FindNStart

Notifications

No notifications

PETG vs Nylon (PA6/PA12)

Side-by-side comparison of PETG and Nylon (PA6/PA12) for 3D printing — strength, temperature resistance, cost, and recommended printer settings on the Epicblaze v1.

PropertyPETGNylon (PA6/PA12)
Tensile Strength50–75 MPa70–85 MPa
Temperature Resistance~80°C (glass transition)~180°C (melting point), ~50°C HDT under load
Cost per kg$20–35$35–60

When to use PETG

Chemical-resistant enclosures, food-safe containers, transparent prototypes, and parts needing good layer adhesion without the brittleness of PLA.

When to use Nylon (PA6/PA12)

High-wear mechanical parts — gears, hinges, snap-fit joints, and living hinges that need flexibility and fatigue resistance over thousands of cycles.

Epicblaze v1 Printer Settings

PETG Settings

Nozzle: 230–250°C, Bed: 70–80°C. Low warping tendency. The Epicblaze v1 prints PETG cleanly at 240°C with excellent layer adhesion.

Nylon (PA6/PA12) Settings

Nozzle: 250–280°C, Bed: 70–90°C. Must dry filament before printing — nylon absorbs moisture rapidly. The Epicblaze v1's 350°C extruder supports nylon variants up to PA12-CF.

Our Recommendation

PETG is the 'safe middle ground' — easier to print than nylon, stronger than PLA, and chemically resistant. Choose nylon only when you need exceptional wear resistance or living-hinge flexibility. For startup prototyping, PETG gets you 80% of nylon's performance at half the difficulty.

Try It Yourself

Free test print in PETG or Nylon (PA6/PA12)

Upload your design and choose your material. We'll print it on the Epicblaze v1 and ship it free — so you can compare materials with your actual part geometry.

Upload Design

Recommended Reading & Resources

Other Material Comparisons