Material guide · PLA
PLA
Polylactic Acid
Easy, vivid colours, decorative.
- Easy to print
- Vivid colour
- Plant-based
- Decor-grade
About PLA
What is PLA?
PLA is the workhorse of decorative 3D printing. It is plant-derived (corn-starch), prints with razor-sharp detail, and accepts pigment beautifully — which is why it dominates figurines, brand props and indoor showpieces. It trades temperature resistance and toughness for printability, so we recommend it whenever the part will live indoors and never carry meaningful load.
Properties
Spec sheet- Density
- 1.24 g/cm³
- Max use temp
- ~50 °C
- Tensile strength
- ~50 MPa
- Layer adhesion
- Good
- Finish quality
- Excellent — sharp detail, low warp
- Indoor / outdoor
- Indoor only
- Food-safe
- Not food-safe (porous; can't be reliably sterilised)
Best for
- Figurines, miniatures and tabletop props
- Decorative pieces, planters and shelf objects
- Low-stress prototypes and form-study models
- Indoor fixtures, signage and display stands
- Brand activations, photoshoot props, set pieces
Avoid for
- Outdoor parts — softens in summer sun
- Anything load-bearing or under sustained stress
- Parts that live near heat (car dashboards, lampshades)
Lead time + price
What it costs and how fast it ships
Lead time
Fastest
Most PLA orders ship in 24–48 hours from the Bangalore studio.
Price tier
₹
Lowest material cost in the catalog.
In the shop
Products printed in PLA
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Considering alternatives?
Common questions
Questions buyers ask
Is PLA strong enough for functional parts?
For light, low-stress functional parts — yes. For anything that will be dropped, flexed repeatedly or heated above 50 °C, switch to PETG, ABS or Nylon.
Can PLA be used outdoors in India?
We don't recommend it. Direct sun routinely pushes surface temperatures past 55 °C in Indian summers, which softens PLA. Pick PETG or ASA for outdoor work.
Can you colour-match a Pantone or hex?
Yes — for orders of 20 pieces or more we colour-match. For smaller orders, we choose from 18 stock colours.
Ready to print?
Print your part in PLA
Either pick something from our shop in this material, or upload your own file and we'll quote it for you.