What is PLA?#

Polylactic acid

All3DP does a great job of going through things

Quick summary#

PLA Pros#

• Relatively easy to print with
• Can be printed on non-heated build plate
• Tons of
  • colors
  • sheens and types
    • shiny
    • silky
    • matte
    • glitter
    • glow in the dark

PLA Cons#

• Brittle
• Breaks down in UV
• Low glass transition temperature = ie; don’t leave in your car or it will deform
• Low impact resistance

Links in no particular order#

Inland from Microcenter#

• I choose their PLA+ blend because I find it is more consistent
• Local for many folks so you can browse and impulse buy (I should make this a warning)
• Color black (direct)
• Color white (direct)
• Color gray/grey (direct)
• and many more!
• (Inland brand is rebranded eSun filament)

Overture3D#

• I love their Eco-PLA though only available in black
  • satin sheen
  • super easy to print
  • feels great in your hand
• Matte PLA is nice and dull
• Standard PLA has a variety of colors
• Also check out their Rock PLA! (fact: almost exactly the same as the PLA variant! example )
• Best part: order direct and it will be shipped by Amazon :)

Proto Pasta#

• Note: most spools are 500g and not 1kg so keep that in mind
• Example colors, sheens, and types
  • Empire Strikes Black with Glitter (direct)
  • Metallic Purple (direct)
  • Matte Black (direct)
  • Microcenter has more than 20 different variations for local pickup

Shared Information#