Start from the failure you are trying to avoid
Datasheet headline numbers are measured on injection-moulded test bars, and a printed part is not one. Rather than compare tensile figures, decide which of these is the real constraint: heat, impact, chemicals, sunlight, stiffness or cost.
The short version
- PLA — the stiffest and most dimensionally accurate of the common thermoplastics, and the cheapest to run. Softens in a hot car. Right for fit checks, models and indoor fixtures; wrong for anything warm.
- PETG — tougher than PLA, with better chemical resistance, and still easy to print. The usual next step when a PLA part broke.
- ABS / ASA — higher service temperature; ASA adds UV stability for outdoor use. Both shrink more as they cool, so large flat parts need design attention to avoid warping.
- PA (nylon) — tough and abrasion-resistant, the usual choice for wear surfaces and living hinges. Absorbs moisture, which moves dimensions.
- PC — high temperature and genuinely tough, and the hardest of these to print without warping.
- TPU — flexible, for parts that must bend and recover.
- Fibre-reinforced grades — much stiffer and more dimensionally stable, but more brittle. Use them where deflection is the enemy, not impact.
Regulated uses
We do not produce certified parts for food contact or medical use.
Check the profile, not just the material
What actually gets printed is a profile: a material plus a layer height plus infill settings. The materials page lists the profiles installed on the machines that would slice your part. A material that is not backed by an installed profile cannot be quoted here, however common it is elsewhere.