
Glow in the dark PLA
This one is exceptional. You can achieve stunning prints that will glow in the dark!
Galaxy PLA
The Galaxy PLA looks like a million stars were fused in the filament
Starlight PLA
This PLA offers an impressive look that changes color depending on the light orientation
Other PLA
Other PLA kinds are on the market, including wood PLA, PLA CF, recycled PLA, and more. Some require different printing specs and hardware, which I’ll cover in an upcoming post.
Printing specs
All Polymaker filament comes with precise printing instructions, reducing the need to guess some specs. Most of the PLA will print really well with those specifications.
Printing Temperature: 190˚C – 230˚C
Bed Temperature: 25˚C – 60˚C
Printing Speed: 40mm/s – 60mm/s
Fan: ON
Direct Drive:
Retraction Distance: 1mm
Retraction Speed: 20mm/s
Indirect Drive:
Retraction Distance: 3mm
Retraction Speed: 40mm/s
Drying Settings: 55˚C for 6h
(Only if the material has absorbed moisture)
Test file
For the PLA, I recommend this little test that Polymaker did. This will truly test if your setup is perfect for PLA printing.
All purchases made through the links in this post will contribute to supporting my work as a writer and any upcoming project or demo I will do!
Happy printing
Jérôme
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