What is filament?

Filament is a plastic string used as printing material in FDM 3D printers. Available in diameters 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm, made from various plastics - PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU and more.

How filament works

Filament is printing material for FDM printers - a plastic string wound on a spool that melts in the extruder during printing and is pushed through the nozzle onto the build plate. The print head moves in X, Y and Z axes, building the 3D model layer by layer.

Standard filament diameter is 1.75 mm (99 % of modern printers) or 2.85 mm (older models). Usually sold in 1 kg or 500 g spools.

Most common filament types

PLA - easiest to print, ideal for beginners
PETG - strong, tough, moisture-resistant
ASA - UV-resistant for outdoor
ABS - heat-resistant, requires enclosure
TPU - flexible
Nylon, PC - technical plastics
Carbon composites - maximum strength

How to choose the right filament

Choice depends on purpose: Decorations → PLA. Functional parts → PETG. Outdoor → ASA. Flexible → TPU. For our Majkl3D-Filament PLA Basic we recommend the „Bambu Lab PLA Basic" profile in Bambu Studio.