Polylactic acid, or PLA, is the most common 3D printing filament, and it's the easiest to use. Unlike most plastics, it's made from corn starches so it's nontoxic and, in theory, compostable ...

Filament-based 3D printers are remarkably wasteful. If you buy a kilogram of filament from your favorite supplier, the odds are that it will come wrapped around a plastic spool weighing about 250 ...

My practical 3D printing advice is simple: if you're buying a new 3D printer, get one with a filament runout sensor. If you don't have one, see if it can be added and invest a few bucks to upgrade ...

Filament-based 3D printers are remarkably wasteful. If you buy a kilogram of filament from your favorite supplier, the odds are that it will come wrapped around a plastic spool weighing about 250 g… ...

It then utilizes the existing 3D printer to create a customized filament spool, different sections of which are made out of the different polymers. That spool is printed as a flat horizontal spiral.

Designed for use with 3D Systems’ Cube 3D printers, the new filament is available in $49 or $99 cartridges depending on the size of the machine you’re using it with. And it’s got a shelf ...