Polylactic acid

PLA filamentThe honest default.

PLA prints cleanly at speed, holds dimensions and does not need an enclosure. It is the right answer for form, fit and finish — and the wrong answer for anything that sits in a car.

Process: FDM (filament)
Families: 3
SKUs: 7
Price: On request

Grades

The grades in this family.

Print settings and mechanical properties are published per grade. A colour change never alters these numbers.

PLA Matte

A mineral-filled matte PLA that hides layer lines without a filler primer. The surface reads as one solid object, which is what you want when the print is the presentation.

Best for

Design reviews and appearance models
Enclosures and covers
Photography props

Watch out

The mineral filler is mildly abrasive — expect a brass nozzle to last months, not years.

Dry storage

Print settings

Nozzle: 205–220 °C
Bed: 55–65 °C
Chamber: Not required
Speed: 60–150 mm/s
Cooling: 100 %
Drying: 45 °C / 4 h
Diameter: 1,75 mm

Print settings are the common starting window for this material class, not measurements. Calibrate with a temperature tower and a flow test on your own machine.

Properties

Density: 1,37 g/cm³ISO 1183 · Panchroma™ Matte
Tensile strength: 23,2 MPaISO 527 · XY · Panchroma™ Matte
Impact strength: 10,0 kJ/m²ISO 179 · notched, XY · Panchroma™ Matte
Vicat softening: 62 °CPanchroma™ Matte
Heat deflection (HDT): 53–60 °CHDT 0,45 MPa · PLA range: PolySonic™ – PolyLite™

Benchmarked on published grades: Polymaker Panchroma™ Matte · Polymaker · 27/08/2026

PLA High Speed

Reformulated for flow, not for marketing. The melt keeps up past 300 mm/s on a high-flow hot end, so the first draft is done before lunch.

Best for

Iteration prints and test fits
Large low-stress parts
Classroom and workshop volume

Watch out

Fast printing needs cooling to match. Below 100 % fan, overhangs droop.

Dry storageHigh-flow hot end for full speed

Print settings

Nozzle: 215–235 °C
Bed: 55–65 °C
Chamber: Not required
Speed: up to 300 mm/s
Cooling: 100 %
Drying: 45 °C / 4 h
Diameter: 1,75 mm

Print settings are the common starting window for this material class, not measurements. Calibrate with a temperature tower and a flow test on your own machine.

Properties

Density: 1,23 g/cm³ISO 1183 · PolySonic™ PLA
Tensile strength: 46,0 MPaISO 527 · XY · PolySonic™ PLA
Impact strength: 5,0 kJ/m²ISO 179 · notched, XY · PolySonic™ PLA
Heat deflection (HDT): 53 °CHDT 0,45 MPa · PolySonic™ PLA
Vicat softening: 61 °CPolySonic™ PLA

Benchmarked on published grades: Polymaker PolySonic™ PLA · Polymaker · 27/08/2026

PLA-CF

Chopped carbon fibre in a PLA matrix: stiffer, flatter, and matte black through the whole cross section. It is a stiffness upgrade, not a strength upgrade.

Best for

Jigs and fixtures that must not flex
Drone and RC frames
Camera and tripod hardware

Watch out

Brittle. Carbon fibre raises modulus and lowers impact tolerance at the same time.

Hardened nozzle 0.4 mm+Dry storage

Print settings

Nozzle: 215–230 °C
Bed: 55–65 °C
Chamber: Not required
Speed: 40–120 mm/s
Cooling: 80 %
Drying: 50 °C / 6 h
Diameter: 1,75 mm

Print settings are the common starting window for this material class, not measurements. Calibrate with a temperature tower and a flow test on your own machine.

Properties

Density: 1,29 g/cm³ISO 1183 · Polymaker PLA-CF
Tensile strength: 31,2 MPaISO 527 · XY · Polymaker PLA-CF
Tensile modulus: 3 281 MPaISO 527 · XY · Polymaker PLA-CF
Elongation at break: 13,2 %ISO 527 · XY · Polymaker PLA-CF
Impact strength: 5,5 kJ/m²ISO 179 · notched, XY · Polymaker PLA-CF
Heat deflection (HDT): 54 °CHDT 0,45 MPa · Polymaker PLA-CF
Vicat softening: 64 °CPolymaker PLA-CF

Benchmarked on published grades: Polymaker PLA-CF · Polymaker · 27/08/2026

The properties on this page are values published in the named manufacturers' data sheets, measured on their grades to the standard printed against each row — not measurements of a ZORVA spool. Use them to compare material classes, not as an acceptance specification.

Buy

In stock, by colour.

Each SKU carries its own batch number and Material Passport. Colours are named like tools, not like paint charts.

PLA Matte

Basalt Grey

Neutral grey reads shape before colour — the default for design review prints.

MatteOn request

PLA Matte

Forest Green

Deep enough to hide layer lines in photographs without going black.

MatteOn request

PLA Matte

Warm Core

The brand paper colour. Off-white, so prints do not photograph blue.

MatteOn request

PLA High Speed

Molten Orange

High visibility for parts that need to be found on a bench.

GlossOn request

PLA High Speed

Graphite

Draft prints in the same colour as the final part, so reviews stay honest.

GlossOn request

PLA High Speed

Arrival Lime

Silk finish over high-speed base — fast prints that still look finished.

SilkOn request

PLA-CF

Carbon Graphite

Fibre colour is the part colour. No pigment, no colour shift between batches.

MatteOn request

Questions

PLA, answered.

Is PLA strong enough for functional parts?

PLA is stiff and holds high tensile strength, but it is brittle under impact and softens near 55–60 °C. It works for jigs, fixtures and indoor mechanical parts that stay cool. For a part that gets warm, carries sustained load, or takes knocks, move to PETG, ASA or nylon.

Does PLA need to be dried?

PLA absorbs less moisture than nylon or PETG, but wet PLA still prints with popping, stringing and a rough surface. Dry at 45 °C for 4–6 hours and store in a sealed box with desiccant between prints.

What nozzle temperature should I use for PLA?

Start at 210 °C and adjust in 5 °C steps. High-speed PLA grades run hotter, up to 230 °C, because the melt has to keep up with the flow rate rather than because the polymer needs it.