PETG · Glycol-Modified PET
The layer between easy and tough.
PETG takes the same PET family as water bottles and modifies it to print well: tougher and more heat-resistant than PLA, far less fuss than ABS. It's the default upgrade once a part has to survive outside a display shelf — outdoor brackets, functional fittings, anything that might get bumped, wet, or left in a hot garage.
PETG sticks too well to smooth PEI
It can tear the coating off a smooth plate. Wipe on a thin layer of glue first and the part releases clean every time.
See the glue stick →Starting points, not gospel — always check the specific spool's spec sheet or your slicer's built-in profile first.
Needs retraction tuning to control stringing, otherwise straightforward.
About as rigid as PLA, but far less brittle — it bends before it breaks.
Holds shape well above PLA's limit — fine in a hot garage, but not on a summer dashboard.
Some give before failure, not a flexible material.
Resists water, most chemicals, and daily handling well.
PETG swaps PLA's brittleness for real toughness: it flexes slightly before it breaks, resists water and most household chemicals, and holds up to a mid-summer garage without deforming. It also adheres to the build plate aggressively — often too aggressively, which is why PETG can fuse to a smooth PEI plate unless a thin layer of glue stick is used as a release layer.
Its main quirk in the slicer is stringing: PETG oozes more than PLA at the same settings, so retraction and cooling-fan speed matter more here than on any other material in this lineup. Once those are tuned, it's the most forgiving "tough" filament to run — no enclosure needed. Standard PETG only needs drying once it has picked up moisture; PETG HF and Translucent should always be dried and kept with desiccant.
PETG oozes more than PLA at the same settings. Increase retraction distance/speed and drop nozzle temp a few degrees before changing anything else.
Usually not. PETG shrinks far less than ABS, so most parts print fine in the open — an enclosure mainly helps with very large, flat parts.
The material resists water well, but printed parts aren't watertight by default — layer lines can seep unless the part is specifically designed and printed for a watertight seal.
Yes — PETG, PETG HF and PETG Translucent all run in the AMS and AMS lite. PETG-CF works in the AMS but isn't recommended in the AMS lite. Dry any spool that has been open a while before loading it.
