We recommend that unused filament be stored in the Ziploc package it is supplied along with a desiccant pouch. Alternatively, you may wish you build or buy a dry cabinet that allows close control of the humidity. Some filaments are very sensitive to the humidity and moisture which must be stored carefully or dried before usage.

What temperature to use for best results with any filament is a complex question. The performance of any filament is a relationship of the temperature, nozzle size, material type, print speed. In addition, the model geometry can also play a role in determining the ideal temperature. The ideal temperature for any filament is just above the point that material flows unrestrained by the nozzle size or flow rate. This allows for good retraction performance without stringing, and the ideal layer to layer bond. However, in some applications such as large single wall objects that do not need retraction, increasing the temperature can allow for large nozzle use and speed increase with corresponding higher flow. To start please refer our temperature recommendation on Filament Guide page.

Yes, we can also supply you with 2.85mm filament however due to much lower and a shrinking demand for this size it is available by special order only.

This is the most common issue we run across and is very common in the FDM printer space. The key to good adhesion is to have the bed leveled extremely well, and to ensure that the Z offset is correct and repeatable. For a print to stick well to a bed especially an untreated smooth glass bed, the nozzle height and bed level must be set very carefully. The material should be squished and flattened by the nozzle just slightly and the finished line width should measure exactly as set in the slicer software. Of you are having trouble with adhesion we recommend to first follow instructions to check and calibrate your printers E-steps and adjust the z offset limit switch with a carefully leveled bed. Once this is completed you can print test objects to adjust your slicers setting such as temperatures flow multiplier and speed. The geometry of the model can play a role if the surface area is small where it contacts the bed it may need some help such as using a brim or raft to help it adhere better. The first layer should also be printed slower than the remaining layers this can be adjusted in your slicer software we find that a first layer printed at 20-30mm per second leads to great results then after the second or third layer the printer can be returned to normal print speeds. ABS and nylon are probably the hardest materials to get to stick as they contract a lot upon cooling they want to pull apart and curl. For ABS and nylon we recommend only a fully enclosed printer and a heated bed capable of reaching 100° C Open frame printers cannot keep the ambient temperature high enough for reliable results, especially for mid to large size objects.

Many people think that 3d printers are the same as 2d printers that have been around for decades. The reality is that 3D printers still have a long way to go before the reliability and user interface is at the same reliability as 2D. There is a learning curve when you begin to do 3D printing and you must take the time to educate yourself how the machines work and how to configure the software components to give reliable results. The good news is that technology is progressing rapidly, and the user community is growing so information is freely available on the internet to help trouble shoot problems and maximize performance. Our recommendation is to first leave your printer and software in the stock configuration until you have learned enough to clearly understand all the settings and what makes for a reliable print and printer before considering modifications and advanced software settings that can lead to unreliable prints. Seek out and join user communities for your printer and software such as social media groups and spend time to read the questions previously asked and answered. We were also beginners at this once and have taken the time to spend researching and learning about our printers the software 3d Modeling and materials and are still learning each day.

PLA filament is one of the most tolerant of materials to storage conditions however it is also sensitive to storage humidity. Unless you live in a very dry climate you will need to be aware that storage of PLA in an environment above 30-40% relative humidity can lead to brittleness. If like most people in the world outside of desert climates you have an average above 40% humidity you should store your filament in the sealed pouch with a desiccant to absorb humidity to ensure ideal results. We recommend that you invest in a dry box or dehumidifier to store large amounts of filament many choose to build an enclosure to keep unused rolls dry at all times and there are plans for simple ones that can be found on the internet. If your PLA has become brittle, we recommend a filament dryer box or food dehydrator you can dry the filament at 45-50°C for a few hours.

Yes, we can provide you with discount pricing on large personal orders or even bulk wholesale quantities. If you are interested in large orders or becoming a retailer please contact us for a quote. Custom colors can be ordered with a minimum quantity required for most materials. In addition, we can supply 2.85mm diameter filament for any of our materials with a minimum order quantity as well.

While we do not endorse or supply any software we have used many of the available slicer programs. We have currently settled on using CURA as our slicer most of the time but continue to use and try new and enhanced other slicer software’s. The main reasons we have settled on CURA is the size of the user community, the frequency of updates and the low/Free cost.

ABS and Nylon both require a heated build plate capable to hit and retain 100°C as well as a completely enclosed printer frame. Open frame printers or printers without a heated bed are not capable of good results with these materials. We recommend that both Nylon and ABS be printed without any print cooling fan at all. If you have an open framed printer stick to PLA or PETG or upgrade to an enclosed printer. If you have an enclosed printer and are still having problems with adhesion, check the following. Ensure that the first layer print speed is slow less than 30mm/sec. Calibrate z offset and make sure first layer is exactly as set in slicer. Make sure your print bed is level and clean use acetone or alcohol to wipe the bed and let dry before starting print and do not touch the surface with your hands after cleaning. For ABS you can try to use a glue stick or an adhesion promoter, but we have found these are not needed and the problem is usually either a printer calibration issue or user error in the settings.

Our MPLA material is PLA with a modifier that gives it a shiny silky appearance, we have found that a small difference in print temperature range can make a big difference in appearance. If you find your MPLA prints to be dull, increase the temperature by 5°C at time until the shiny appearance returns. Each printer and software may be slightly different, use 190°C-200°C as a starting point and adjust temperature up or down as needed for different object types, flow requirements, or speed. The faster the print or higher flow due to large nozzle diameter will require hotter set temperature. For models that require a lot of retraction to prevent stringing, lower the temperature until the print looks dull and then raise by 5°C for best results.

PETG is more sensitive to the first layer height than any other material. PETG is more stringy and sticky compared to PLA or ABS and so any miscalibration in bed level or first layer height or line width causes it to cling to the nozzle sides and build up. This causes new lines to get stuck and be pulled off leading to print failure. For PETG the first layer height should be slightly higher than PLA as PETG does not like to be squished to the bed as much as ABS or PLA. Follow your printers guide to calibrate the z offset, bed level and line width/ flow for best results. You can raise the z offset by .05mm at a time until the lines just touch without overlap, but you may need to adjust your flow multiplier for PETG differently vs other materials