3D printer filament is the thermoplastic "ink" of FDM/FFF 3D printers: a continuous plastic strand (usually 1.75 mm) that is melted at 190–300 °C and deposited layer by layer to build a part. It is the single biggest recurring cost and quality factor in 3D printing.
How filament works
A motor-driven gear feeds the filament into a heated nozzle; the molten plastic is laid onto the print bed, and the nozzle moves in X/Y while the bed moves in Z. Layer by layer, a solid object emerges. Quality depends on consistent filament: diameter, moisture, color and formula.
The main filament types
| Material | Best for | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| PLA | Beginners, models, visual parts | Easy |
| PETG | Functional, durable, outdoor-ish | Easy–moderate |
| ABS | Heat, impact, post-processing | Moderate (enclosure) |
| TPU | Flexible, shock-absorbing parts | Moderate (slow) |
| PA (nylon) | Gears, mechanical parts | Advanced |
Diameter: 1.75 mm vs 2.85 mm
Most printers (Bambu Lab, Prusa, Creality, Voron) use 1.75 mm. Some older Ultimaker/BigRep machines use 2.85 mm. Quality filaments hold ±0.02 mm tolerance — critical for consistent extrusion.
Why "open 1.75 mm" matters
Some ecosystems push proprietary spools with RFID tags. Standard 1.75 mm filament works in any open printer with any slicer — which is exactly how VOXFIL makes ours: open, measurable, factory-direct.