Filament
HIPS
A light material used mostly as a soluble support for ABS, ASA and PETG, because it dissolves in limonene. It also works as a part material: it shrinks considerably less than ABS and sands just as well. Fillamentum publishes 1.05 g/cm³ density, 230–250 °C nozzle and 90–105 °C bed for its HIPS Extrafill; Prusa gives 225–255 °C and 100–110 °C.
Safety and handling
It is polystyrene: printing it gives off compounds from the same family as ABS, so ventilate the room and consider a filtered enclosure. The solvent is the other risk: limonene and acetone are flammable and irritant, must be handled with nitrile gloves in a closed container, outdoors or under extraction, and never near a flame. Used liquid does not go down the drain: take it to a hazardous-waste collection point.
Technical profile
- Nozzle temperature
- 225–255 °C
- Bed temperature
- 90–110 °C
- Heated bed
- Yes
- Enclosure
- Recommended
- Density
- 1.05 g/cm³
- Absorbs moisture
- No
- Drying
- —
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Typical price per kilo in Mexico
Price not verified
Strengths
- Dissolves in limonene: a soluble support for otherwise impossible geometry
- Shrinks considerably less than ABS
- Sands and acetone-smooths faster than ASA or ABS
- Very light (1.05 g/cm³) and suited to large parts
- Very low moisture uptake (under 0.1 %)
Weaknesses
- Useless as support for ABS or ASA: all three dissolve in limonene
- Prusa warns that printing HIPS supports can be tricky on multi-material systems
- Modest mechanical strength: 26 MPa tensile on HIPS Extrafill
- Parts with a small contact area need a brim
- Prolonged limonene exposure can damage other filaments in the part
Common uses
- Soluble support for PETG, ABS and ASA parts
- Large, light models and scale work
- Models destined for sanding and painting
- Low-cost prototypes
Related problems
Documented printing defects that show up with this material.
Work out your cost
How much material a part uses and what it costs to print, with the formula in plain sight.
- Quiz: which 3D printer suits me?
- Filament calculator: grams, metres and pesos
- Resin calculator: millilitres, grams and cost
- 3D print cost calculator in Mexican pesos
- 3D printer power consumption calculator
- 3D printing material comparator
- Nozzle and layer height reference
- Diagnostic tree: find your failure by symptom
- STL vs 3MF: which to use and how to convert
- 3D printer comparator
- 3D printing glossary search
Sources
- [1]HIPS | Prusa Knowledge BasePrusa Research · Manufacturer · accessed July 27, 2026
- [2]Technical Data Sheet — HIPS ExtrafillFillamentum · Manufacturer · accessed July 27, 2026