3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PETG vs PLA Glow

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

PETG guideGlow-in-the-dark PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PETG comparisonsMore PLA Glow comparisons
PETG vs PLA Glow — documented properties and sources
PropertyPETGPETGGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $8.99–$69.99/kg across 21 dated product listings$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyethylene terephthalate glycol copolymer — PET with a glycol comonomer that suppresses crystallisation[1][2]PLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[3]
Densityg/cm³1.24–1.30 (ISO 1183)[1][2][4][5]1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[6][7]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 20[8][9][10]1 kg spools cluster near 25[11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg12–70 across brands; IEMAI 12, ELEGOO 14, CHCKX 14, Bambu Lab 18–20, Hatchbox 26, Prusament 38, Prusament PETG V0 70[8][9][13][10][14][15]20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[16][11][12][17]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[8][9][16][10]Stocked by most mainstream brands[11][12][16]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[9][10]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[9][7]
Typical applicationsFunctional parts, enclosures and outdoor fittings that need more toughness and heat tolerance than PLA[1][2]Signage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[6]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–260 across brands; Prusament 250 ± 10, Polymaker 240–260[1][2][5]190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[6][18][7]
Bed temperature°C60–90; Prusament 80 ± 10, Polymaker 60–70[1][5]35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[6][7]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[5]Open frame is fine[6]
Part cooling fanAround 50 %; Polymaker specifies 20–60 %, less than PLA to protect layer bonding[1][5]Fan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[6][7]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets. On smooth PEI a glue stick is used as a release agent, not an adhesive — PETG bonds to bare PEI hard enough to tear the sheet[1][5]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s8–15 (PrusaSlicer guidance); My Tech Fun ran Bambu Lab PETG Basic at 13 mm³/s[19][20]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Slight — corner lift on large flat parts[1][5]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[1]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1][5]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning[5]Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[18][12]
Extruder requirementNot documentedBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[18]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[19]Hardened steel required[18][12][7]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[5]Highly abrasive — the phosphor is a hard ceramic; Bambu Lab groups glow with carbon fibre as the materials that wear nozzles and grind AMS PTFE, and both Bambu Lab and Polymaker require a hardened nozzle[18][7]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[21][22]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[21]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[21]Hardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[23][18]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[18][7]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — Bambu Lab reports 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; Prusa measures only 0.07 % in 24 h and 0.10 % in 7 days at the drier 22 % RH[1][24]Moderate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[6]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers); 0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1][24]0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[6]
Drying temperature & time60–65 °C for 6–8 h[5][24]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[1]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic and shows a before-and-after-drying comparison; the loss appears as poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers rather than a published dry-versus-conditioned figure[25]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[25]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[25][26]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa38–51 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 47 ± 2 at yield; 62 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[1][2][4][27]32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[6][7]
Young's modulusMPa1500–2311 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][2][4][5]2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[6][7]
Elongation at break%5.2–9.3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 5.1 at yield[2][4][5][1]8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[6][7]
Flexural strengthMPa58–80 (printed XY, ISO 178); Prusament 66 ± 2[1][2][4][5]76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[6]
Flexural modulusMPa1068–2277 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1][2][4][5]2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[6][7]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.6 (PolyLite) to 11.6 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 6 ± 1[2][4][1]2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[6][7]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's 4 J pendulum (ISO 179-1); Izod 3.37 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars[1][27]Charpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[6][7]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa18 ± 4 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 42.8 printed Z for PolyLite PETG; 33 on My Tech Fun bars[1][2][27]26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[6]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning[6]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method); measured on printed bars at 68.2 for Extrudr PETG, 72 for Fiberlogy PETG and 72.8 for Prusament PETG[1][27][28][29]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Below average — a 12 mm bar sagged to 18.2 mm (Fiberlogy) and 19.4 mm (Bambu Lab Basic) over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27][20]Poor — no glow-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[30][31][32]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, about three times printed PLA (R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[33]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the glow filler leaves a brittle, highly abrasive compound[33][6]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Rigid[6]
Z strength as % of XY%84 (PolyLite, printed Z against XY tensile)[2]81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[6]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C68 (Prusament) to 78 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2][5]55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[6]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C65 (Polymaker) to 75 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament 68[1][2][5]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[6]
Glass transition (Tg)°C71–81 (DSC)[2][4][5]55 (DSC)[6]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 75–84 (ISO 306)[2][4][5]155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[6][7]
Continuous service temperature°C61–66 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across six grades from four brands; Prusa publishes 68 for Prusament PETG[27][28][29][20][34]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K65 at 30 °C (neat PETG, large-format printed bead, TMA)[35]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard PETG, though flame-retardant V0 grades exist[36][26]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Moderate — a season or two[1]Degrades within weeks outdoors[37]
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure — Polymaker names outdoor use as a result[26]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[1]Not documented
Food contactPET is the polymer of drinks bottles, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria and no filament here carries a food-contact certification[26]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[26]Not documented
RecyclabilityPET is widely recycled as bottle stock, but printed PETG waste is not accepted in household collection[26]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[38]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[38]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈5 × 10⁹ median for the PET-based T-Glase filament in the same chamber study, against ≈1 × 10⁸ for PLA[38]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[38]None needed in a normal room[38]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[21]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaint adheres poorly without abrasion and a primer[1]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[21]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[1]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[21]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[6]
Dimensional accuracy & detailStringing and blobbing are the usual accuracy limits, not shrinkage[1][5]Glow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[18]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[39][40]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[41]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[39]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[41][40]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[40]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[42][40]

Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.

Sources for this comparison

  1. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  2. PolyLite PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A12 — Bambu PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  4. PolyMax PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  7. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  8. PETG Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Black PETG Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg — product data Hatchbox · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. IEMAI PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. CHCKX PETG 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg, Black CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  18. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  34. Prusament PETG — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  36. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  37. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  38. Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
  39. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  40. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  41. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  42. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper