Understanding filament specs starts with the vocabulary. This glossary covers every term you'll meet on spec sheets, datasheets and supplier calls.

A–C

  • ABS — Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene: tough, heat-resistant (85 °C HDT), needs enclosure.
  • ASA — UV-resistant cousin of ABS for outdoor parts.
  • Annealing — heating a finished part to improve strength (PLA/ABS benefit).
  • Bed temperature — heated build plate temp; material-specific (45–120 °C).
  • Bowden extruder — filament fed through a tube from a remote motor; harder for flexible materials.
  • Cardboard spool — eco-friendly spool material; industry trend.

D–H

  • ΔE (Delta E) — color difference metric; <1.5 = consistent batches.
  • Desiccant — moisture absorber packed with filament.
  • Diameter tolerance — deviation from 1.75 mm; ±0.02 mm is premium.
  • Direct drive — extruder mounted at the hotend; best for TPU.
  • Drying — removing absorbed moisture (see drying chart).
  • Elongation at break — % stretch before failure; higher = tougher.
  • HDT (Heat Deflection Temperature) — temp at which a part sags under load.
  • Hygroscopic — absorbs moisture from air (PA, PC, PETG, TPU).

M–T

  • Masterbatch — concentrated color/additive pellets used in compounding.
  • MOQ — Minimum Order Quantity (see our price list).
  • OEM/ODM — manufacturing for your brand (see customization).
  • PA (Nylon) — tough, wear-resistant engineering polymer.
  • PA-CF — carbon-fiber reinforced nylon: stiff, precise.
  • PC (Polycarbonate) — strongest common filament, 115 °C HDT.
  • PETG — glycol-modified PET: durable all-rounder.
  • PLA / PLA+ — easiest materials; PLA+ is toughened.
  • RFID spool — chip-encoded spool for closed ecosystems (we stay open).
  • Retraction — pulling filament back to stop oozing.
  • Tensile strength — pull resistance before breaking (MPa).
  • Tg (Glass transition) — temp where polymer softens.
  • TPU — flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (95A).
  • Virgin polymer — first-use resin, never regrind.

Spec sheet terms are only useful with real numbers — see ours measured in-lab on every material page.