3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Glow vs PLA Silk

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

Glow-in-the-dark PLA guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Glow comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
PLA Glow vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLASilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[1]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[2]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[3][4]1.27 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25[5][6]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[10][5][6][11]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[12][13][14][15][16]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[5][6][10]Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][12][17]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[18][4]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[19][20]
Typical applicationsSignage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[3]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[2]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[21]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[3][22][4]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[2]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[3][4]35–45[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[3]Open frame is fine[2][23]
Part cooling fanFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[3][4]Fan on[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[2]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[24]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[22][6]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[2]
Extruder requirementBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[22]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[22][6][4]Brass fine indefinitely[23]
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[22][4]Non-abrasive[25][23]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[22]Very low[23]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[26]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[27][22]No special hot-end required[24]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[22][4]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[2][28]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[29]
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[29]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[29]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[30][24]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[3][4]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[2][31]
Young's modulusMPa2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[3][4]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Elongation at break%8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[3][4]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[2][30]
Flexural strengthMPa76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[3][4]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[3][4]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[2]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[3][4]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]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[2][31][32]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]Brittle — snaps with little warning[2]
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[33][34][35]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[33][36]
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[37][3]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[37][26]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[3]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC)[3]57 (DSC)[2]
Melting point / Vicat°C155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[3][4]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[32]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[2]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[30][38]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[26]Degrades within weeks outdoors[26][39]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[38][26]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[30]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[26]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[40][26]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[40]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[41]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[41]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[41]None needed in a normal room[41]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[39][26]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[26][42]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[26]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2]
Dimensional accuracy & detailGlow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[22]55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[2]
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.[43]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[43]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[43][44]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[43][44]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[45][44]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[45][44]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  12. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  32. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  38. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  39. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  40. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  41. 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
  42. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  43. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  44. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  45. 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