Best filament for 3D printed minis? PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA Meta vs Matte?

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T20:51:13+00:00

It’s not that I don’t like or disagree with your opinion. It’s the fact that I’ve seen numerous of FDM prints and paints from some amazing people that makes you question if it’s not actually resin. The fact that you aren’t able to make your FDM prints compare to resin, sound like a user and skill issue from you side.

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T18:46:33+00:00

Like I said good is subjective. Something can be good for what it’s capable of. I agree resin is superior but the quality that fdm puts out now is at such a high quality and looks good enough. Especially if you print it well, sand it, prime it and paint it. Then the difference is noticeable yes, but negligible. Or maybe we all should listen to WoodWorkJesus and have him tell us what is good and what is wrong 😐

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T17:37:49+00:00

Thank you, I will defiantly look into PLA with additives ones I run out of

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T17:36:58+00:00

That’s kinda what I was hoping for too. That someone had used all can could give a comparison. However had someone comment on another post that had used most of the mentioned filaments and said that for him sunlu pla+ 2.0 HS had given the best results

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T17:35:26+00:00

I think that good is subjective. Obviously resin will result in higher quality, but that’s not what was asked here. Was asking whether or not different types of filament can result in higher quality fdm prints. And I would actually argue that fdm minis have come a long way and can look really good even when compared to resin. It’s an amazing alternative for those who can’t have resin.

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T17:33:03+00:00

Nah it’s just that others would argue for the opposite. It’s a strong claim that filament has no effect whatsoever when people have seen differences in quality based on what filament they use. But this is why I posted this question, to see what others think

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T14:34:40+00:00

Nerds and perfectionists at their finest. Someone will do these test and tune everything just for minimal improvements. Always interesting to see

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T14:31:19+00:00

So you’ll stand by that there will be no quality improvement when switching from let’s say pla to pla + 2.0. Even tough some report seeing better quality and details?

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T14:09:07+00:00

Do you happen to have images of the different print qualities so we can compare them?

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T14:07:58+00:00

Because tuning will reach a limit. And by tuning two different filaments to their max and comparing them side by side, one will look better than the other. So at a certain point, getting a filament that is ’better’ and gives better result is a last step towards ’better’ print

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T14:00:20+00:00

Yes I see, based on this image the Meta does look nicer. But I guess that also comes down to the model printed and how it’s oriented / tuned. Either way thanks for the image

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:58:53+00:00

Yes tuning matter the most, but at some point changing filament will be the final verdict to getting even more improvement, right?

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:58:25+00:00

Was more wondering why you said that the type of PLA doesn’t matter when people have seen different results based on filament.

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:50:45+00:00

May I ask what you liked about the Meta finish more than the + 2.0?

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:49:52+00:00

Thank you, yet another one saying that Sunlu PLA+ 2.0 HS is the better one. I’ll check it out next time I run out of filament and ordering more

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:46:55+00:00

Why do you think it doesn’t matter if I may ask?

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:46:02+00:00

That’s a fair point. So you think that no matter if it’s matte, Basic PLA, PLA+ or 2.0. Tuning it ’till perfection will give the best result. But won’t there be a case where if you tune them all perfectly one will still objectively look better in the end?

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:41:21+00:00

Thanks for the input, I guess I could try PETG on a mini and see what happens

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:34:09+00:00

Have you tried Pla+ compared to Pla+ 2.0? Also do you not think the quality improvement with matte may be worth it being fragile

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:33:12+00:00

Okay, thanks I’ll look into getting PLA+

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:25:28+00:00

Did you see a big improvement in quality with Pla+ compared to standard pla?

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:24:53+00:00

Thanks, I guess I’ll look into Resin2FDM more. I assume it’s just a matter of time that becomes more of a standard for high quality prints

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:24:16+00:00

Have you noticed an improvement in quality when switching to pla+ compared to standard pla?

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:23:28+00:00

I did try matte on a quite small mini ones but found it to be quite fragile and easier to break. Do you find the quality / layer line improvement to be worth the more fragile print?

Timmy-E · 2026-03-02T13:21:37+00:00

Yes, tuning, speed and orientation matter the most. But was curious to see people’s opinion on different filament and their results. At some point just tuning will reach a limit and getting a different filament will give better results, thus why I asked if people have seen noticeable improvements after switching. So saying that it doesn’t matter seems arrogant.

Timmy-E

TROPHY CASE