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3D Design & Printing · Santo Domingo, DR Quotes in under 24 hours

Materials

Here I explain which materials I work with, so you know which one to ask for when you write to me. I don't sell filament: I use it to print your parts.

If you're not sure, don't worry — tell me what the part is for and I'll recommend a material. It's what I do with every quote.

PLA — the most common

It's the material most things are printed with, and the one I recommend if the part won't face heat or hard impacts.

  • Finish: the best of the three. Thin layers, smooth surface, good detail.
  • Colors: the widest variety.
  • Strength: rigid, but brittle. Bend it and it snaps.
  • Temperature: deforms around 60 °C (140 °F). A closed car in the sun, here in Santo Domingo, goes past that.
  • Cost: the cheapest.

Choose PLA for: figures, ornaments, scale models, form prototypes, event keepsakes, fit tests before printing the final part.

PETG — the tough one

This is what I recommend for replacement parts and for anything that has to do real work.

  • Finish: good, though a bit less fine than PLA.
  • Strength: it bends before it breaks, which is exactly what you want in a part under load.
  • Temperature: handles quite a bit more than PLA — around 80 °C (176 °F).
  • Humidity and sun: holds up better outdoors.
  • Cost: a bit more than PLA.

Choose PETG for: appliance replacement parts, car parts, brackets that bear weight, anything left in the sun or near a heat source.

ABS and ASA — for heat and outdoors

These are the most heat-resistant, and ASA also handles the sun without yellowing. They're trickier to print and not always the best choice.

  • Temperature: the most resistant of the three.
  • ASA in the sun: doesn't degrade or change color, which ABS does.
  • Finish: less fine, and large parts tend to lift at the corners.
  • Cost: the highest of the three.

Ask me about ABS or ASA if: the part is mounted outside, in sun and rain, or near an engine or anything that gets hot.

In short

  • Is it for looking at, not for working? PLA.
  • Will it take force, heat, or sun? PETG.
  • Does it live outdoors year-round? Ask me about ASA.

And if you have doubts, send me a photo of the part or tell me where it goes. I'll reply with the material and the timeline.