Which 3D printing material to choose: PLA, PETG, ABS, resin

Your design is ready, but a very fair doubt holds you back: which 3D printing material should you choose? PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, ASA and resin are not interchangeable — each one shines in one use and fails in another. And in the Canary Islands there is a factor almost nobody mentions: the sun. Let us clear it up without jargon.

FDM or resin: two ways to print

We work with two technologies. FDM melts a filament layer by layer: this is the family of PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU and ASA, ideal for functional, strong or large parts. Resin starts from a liquid cured with light and gives the highest level of detail, perfect for miniatures and fine finishes. We print pieces up to 30×30×30 cm in a single go; anything bigger we make in sections, with joining and a professional finish.

Materials table: properties, uses and sun

Material	What it is like	What it is for	Sun and outdoors in the Canaries
PLA	Rigid, easy and economical	Decoration, figures, prototypes, models	Indoors only: the heat of the sun warps it
PETG	Strong, slightly flexible, tolerates heat and humidity	Functional parts, kitchen, moderate outdoor use	Handles moderate outdoors, better than PLA
ABS	Hard, resistant to impact and temperature	Mechanics, car parts, housings	Works, but UV yellows it: for sun, use ASA
TPU	Flexible and elastic, like rubber	Gaskets, cases, bumpers, parts that bend	Chosen for flexibility, not for the sun
ASA	Like ABS, but formulated for the outdoors	Outdoors, signs, first coastal line	The king of the sun: no yellowing under UV
Resin	Maximum detail and a very smooth surface	Miniatures, jewellery, dental, fine prototypes	Better indoors; not an outdoor material

Which material resists the Canary sun

Here is the key that makes the difference on the Islands. PLA warps with the heat of a car or a shop window in the sun, so it is ruled out for outdoors. Common ABS and PLA yellow and turn brittle under UV radiation. ASA is formulated for exactly this: it takes the sun without fading and resists salt air, which is why it is our standard for signs and outdoor parts, especially on the first coastal line. PETG covers moderate outdoor use well, in the shade or under mild sun. If your part lives outside, the sun-resistant material in the Canary Islands is ASA.

How to choose based on your part

To get it right, think about where and how the part will work:

• Decoration or an indoor gift → PLA: attractive, cheap and enough.
• Functional, kitchen or mild outdoor part → PETG: resists heat, humidity and impacts.
• Mechanics, car or technical housings → ABS: hardness and thermal resistance.
• Something that bends, cushions or seals → TPU: flexible like rubber.
• Sign, façade or first coastal line → ASA: sun and salt without yellowing.
• Miniature, jewel or fine detail → resin: maximum definition.

We accept STL, STEP, 3MF and OBJ files; if you have no file, we model it from a photo, sketch or description (3D design from 20–60 €). As a guide, a small part costs from 5–15 €, a medium one 15–40 € and a large or technical one 40–120 €.

We tell you the ideal material within 24 h

Tell us what part you need and where it will be, and we will recommend the exact material with a fixed quote within 24 h, IGIC invoice included. Write to us through the contact page or WhatsApp. You will find all the details on the 3D printing service and on our 3D printing materials page.