3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Glow vs PLA Matte

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

Glow-in-the-dark PLA guideMatte PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Glow comparisonsMore PLA Matte comparisons
PLA Glow vs PLA Matte — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLAMatte PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings$19.09/kg median; $10.99–$32.16/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[1]PLA compounded with a mineral filler — Fiberlogy names chalk — that scatters light into a diffuse finish[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[4][5]1.31 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183) to 1.38 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral, method not stated) — above plain PLA from the filler[3][2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25[6][7]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 21[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[11][6][7][12]11–32 across brands; budget house brands 11–19, Fiberlogy PLA Mineral 32[13][9][14]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][7][11]Stocked by most mainstream brands[13][10][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[15][5]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[8][16]
Typical applicationsSignage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[4]Display models and visible parts where a matte, non-reflective finish matters[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[17]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[4][18][5]190–230 (Bambu Lab); 190–210 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral)[3][2]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[4][5]35–45 (Bambu Lab); 60 (Fiberlogy)[3][2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[4]Open frame is fine[3][2]
Part cooling fanFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[4][5]Fan on; Fiberlogy specifies 75–100 %[3][2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedCool plate, high-temperature plate or textured PEI with glue (Bambu Lab); smooth PEI, textured PEI or glass (Fiberlogy)[3][2]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[19]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[18][7]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[3][2]
Extruder requirementBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[18]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[18][7][5]Brass fine indefinitely[20][3][2]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly 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][5]Slightly abrasive — mineral filler pushes density from 1.24 to 1.31–1.38[2][3][21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[18]Very low[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[22]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[23][18]No special hot-end required[19]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[18][5]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[4]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented50 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 60–70 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed; Fiberlogy specifies 50 °C for 6 h[3][2][24]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[25]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[25]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[21][19]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[4][5]30 (printed XY, ISO 527, Bambu Lab); 35.1 on My Tech Fun bars for PolyTerra PLA[3][26]
Young's modulusMPa2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[4][5]1960 (Bambu Lab, printed XY, ISO 527); Fiberlogy PLA Mineral quotes 3500 (ISO 527, specimen type not stated)[3][2]
Elongation at break%8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[4][5]14.8 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[4]53 (printed XY, ISO 178) — 30 % below PLA Basic at 76[3][21]
Flexural modulusMPa2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[4][5]2360 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[4][5]6.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 19.2[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[4][5]Izod 6.1 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars for PolyTerra PLA[26]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[4]22 (printed Z, ISO 527); flexural Z falls to 29 against 53 in XY; 12.9 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars[3][26]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[4]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no glow-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27][28][29]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 18.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[26]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — 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[30][4]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[30][22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[4]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[4]73 by tensile, 55 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[4]58 (Bambu Lab) and 48 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC)[4]61 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[4][5]163 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 63 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented54 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[26]
Annealing responseNot documented50–60 °C for 6–12 h; some prints deform or warp, and a forced-air oven is required[3]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[21][31]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[22]Degrades within weeks outdoors[22][32]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[31][22]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[21]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[22]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[33][22]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[33]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[34]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[34]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[34]None needed in a normal room[34]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[32][22]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[22][35]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[22]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[4]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailGlow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[18]Matte surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[36]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[36]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[36][37]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[36][37]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[38][37]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[38][37]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A12 — Bambu PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  2. PLA Mineral — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker Panchroma Matte PLA — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Overture Matte PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Matte PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  13. Matte PLA filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Fiberlogy PLA Mineral — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Extrudr PLA NX2 Matt — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  31. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  32. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  33. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  34. 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
  35. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  36. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  37. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  38. 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