Is there a difference between ABS and PLA? Yes, there are many. For one thing, PLA is made from plant-based materials, so there’s less fumes to contend with if you’re working in an enclosed space. ABS is oil-based, so there is a noticeable – and sometimes strong, depending on how long the printer is running – petroleum smell.

Both PLA and ABS are sandable, paintable, and bondable.
Finer detail can be extracted from PLA, but this material can tend toward brittleness and floppy, curled edges. While you don’t need to have a heated printer bed to use PLA, it does benefit from one. A cooling process is also required.

ABS is a bit more flexible, and it does not require a cooling process. However it may crack or warp if you’re not careful about the structure of your object. ABS has a higher melting temperature, and it needs polyimide tape for best adherence. While PLA can adhere to many things.

It's time to talk plastic!

As you may have noticed when you first backed us, your 3Doodler comes with a bunch of plastic "ink". You have a choice between ABS and PLA, and many of you have asked us what the difference is, which we prefer and which you should choose. The team has been toiling away and we are now pleased to release our ABS vs PLA Infographic.

To reiterate some of the key points made in the infographic:

• We love using ABS for 3Doodling from stencils (like our Eiffel Tower), making bendable items (like jewellery), for spirals, and for drawing directly upwards off the page

• We love using PLA for 3Doodling on windows, metal and an array of other surfaces (because it sticks a lot better), and for those lovely translucent 3Doodles

Our overall verdict is as follows:

• We genuinely like using both plastics, but for different purposes. We've made great things with each, but at the end of the day it depends on the use, look and feel you are going for

• From what we have seen so far most people starting out with the 3Doodler like to 3Doodle upwards, make things that are strong yet bendable, and create easy to peel stencils, so if you are new to plastics and want maximum versatility at the outset, we suggest you start with ABS and experiment with PLA later on (but please do give it a try, as they are both great materials in their own unique ways)