Whether you just got your first 3D printer or you have been using your 3D printer for several years, you might have asked yourself the question, “what material should I try printing next?” Here at MatterHackers we have hundreds of different kinds of filaments; from color to composite to temperature resistance, it can be overwhelming deciding what to try out. Nothing to fear, as the PROs at MatterHackers are here to help break it down and find your new favorite filament. Here are a handful of some of our top materials at MatterHackers that we’ll be featuring today - let’s jump right in. 

Make it vibrant!

3D printing in standard colors like red, blue, or green is perfectly acceptable, but to give your projects some extra flair you should consider the filament brands and series designed to be as eye-catching as possible. You can find some unique colors within our ever expanding PRO Series PLA catalog. From architecture inspired colors like stucco beige to the radical UV reactive neon colors, there are a lot of possibilities for your next project. Fillamentum’s Vertigo series of PLA is filled with flecks that sparkle, introducing the interesting effect of making layer lines virtually disappear while adding a metallic shimmer to your 3D prints. 

A vase-mode bowl 3D printed using PRO Series Translucent Neon Green PLA.
A vase-mode bowl 3D printed using PRO Series Translucent Neon Green PLA.

Form follows function

Printing prototypes and desk models is a great way to break in your 3D printer, but designing something functional and using it everyday is a rewarding experience. With functionality, material properties are top priority so you will want to pair materials with the job at hand. If you need to have a 3D printed part face mild heat and have a little ductility, PRO Series RYNO is an easy to print filament that brings a lot of mechanical utility to the table - so much so that all of the structural 3D printed parts on our Pulse 3D printer are made with it. Need a little shock absorption? Try Ninjaflex Armadillo: a hard yet flexible elastomer that works well for vibration dampening or as a bumper for moving parts.

A flexible phone bumper and RC car tires 3D printed using Ninjaflex materials.
A flexible phone bumper and RC car tires 3D printed using Ninjaflex materials.

Print like a PRO

For a rigorously tested and well-rounded brand of 3D printing filament, look no further than MatterHackers PRO Series. Everything from the familiar PLA to the engineering grade nylon you can find a material perfect for what you’re working on. Engineering-grade materials like nylon are a perfect match for components that need to withstand high-stress environments while still being reasonable to get parts actually printed; a material can have all the right capabilities to be perfect for the finished product, but if the process of 3D printing is proving difficult, it doesn’t do much good. The beauty of PRO Series filament is that you don’t need the skills of a pro to be successful, but you can expect professional quality in every spool. 

White PRO Series Nylon works well for 3D printed gears.
White PRO Series Nylon works well for 3D printed gears.

Smoother 3D prints with dissolvable support

If you’ve only used your dual extrusion 3D printer for dual-color 3D prints, it’s time to dip your toe into dissolvable support materials. That doesn’t mean you need to change to a new material in order to be compatible, in fact there are dissolvable support materials that can be paired with the filaments you are already using. PVA-based support materials like PRO Series PVA can be used with PLA to support even the most complicated 3D models and in some cases models that can only be 3D printed when using a dissolvable support material due to internal channels and delicate features. PVA works well with PLA but falters at higher temperatures necessary for materials like ABS or nylon. Fortunately, Ionic Hi_Temp Hybrid Support Material has been formulated to survive these higher temperatures without deformation. Keep in mind that any material that dissolves in water is going to be sensitive to humidity, so you will find the most success with drying out your support material before printing using a PrintDry Pro or similar appliance.

Some PVA materials with the right settings can peel off without dissolving, like this expertly calibrated NylonX and Ionic support dual-extruded 3D print.
Some PVA materials with the right settings can peel off without dissolving, like this expertly calibrated NylonX and Ionic support dual-extruded 3D print.

Will it blend?

PLA has found its home as the entry-level, supremely easy to 3D print material, but PLA lacks the properties that could take it to the next level. That is, until it was blended with other polymers in the form of Proto-Pasta’s HTPLA or MatterHackers PRO Series Tough PLA. These can be annealed in a traditional oven to reform the crystalline structure, forming a tougher, more temperature resistant 3D print, while still retaining the original properties of PLA by being an easy-to-print filament. Tough PLA comes in many colors you would expect, like red, black, and white and others that might surprise you like pistachio, butterscotch, and cotton candy. For some unique effects and shimmer, Proto Pasta is constantly formulating new colors of HTPLA to supplement the basic colors; Dragonscale, Nebula, and Blood of My Enemies are some of the first that pop out in my mind.

Proto Pasta isn't just useful, it's downright fabulous with the color options you can find.
Proto Pasta isn't just useful, it's downright fabulous with the color options you can find.

The filament market is ever expanding, which means keeping yourself from getting rusty is an important part of the 3D printing process. If at the end of the day you want to explore all these new plastics but don’t want to break the bank, consider MH Build, available in everything from PLA to TPU.

Happy printing!