PLA: when it is the right choice
PLA (polylactic acid) is the most common 3D printing material, made from plant starch. It is cheap, accurate and easy to print, but it does not withstand heat above about 60 °C or long exposure to sun.
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What PLA is
PLA, short for polylactic acid, is a plastic made, for example, from corn starch or sugar beet. It is the most popular in 3D printing because it prints easily, hardly warps and holds detail well.
It can be broken down, but only in an industrial composting plant at high temperature. It will not break down in a home compost heap, as the PLA guide from Prusa Research also points out.
What PLA is good for
- Figurines, models and mock-ups, where detail and a clean surface matter.
- Small boxes, organisers and holders for the home or office.
- Prototypes to check the shape and dimensions before production.
- Coloured parts, up to 4 colours in one part, see multicolour printing.
Where PLA is not enough
According to the same Prusa Research guide, PLA softens and deforms above roughly 60 °C. It does not tolerate ultraviolet radiation either, so it gradually degrades in the sun. It is hard but brittle, and under impact it is more likely to crack than bend.
If the part is going outdoors, near heat or under load, choose PETG instead.
What PLA printing costs
We charge €8 per kilogram of PLA. The price per piece, though, is set by the grams and print time, which we find out when we prepare the model for printing. For a part weighing 30 g, the material comes to roughly 24 cents.
If the part does not have to carry anything, you can save by choosing a light 10% infill instead of the standard 15%.
Common questions
Is PLA suitable for food?
We do not claim that. Even though the material itself is considered harmless, bacteria hide in the grooves between the layers of a print, and it is hard to clean. We have no food-contact certificate, so we do not recommend it for direct contact with food.
Will PLA survive in a car?
Better not in summer. In a baking hot car it is easy to exceed the temperature at which PLA softens. PETG is better for car parts, as it withstands more heat.
Can PLA be sanded or painted?
It can, but it is harder, because the plastic heats up and smears when sanded. If you want a coloured part, it is easier to print it in colour from the start, in up to four.
Related terms
PETG
PETG is a tough 3D printing plastic, a close relative of the material in PET bottles. Compared with PLA it withstands more heat, impact and moisture, so it suits technical parts and outdoor use.
PLA vs PETG
PLA vs PETG is the most common choice in 3D printing. PLA is more accurate and enough for most things indoors, while PETG is tougher, withstands more heat and also suits outdoor use.
Filament
Filament is a thin plastic strand wound on a spool, which an FDM 3D printer melts and layers into a part. The type of plastic decides the part's strength, heat resistance and price.
Multicolour printing
Multicolour printing is 3D printing in which the printer swaps between several filaments and prints one part in several colours at once, with no gluing or painting.
Infill
Infill is the sparse lattice that fills the inside of a part in 3D printing. It is given as a percentage, and the higher it is, the stronger, heavier and dearer the part.
SourcesSources checked 1 November 2026, 3
- Polylactic acid, Wikipedia, checked 2026-11-01
- PLA, Prusa Research, checked 2026-11-01
- Industrial composting, Wikipedia, checked 2026-11-01
We will print it for you
Upload a model and see the price per piece, the total with shipping and the date at once. We print in Košice, Slovakia, from PLA and PETG.
No model? No problem, pick a ready one
These sites have thousands of free models. Download an STL or 3MF and upload it here. If you sell it or use it for business, check the model licence. How to pick a model and licence