3D printing cosplays has become even more popular. It’s great way to craft accurate and durable props and costumes. However there’s an abundance of printers and materials out there to choose from and it may feel overwhelming making a decision of which is right for you. These 3D printing materials for cosplay are full of potential to help you bring your costumes to life.
Resin Printing
Resin printing is great for small pieces or jewelry for your cosplays. It’s known for creating fine details with more precision than any other 3D printer. It utilizes resin to create the models and also requires a curing process on top of the printing process.
- Pros: High-quality fine details, smooth surfaces
- Cons: Expensive, smaller build volume, more complex printing process
3D Printing Materials for Cosplay: Resin Vs Filament
Resin and filament are very different materials to 3D print with and require entirely different printers. Resin is often more desirable for heavily detailed, intricate designs where precision is key. Whereas filament printers are better for larger and more functional prints. Filament printing can also be seen as easier and cheaper than resin.
Filament Printing
While resin printers strictly use resins, filament printing has a variety of options in filament.
PLA
Short for polylactic acid, PLA is a biodegradable and easy to work with. It’s often used for prototypes, beginner material, decorative prints or creating with a smooth finish.
- Pros: Environmentally friendly, variety of colors and finishes (matte vs silk), easy to print, low odor, durable
- Cons: Low heat resistance, not flexible, tougher to sand
PETG
PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) offers a balance of strength and flexibility and is often easier to sand over PLAs. This filament is great for creating see through components.
- Pros: Options that are transparent and clear, durable, easy to print, easier to sand
- Cons: Stringing
ABS
The key difference of ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) as compared to PETG and PLA is the fact it’s far more heat resistant. They’re great for costumes that will be outside often or under lots of heat.
- Pros: More durable, more impact resistant, heat resistant
- Cons: Warping, obvious smell
Specialty Filaments
While your standard filaments are PLA, PETG and ABS, there is also specialty filaments that you use in more specific situations.
- TPU or TPE – This is the most flexible filament and can create rubber-like parts.
- Wood PLA – While this is essentially PLA, it’s colored to look like wood so you can create realistic “wooden” props.
- ASA – This filament is similar to ABS but is more weather resistant and has good UV stability. It requires precise control for printing temperature.
- PC – Polycarbonate is known for it’s strength, heat resistance and stability.
- Fiber reinforced – You can get PLA or ABS based filament that’s are reinforced with carbon fiber to increase the stiffness and strength of your prints.
Which Filament is Best for Cosplay
There isn’t one filament that’s the best universally for cosplay. Each has their own benefits and applications to use them for. You’ll need to weigh the pros and cons of each to determine which is right for you. There is four filaments that are typically the most popular for cosplayers to use:
- PLA
- ABS
- PETG
- TPU
IS PLA Better Than ABS
Neither is necessarily better than the other. Each has applications it’s best for and thus what filament you use will vary from project to project. PLA is often better for ease of printing detailed or low-stress parts since it works at lower temperatures and is stiffer. While ABS is meant for high-stress and more durable applications since it has higher impact resistance and heat tolerance.
Is ABS Strong Than PLA
ABS is strong than PLA in a few ways. It tends to be more heat resistant, durable to impact or mechanical stress and chemical resistant.
Is PLA More Expensive Than ABS
Depending on where you shop from, ABS tends to cost slightly more than PLA. However the price difference isn’t that substantial.
Is Resin or Filament Better for Cosplay
Whether you have a tight budget or limited space, it’s vital you get the printer that works with the filament that is best for your cosplay needs. Filament is usually better for larger and durable armor or props because the printers are often larger, filament is lower cost and the material is more durable.
Meanwhile, resin is usually best for small and highly detailed pieces like jewelry and accessories. This is because of the smooth finishes the printer typically delivers.
What’s Cheaper Filament or Resin
Filament printing will typically be cheaper over all. Between the cost of the printer, filaments or resin, operational expenses and post processing resources all total to be less when working with filament. Filament alone tends to cost far less per kilogram than resin.
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