The Materials

Three materials, three different jobs

Every piece is printed in PLA, ABS or resin, and the choice is made to suit the object rather than by habit. Here is what each one does well, where each one gives up, and how to keep yours in good order.

PLA

Polylactic acid

Plant based, crisp edged and available in almost any colour. The everyday choice for pieces that live indoors.

  • Strength Stiff and rigid. Holds a sharp edge, but snaps rather than bends under a hard knock.
  • Heat Its weak point. Softens from around 50 to 60°C, so it will sag on a sunny windowsill, in a parked car or against a radiator.
  • Sun and weather Copes with normal UK weather for a season or two. Prolonged sunlight fades the colour and makes it brittle.
  • Detail Very good. Fine layers, and the widest range of finishes including silk and matte.
  • Best for Ornaments, display pieces and indoor practical items where colour matters.
ABS

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

Tougher, warmer running, and built to take a knock. The choice when a part has an actual job to do.

  • Strength Impact resistant. Gives a little before it fails instead of shattering, which is what you want on something that gets handled.
  • Heat Holds its shape up to roughly 100°C. Comfortable in a car, in direct sun or near warmth.
  • Sun and weather Considerably better than PLA. Handles rain, cold and handling. Strong sun will dull the colour slowly.
  • Detail Good, a touch softer than PLA. The surface can be smoothed to a gloss.
  • Colours kept in stock Yellow, black, red, blue and green.
  • Best for Outdoor fittings, parts that clip onto something, and anything picked up often.
Resin

UV cured photopolymer

A liquid set by light, one very thin layer at a time. Chosen when detail matters more than toughness.

  • Strength The most brittle of the three. Fine spikes, blades and thin parts will snap if dropped or forced.
  • Heat Fine at room and outdoor temperatures. Sustained heat and sun make it more brittle over time.
  • Sun and weather Not suited to it. Daylight slowly keeps curing the material, which yellows pale colours.
  • Detail The whole reason to use it. Crisp edges and smooth faces with barely a visible layer line.
  • Best for Miniatures, display models and anything with small, sharp, intricate features.

Side by side

The short version, if you are deciding between two pieces or wondering whether something will survive where you want to put it.

  PLA ABS Resin
Made from Plant starch Petroleum based plastic Liquid photopolymer
Toughness Rigid, snaps under impact The toughest of the three Brittle, the most fragile
Softens at Around 50 to 60°C Around 100°C Does not soften, but embrittles
Left outdoors Fades and weakens over months Holds up well Yellows, not recommended
Level of detail Very good Good Exceptional
Surface Fine visible layers Fine layers, can be polished Almost seamless
Colour choice The widest, including silk and matte Yellow, black, red, blue, green Limited, often primed or painted
Typical piece here Indoor ornaments and trims Covers and fittings that live outside Detailed display models

Looking after a printed piece

These are printed objects rather than moulded ones, and a few habits will keep one looking right for years.

  • Keep PLA out of hot cars A dashboard in summer can pass 60°C, which is enough to soften a PLA piece and let it slump. If something needs to live in a car or in full sun, ask for ABS.
  • Nothing here is food safe The fine grooves between layers hold onto bacteria and cannot be reliably cleaned, whatever the material. Please do not use a printed piece for food or drink.
  • Clean with warm soapy water A cloth and washing up liquid is plenty. Avoid the dishwasher, solvents and abrasive creams, all of which will mark or distort the surface.
  • Expect some variation Colour, finish and exact dimensions vary a little between individual prints and between screens. Photographs are of the real item wherever possible.
  • Repairs are usually easy Superglue holds all three materials well. If a piece arrives damaged, send a message through Vinted before doing anything else.
  • Mind the small parts Printed pieces are not toys. Anything with small or breakable components should be kept away from young children and pets.

Not sure which yours is?

The material is named on every gallery caption and on every Vinted listing. If you want a piece in a different material, or in a colour that is not shown, see what can be asked for and send a message.

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