PLA vs PETG vs Silk PLA: which should you pick?
The three plastics we print with most, and which one suits your piece.
3 min read
PLA: the everyday choice
PLA is made from plant starch, prints with crisp detail and comes in the widest range of colours. It's ideal for decor, figurines, desk items and gifts that live indoors.
Its weak spot is heat: PLA starts to soften at around 55–60 °C, so don't leave it on a dashboard in summer or next to a hot stove.
Silk PLA: the shiny one
Silk PLA is PLA with a glossy, metallic-looking sheen. Gold, copper and rainbow silks make vases, trophies and statues look premium without any painting. It behaves like regular PLA, so the same heat advice applies.
PETG: tougher and more heat-resistant
PETG is the same family of plastic as water bottles. It's tougher, a little flexible rather than brittle, and handles heat up to about 70–80 °C. Pick it for planters, outdoor pieces, phone stands, clips and anything that gets handled a lot.
Quick guide
- Decor, figures, gifts → PLA
- Metallic look without painting → Silk PLA
- Outdoors, planters, functional parts → PETG
- Not sure? Tell us what it's for and we'll recommend one.
