“3D printed” tells you nothing about the material. It's like saying “made of metal”. A zinc spoon and a steel spoon are both made of metal.
PLA
Cheap, easy, lovely surface. And it softens around 60 °C, which means a summer car interior finishes it. UV degrades it too. Anything made of PLA that a person actually holds and uses comes back eventually.
Right for: a model, a prototype, something in a display case, something looked at rather than used. Scale models are exactly where PLA is the correct choice.
PETG
My default for most things that get used. Tougher than PLA, bends instead of snapping, handles moisture and takes more heat. The surface isn't as glassy as PLA, but that trade is worth making.
Right for: most spare parts, brackets, fasteners, appliance parts, anything picked up daily.
ASA and ABS
For anything going outdoors or into sunlight. ASA doesn't yellow or crack under UV, which is why the car industry uses it. It's fussier to print and therefore costs more.
Right for: dashboard parts, mirror covers, garden hardware, anything that lives in the sun.
Nylon and carbon-filled materials
When a part has to carry load or slide against another part. Nylon is tough and wear-resistant; carbon fibre makes it stiffer and dimensionally stable. Expensive, and sometimes the only thing that works.
Right for: gears, hinges, brackets under tension, tool parts.
Resin
A different technology entirely. Detail resolution is in another league: it holds texture that FDM simply cannot. In exchange it's more brittle and gets more fragile under UV over time.
Right for: 3D portraits and figures, small detailed objects, keepsakes and awards where surface matters and load doesn't.
The question everything starts from
Where does this thing live and who touches it. If the answer is “in a cupboard”, PLA is fine. If it's “in a car in summer” or “in a child's hands” or “outdoors”, it isn't.
If you tell me where the part is going and what happens to it, I pick the material for that and the price is what it is. If you don't, I pick safely and it costs a bit more. Neither is bad. What's bad is the part coming back in three months.
Printing prices and what each covers are in the price list. Material is included; anything unusual is agreed separately.
Tell me what the part is and where it's going. I'll recommend the material.
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