Materials guide
A plain-English look at what we print and when. You don't need to know any of this before you reach out — we'll recommend the material for your job. But if you like to understand the trade-offs, here they are.
Two ways we print
The workhorse. Engineering-grade thermoplastics built up in layers down to 0.1mm — strong, functional parts in a wide range of polymers. Best for prototypes, enclosures, brackets and production runs.
For when detail matters more than load. Photopolymer resin cured at 0.05mm gives glass-smooth surfaces and crisp fine geometry — masters, miniatures, jewellery patterns and presentation models.
The materials
Ratings are relative — a guide, not a datasheet.
Prints cleanly with sharp detail and bright colour. Rigid but brittle, and it softens in heat or sun — so it's ideal indoors, on the bench, and for anything you just need to see and hold.
Stronger and less brittle than PLA, with some flex and good resistance to moisture and mild chemicals. Our default when a part has to actually do a job rather than just be looked at.
UV-stable and weather-resistant, holding colour and strength where PLA and PETG would yellow or warp. Tolerates real heat. Our go-to for anything that lives outside or under a hot enclosure.
The classic engineering plastic — impact-resistant and good with heat, and it can be vapour-smoothed to a glossy, injection-moulded look. It needs a controlled print environment as it's prone to warping, so we run it in an enclosure.
Carbon fibre in a nylon matrix gives an exceptional stiffness-to-weight ratio and high heat resistance. This is what we print drone frames and load-bearing brackets in when the part really has to perform.
Cured at 0.05mm for glass-smooth surfaces and intricate geometry no filament can match. Less tough than engineering plastics, so it's for show, fit and casting — not for load. Tough and castable resins are available for specific jobs.
A rubber-like filament that bends and rebounds without cracking. Excellent abrasion resistance and grip. We reach for it whenever a part needs to flex, seal, cushion or hold on.
Quick pick
Same bracket, two orientations. Layers across the load carry it; layers along the load split between them. Which way a part is printed decides how strong it is — so tell us how it will be held and loaded, and we will lay it down the right way round.
Finishing & post-processing
The same surface in section, at three finishes: as printed, sanded back, and filled and painted. All of this is happening at a tenth of a millimetre.
Cleaned and supports removed, layer lines visible. The honest, fastest, lowest-cost finish.
Layer lines knocked back by hand for a cleaner surface, ready for paint or a softer feel.
Filled, primed and colour-matched — for presentation models and finished products.
True colour printed into the part itself — logos, labels and gradients, no painting needed.
Heat-set threaded inserts, magnets and brass fittings installed for parts that get assembled.
Engraved text and photo-relief lithophanes for awards, keepsakes and personalised gifting.
That's genuinely our favourite question. Tell us what the part has to do, and we'll pick the material for you — and explain why.