Last Updated on June 10, 2024 by Alex Houben
Have you ever explored the world of 3D printing?
3D printing has become a popular hobby and profession. With a 3D printer, you can create almost any object you can imagine. One of the most compelling features of 3D printing is the wide range of filaments available, each with its unique properties. This allows you to create a wide variety of objects with different properties. For example, you can create a toy car with moving parts, a vase with a smooth finish, or a replica of a famous statue. The possibilities are endless!
PETG and PLA are the two most popular filament options for 3D printers that have set up different market trends. If you’re feeling overwhelmed trying to decide between the perfect 3D print, don’t fret! We’ll make it a breeze for you with all the info needed. Prepare yourself – hilarity is guaranteed! We will provide you with a comparison between both filaments i.e. PETG Vs PLA and discuss their applications.
What are PETG and PLA?
Table of Contents
PLA and PETG both are the filaments of the 3D printers that belong to the polyester group of plastics. Both of these 3D printing filaments are thermoplastics and that is the main reason both have gained huge popularity in the last few years. Both PLA and PETG tend to soften up at specific temperatures and solidify on cooling down. Not only are both filament options highly durable, but their quality remains consistent use after use!
PETG and PLA are two of the most popular filament options for 3D printers. PETG is strong and durable, making it a good choice for projects that will be handled frequently. It is also food-safe, so it can be used to make cups, plates, and other items that come into contact with food. PLA is a biodegradable plastic filament that is designed to make 3D printing projects look good. PLA is easy to print, and it has a shiny finish that makes it look like a finished product.
PETG does come up with different physical properties of ABS that ensure users have many easy prints conveniently. PETG type of filament is good to use when the project you are working on needs to be smooth and without mistakes.
See This: Delta 3D Printers Review
PLA vs PETG: Which is Better?
It is quite difficult to declare the best one among the two, without knowing about its detailed features. If 3D printing was a game of ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’, PLA and PETG filaments would be like two similar-looking siblings that are hard to tell apart. Both belong in the same family – polyester plastic – but what makes them different under the surface? If you don’t know what exactly are they, don’t miss to check out this detailed comparison we are going to provide you below:
The Final Printout
Despite having a lot of similarities, both PLA and PETG do have some unique features that create a lot of differences between the two. And the leading difference between the two is their final printout.
Physical Strength
PETG filaments are the most suitable option for projects that will be handled frequently or require high-end durability. PETG filaments are more robust than PLA filaments, which is why most people prefer PETG.
Temperature Tolerance
The temperature tolerance of the PETG is also quite higher than that of the PLA filaments. It means that if you are going to work on a 3D project that requires high-end heating, PETG filament would be a great option to choose. If you’re looking to 3D print comfortably, PETG filaments can bring the heat to 75°C. On the other hand, PLA is more of a cool kid and works best under 55°C– don’t turn up the dial too far!
You can use different blends of PETG such as Arnite 3040 and Nexeo 3D for working on 3D projects with higher temperatures around 250°C.
PLA Vs PETG Filament: The Best Differences
Usage and Transparency
PETG is ideal for outdoor use, but PLA is not suitable for harsh weather conditions. To get durable results from PLA, you need to paint your 3D prints and protect them from the elements. PETG is also easier to achieve transparency than PLA.
Form Structure
PLA works as a great option for all those who are willing to produce complicated 3D prints. The best thing about PLA filament is that one can easily find a wide range of options providing absolute support for it to work on. You can easily smoothen up the surface of the PLA 3D print and can remove the support material as well to provide absolute 3D prints.
Color Matching
PETG filaments cause issues in exact color matching as well. One can easily make perfect color-matching 3D prints with the help of PLA without any issues.
Mimicking
PLA filaments are available in different material blends and that’s why it gets quite easier for you to mimic other materials efficiently. One can use different metal filaments to mimic those particular metals and PolyWood to mimic wood filaments. PETG filaments don’t support mimicking.
Recycling
PETG and PLA are plastics that are not biodegradable, but they can be recycled. The recycling of these filaments creates a continuous cycle of ecological sustainability. PETG recycling requires some elaborate technical equipment; however, once recycled, it magically transforms back into its original components, making it an environmentally friendly filament solution.
Also See: Is Resin Waterproof
PETG Vs PLA: Best Applications
Printing
There are a lot of differences between the final 3D printing of PETG filaments and PLA filaments. You should need to know about the different things especially when you are going to purchase a suitable 3D printer filament.
Bed Adhesion
The bed adhesion quality of PLA is much better than that of PETG filaments. The best thing about PLA filament is that one can easily ensure absolute 3D printing even without a heated bed. PLA wraps up very little and gets adhered to the bed perfectly at the same temperature without getting any issues.
PETG filaments require a heated bed of 50°C to 70°C for optimal bed adhesion. They are more susceptible to warping than PLA filaments and need a higher temperature for bed adhesion.
Printing Temperature
The printing temperature for PLA filaments is a bit less than that of PETG filaments. The PLA prints are a bit cooler than that of the PETG filaments but much lowering in temperature can even tend to nozzle clogging issues in your 3D printers as well. Both PETG and PLA filaments can be used in blended formats as well.
Post Processing
If you like painting, use PLA filament for 3D printing. It’s easy to work with acrylics and offers great adhesion. Don’t expect regular glue to work the same as super glue. You need to be more careful with regular glue, like finding the right starting point when working with polyester. Get superglue and an accelerator combo pack. These are the key ingredients you need for unbreakable bonds!
Quality of the Prints
PLA filaments are well known for providing more high-quality prints than PETG filaments. The stringing and oozing issues are quite common in PETG filaments. If you are working with PETG filament and want to reduce stringing and oozing, try printing at a slightly lower temperature. But don’t lower the temperature too much, or you’ll risk nozzle clogging.
Also Read: Voron 3D Printer Reviews
PETG Filament Vs PLA: Comparison
Nozzle Gap
Working on the PLA filament is much easier than that on the PETG filaments. If you’re used to PLA filament, but you’re trying PETG filament for the first time, make sure the nozzle gap is a bit bigger. This will help prevent too much bed adhesion and improve your 3D prints. You can adjust the height of the Z-axis for working on certain projects with PETG filaments.
Filament Density
The PETG filament is a bit more dense than the PLA filament. The common density value for PLA is 1.24 g/cm3 while the common density value for PETG is 1.27 g/cm3.
Overall Support
The overall support for both PETG and PLA filaments is too good. Both work efficiently with a majority of materials and provide high-end 3D prints at different situations and heating points. When it comes to distance settings, one needs to keep the overall distance between the model and the support a bit higher in the case of PETG filaments than PLA filaments.
Filament Changing
If you switch from PETG to PLA filament, you must maintain the nozzle temperature for PETG until the PLA filament starts extruding. This is necessary to avoid clogging the nozzle of your 3D printer.
Pricing and Color options
The other main difference between the PETG and PLA filaments is their pricing. Both PETG and PLA filaments do come up with a unique set of features that provide ultimate projects without any issues. Both PETG and PLA filaments come up in a wide range of color options. If you are working on a project that requires transparency, PETG filament is the best choice. However, if you want a project with a wide range of colors, PLA filament is the better choice. PLA filaments are known as the most popular and slightly cheaper than PETG filaments.
Applications
PLA and PETG filaments offer a variety of properties that make them suitable for many tasks. Both materials have proven to be invaluable components in the world of 3D printing. If you are working on a project that requires early-stage prototyping, or you are creating showcase models and quick features, PLA filament is a great choice. However, PLA is not ideal for outdoor use, as it is not resistant to water. To improve the durability of PLA projects, users can apply paint.
If you want to work on industrial projects, you need to use stronger filament options like PETG. This will help you make something that will last a long time. PETG is also resistant to water, heat, UV light, and other things that could damage it. This makes it a safe material for food projects. It can even keep your food safe for outdoor applications as well.
Conclusion: PLA Vs PETG
I hope you guys have well understood the basic and main differences between PLA and PETG filaments. Both PLA and PETG filaments are polyester filaments but they do comprise some unique set of features that makes them the best as their own. Both of the filaments are being used in a wide range of applications.
I hope this comparison of PETG vs PLA has helped you understand the differences between these two popular filaments. While it is difficult to say which one is superior, each has its own unique set of features that make it suitable for different applications. When choosing a filament, it is important to consider the project’s requirements and your personal preferences.