Standard
PLA: full cost overview
PLA is the default filament in 3D printing — biodegradable polylactic acid, prints at low temperatures and produces minimal odor. Stiff, easy to sand and paint, and has the broadest brand selection. The trade-off is heat resistance: deforms above 50 °C, so PLA parts won't survive a sunny car dashboard.
Specs
- Typical price
- ~$22.00/kg
- Print temperature
- 190–220 °C
- Bed temperature
- 50–60 °C
- Enclosed chamber
- Optional
- Food-safe
- With certified hotend
- Difficulty
- ★☆☆☆☆
When to use
- • Decorative parts, miniatures, vases, toys
- • Indoor display models
- • Quick prototypes where strength is secondary
- • First prints when learning a new printer
When NOT to use
- • Parts in direct sunlight or hot environments
- • Inside parked cars
- • Structural load under repeat stress
- • Long-term outdoor use
How to print well in PLA
PLA is forgiving: nozzle 200-210 °C, bed 50-60 °C, no heated chamber needed. Bed adhesion is the most common gotcha — wipe with isopropyl alcohol before each print and use a brim on small parts. Maximum cooling (fan 100% after the first layer) keeps overhangs clean. Real-world speed: 80-120 mm/s on modern Bambu/Prusa printers, 50-60 mm/s on a stock Ender 3. Varieties: standard PLA (eSun, Hatchbox, Polymaker), PLA+ (tougher), PLA Silk (glossy finish), Wood-fill PLA (wood particles). In the US, eSun ePLA-Matte and Polymaker PolyTerra PLA are reliable choices at $18-25/kg. Premium brands like Polymaker PolyLite PLA Pro run $28-35/kg.
Typical cost in practice
Pricing a PLA part in the US: 1 kg of average filament ($22) prints ~70-90 keychains of 12 g each, or 25-30 decorative 35 g pieces. Add energy (~$0.02-0.04 per small part) and amortization over the printer cost. On a functional commission part, a 4× markup yields a final price of $5-7 per 25 g piece — competitive on Etsy and eBay.
Sample calculation
For a 50 g part on a Bambu Lab A1, 6 h print time and 8% failure rate. Currency follows your selection at the top.
- Filament$1.10
- Energy$0.14
- Amortization$0.15
- Failures (8%)$0.11
- Unit Cost$1.50
- Final Consumer Price (3× / 6% / 2%)$6.53
Best printers for PLA
These models in our catalog handle PLA reliably out of the box — picked by enclosure, hotend temperature and drive system, not marketing.