What is filament for a 3D printer?
If you are new to 3D printing, here’s a quick description of printer filament. 3D printers use plastic filament (think weed eater string) to print in 3D very much like your 2D paper printer. If you still can’t visualize what the 3D printer filament looks like, here’s a picture.
Pretty much the 3D printer filament is like plastic “wire” that gets fed into the printer and melted and used to build 3D models. Most Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) printers print with ABS plastic (think Lego), as well as PLA (Polylactic acid), a biodegradable polymer made from organic material. In general, ABS filament is opaque and more malleable than PLA, while PLA is translucent and shrinks less than ABS. As you get more familiar with 3D printing, you will begin to get your own style and preferences for printing filament. In the meantime if you’re new to the scene, we suggest picking a few ABS colors you like and perhaps a roll or two of the PLA or other specialty filament. Personally, I like to start with black ABS and white ABS. I also like to use clear PLA. But it’s up to your taste, maybe you just want to print everything in neon green like my daughter!!
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