Updated
Material selection guide for functional 3D printed parts
Ten A4 pages for anyone choosing a material for a functional printed part: thirteen FDM and SLA resin materials, one decision table, and the design rules that decide whether a part works. Free, with no form and no email address in front of it.
Download the material guide (PDF) Edition October 2026. Published under CC BY 4.0: share and adapt it with attribution to 3Descu.
What the guide covers
- How to choose: five steps that start from what the part has to survive, not from the material list.
- A decision table: find what the part must survive, such as sunlight, heat, impact, flexing, wear or water, and read off the first choice, the alternatives and what to avoid.
- How the thirteen materials compare on heat, stiffness, impact and outdoor use.
- A profile of every material: what it is good for, what it is the wrong choice for, and design notes.
- FDM or SLA: which process suits which part.
- A summary of the design rules for FDM and SLA, derived from the settings these machines run.
The thirteen materials
PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU flexible, Nylon PA12, Polycarbonate, PC-ABS, Carbon fibre filled, PETG CF, ABS CF, Wood filled PLA, Standard resin.
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What the guide does not claim
The ratings in the guide are working classifications used when advising on a part, not measured figures. Tolerances, minimum feature sizes and printed-part strength or heat deflection values are not published, because they have not been measured on parts from these machines. Where a part depends on one, it can be measured on a printed sample.
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Material notes by email
Download the material guide (PDF). Ten pages on thirteen materials, free and with no email needed.