PETG vs ABS: Which Engineering Filament to Choose
Quick comparison
| Property | PETG | ABS |
|---|---|---|
| Print temp | 230 to 245 C | 240 to 260 C |
| Bed temp | 75 to 85 C | 95 to 110 C |
| Enclosure | Optional | Required |
| Warping | Low | High |
| Heat resistance | ~75 C | ~95 C |
| Impact resistance | Good | Good |
| Smell during print | Minimal | Noticeable |
| Vapour smoothing | No | Yes (acetone) |
| UV stability | Fair | Poor (use ASA outdoors) |
Pick PETG when
- You do not have an enclosure
- The part lives indoors at normal temperatures
- Print smell is a concern (apartment, shared workshop)
- You want easy printing without tuning
- The part needs slight flex
Pick ABS when
- The part will see heat (car interiors, near LEDs, near electronics)
- You want to vapour-smooth for a moulded finish
- You are matching mechanical properties of injection-moulded parts
- You have an enclosure and ABS-ready bed surface
What about ASA?
If the part is outdoors and you would have picked ABS, pick ASA instead. ASA prints the same but handles UV. ABS for indoor, ASA for outdoor: same hardware, same workflow.