Filament
PETG
The natural step after PLA: it takes more heat, shrugs off water and humidity, and bends before it breaks. You pay in stringing and in worse bridges and overhangs. Prusa publishes 250 ± 10 °C nozzle and 80 ± 10 °C bed for Prusament PETG, with a density of 1.27 g/cm³ to ISO 1183.
Safety and handling
It does not emit styrene the way ABS does, but it is still molten plastic at 250 °C: ventilate the room and keep your face away from the machine. The bed runs at 80–90 °C, hot enough to burn. PETG dissolves in aggressive solvents, so do not clean it with acetone or industrial strippers. To release parts without tearing a smooth PEI sheet, use a glue stick as a separation layer.
Food contact
PETG is a relative of the PET used in bottles, which is why food safety gets attributed to it, but that refers to the virgin polymer, not the printed part: the layers leave micro-channels you cannot sanitise, and the nozzle may carry residue from other materials. Treat it as single-use or coated.
Technical profile
- Nozzle temperature
- 230–260 °C
- Bed temperature
- 70–90 °C
- Heated bed
- Yes
- Enclosure
- Not needed
- Density
- 1.27 g/cm³
- Absorbs moisture
- Yes
- Drying
- 55 °C · 6 h
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Typical price per kilo in Mexico
Price not verified
Strengths
- Good layer adhesion: parts come out tough, not brittle
- Water- and humidity-resistant, which makes it useful in kitchens and bathrooms
- More heat resistance than PLA (68 °C heat deflection on Prusament PETG)
- Little warping for how strong it is
- Needs no enclosure
Weaknesses
- Tends to string between parts if retraction is not dialled in
- Worse bridging and overhangs than PLA
- Sticks too well to smooth PEI sheets and can tear the coating off
- Supports are harder to remove
- Less rigid than PLA, so thin parts flex
Common uses
- Mechanical parts, indoors and outdoors away from permanent direct sun
- Containers and objects that get wet or washed
- Brackets, mounts and clips that work in bending
- Replacement parts for home appliances
- 3D printer components themselves
Related problems
Documented printing defects that show up with this material.
- Warping: the part lifts and its corners curl up
- The first layer will not stick to the bed
- Stringing: threads and cobwebs between parts
- Under-extrusion: less material comes out than it should
- Over-extrusion: more material comes out than needed
- Elephant foot: the base comes out flared
- Blobs and zits: bumps on the surface
- Overheating: the part deforms on small areas
- Drooping overhangs and edges curling upward
- Supports that will not come off or ruin the surface
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]PETG | Prusa Knowledge BasePrusa Research · Manufacturer · accessed July 27, 2026
- [2]Technical datasheet — Prusament PETG by Prusa Polymers (v1.1, 16-02-2022)Prusa Polymers · Manufacturer · accessed July 27, 2026
- [3]Bambu Filament Guide (PETG: 240–270 °C, secado 65 °C/8 h)Bambu Lab · Manufacturer · accessed July 27, 2026