3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PETG vs PLA Silk

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

PETG guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PETG comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
PETG vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyPETGPETGSilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $8.99–$69.99/kg across 21 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyethylene terephthalate glycol copolymer — PET with a glycol comonomer that suppresses crystallisation[1][2]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[3]
Densityg/cm³1.24–1.30 (ISO 1183)[1][2][4][5]1.27 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][7][8]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[9][10][11]
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[6][7][12][8][13][14]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[15][16][17][18][19]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[6][7][20][8]Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][15][21]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[7][8]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[22][23]
Typical applicationsFunctional parts, enclosures and outdoor fittings that need more toughness and heat tolerance than PLA[1][2]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[24]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–260 across brands; Prusament 250 ± 10, Polymaker 240–260[1][2][5]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[3]
Bed temperature°C60–90; Prusament 80 ± 10, Polymaker 60–70[1][5]35–45[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[5]Open frame is fine[3][25]
Part cooling fanAround 50 %; Polymaker specifies 20–60 %, less than PLA to protect layer bonding[1][5]Fan on[3]
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]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[3]
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[26][27]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Slight — corner lift on large flat parts[1][5]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[1]Sticks to anything[28]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1][5]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning[5]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[26]Brass fine indefinitely[25]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[5]Non-abrasive[29][25]
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[30][25]Very low[25]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[30]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[31]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[30]No special hot-end required[28]
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][32]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
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][32]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & time60–65 °C for 6–8 h[5][32]55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[3][33]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[1]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[34]
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[34]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[34]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[34][35]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[36][28]
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][37]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[3][38]
Young's modulusMPa1500–2311 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][2][4][5]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%5.2–9.3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 5.1 at yield[2][4][5][1]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[3][36]
Flexural strengthMPa58–80 (printed XY, ISO 178); Prusament 66 ± 2[1][2][4][5]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1068–2277 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1][2][4][5]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.6 (PolyLite) to 11.6 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 6 ± 1[2][4][1]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[3]
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][37]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa18 ± 4 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 42.8 printed Z for PolyLite PETG; 33 on My Tech Fun bars[1][2][37]25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[3][38][39]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
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][37][40][41]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[37][27]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[42][43]
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)[44]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[44][31]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%84 (PolyLite, printed Z against XY tensile)[2]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C68 (Prusament) to 78 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2][5]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C65 (Polymaker) to 75 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament 68[1][2][5]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C71–81 (DSC)[2][4][5]57 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 75–84 (ISO 306)[2][4][5]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[3]
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[37][40][41][27][45]50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[39]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K65 at 30 °C (neat PETG, large-format printed bead, TMA)[46]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard PETG, though flame-retardant V0 grades exist[47][35]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[36][48]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Moderate — a season or two[1]Degrades within weeks outdoors[31][49]
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure — Polymaker names outdoor use as a result[35]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[48][31]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[1]Good — insoluble in water[36]
Food contactPET is the polymer of drinks bottles, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria and no filament here carries a food-contact certification[35]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[31]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[35]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[50][31]
RecyclabilityPET is widely recycled as bottle stock, but printed PETG waste is not accepted in household collection[35]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[50]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[51]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[51]
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[51]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[51]None needed in a normal room[51]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[30]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[49][31]
Painting & finishingPaint adheres poorly without abrasion and a primer[1]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[30]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[31][52]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[1]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[31]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[30]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailStringing and blobbing are the usual accuracy limits, not shrinkage[1][5]55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[53][54]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[55]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[53]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[55][54]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[54]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[56][54]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolyMax PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PETG Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Black PETG Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg — product data Hatchbox · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. CHCKX PETG 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg, Black CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  30. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  35. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  36. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  37. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  39. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  40. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  41. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  42. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  43. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  44. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  45. Prusament PETG — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  46. 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
  47. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  48. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  49. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  50. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  51. 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
  52. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  53. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  54. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  55. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  56. 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