ABS or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is a strong plastic with mild flexibility. It is commonly used in industry because it is inexpensive, lightweight and can both be injection molded and extruded. It requires relatively high extrusion temperatures (200-260 C) and a heated bed, but the higher temperature results in a lower friction coefficient, therefore it requires less force to extrude. This is beneficial to print small parts and more detailed surfaces. The higher temperature sensitivity also makes it easy to use with 3D printer setups without a fan. A disadvantage of printing with ABS is the prominent smell of hot plastic and the generation of some acrid fumes, so proper ventilation while printing is advisable. Another drawback is the possibility of warping of bottoms and corners of large flat shapes. This can be resolved by printing at slower speeds and feed rates, though this will increase printing time. Untreated ABS is translucent beige white but it can be manufactured in a wide variety of colors. Be aware that different pigments can affect the optimal nozzle temperature and the extrusion width. Different colors may also affect the strength of the final product. The glass transition temperature of BSA is approximately 104 °C (219 °F), so printed products can be used with hot liquids. In addition, ABS is soluble in Acetone which makes is possible to weld parts together or to reshape the object after printing.

PLA or Polylactic Acid has become the material of choice for many home users because of the lower working temperatures and the strong end products. Its relatively low extrusion-temperature (160-220C) makes it compatible with 3D printers without a heated bed, and PLA printed object have less problems with warping. That said, PLA can become very runny when heated, therefore it may need active cooling to generate sharp details. Untreated PLA has a low glass transition temperature (~ 55 C), meaning that manufactured parts can become soft and may lose their shape above this temperature. This makes PLA unsuitable to print parts that may get hot e.g. cups for hot liquids. Additionally, although PLA products are harder than BSA, this also means that they are more brittle. PLA is biodegradable and gives off a semi-sweet smell while printing. It is available in multiple colors and tends to have a slightly glossier finish than ABS.