Black PLA any Brand Recommendations ?

[Lindley]

Hi,

As a 3D newbie have only used one reel of PLA which was a generic reel supplied by Creality UK with the Ender3 V2.

Now looking for a couple more, with Black being a specific need, preferably gloss, but looking around the forum even big users like @mnementh seem to have used different brands of black filament including Flashforges which is available here along with other brands like Overture.

Any recommendations please ?

[MarkF]

I have had pretty good success with several spools of Hatchbox PLA on my Creality CR-10 Mini.
So far my projects used both the black and white colors.

https://www.amazon.com/HATCHBOX-3D-Filament-Dimensional-Accuracy/dp/B00J0GMMP6/ref=pd_yo_rr_rp_4/141-2932489-5160267?pd_rd_w=ggoCh&pf_rd_p=9b8cce0c-d417-4031-a774-5b9b0d224504&pf_rd_r=R48PT99EZZJFS598VTN8&pd_rd_r=3d7d9ed9-efe2-412e-9ac0-4bd9ec0697f4&pd_rd_wg=3bxEj&pd_rd_i=B00J0GMMP6&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/HATCHBOX-3D-Filament-Dimensional-Accuracy/dp/B00J0ECR5I/ref=pd_yo_rr_rp_1/141-2932489-5160267?pd_rd_w=ggoCh&pf_rd_p=9b8cce0c-d417-4031-a774-5b9b0d224504&pf_rd_r=R48PT99EZZJFS598VTN8&pd_rd_r=3d7d9ed9-efe2-412e-9ac0-4bd9ec0697f4&pd_rd_wg=3bxEj&pd_rd_i=B00J0ECR5I&psc=1

I had the need for a high temperature filament and a transparent one.
I used an Overture Transparent spool for both projects. 
It made a nice shade for a LED strip across the top of the printer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SB761QR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Print samples:

[Monkeh]

In no particular order:
eSUN
Prusament
Ooznest
Matteforge (as the name implies, this is matte filament, really nice)
3DFilaPrint

Plenty of others, these came to mind.

[edfarrington93]

I was using Hatchbox bought from Amazon, but the last spool I bought was black, and it was terrible! The spool was wound improperly and was snagging and was looped under itself. I left a print running that had already been printing for the good part of a day, and when I came back there was a birds nest of stringing and my dual gear extruder was straining trying to feed the filament which was basically tied in a knot. I'm glad I came when I did before my printer was damaged. Amazon has pulled my review down twice, citing different reasons, but if you read the reviews quite a few people have complained about improper spool winding issues.

[Lindley]

@MarkF -  Hatchbox often seems to be #1 in many reviews and is a good price for US users, sadly its literally twice the price on Amazon UK at $44 !

@edfarrington93  - reading various review on Amazon seems that can happen with most brands from time to time, possibly the beginning or end of a production run / big spool ?

@Monkeh  - are those listed and others all brands you have used and found ok ?

[Monkeh]

@Monkeh  - are those listed and others all brands you have used and found ok ?

Haven't personally bought Matteforge or anything from 3DFilaPrint (they have their own brand and sell various premium names also), but the former is heavily used by a friend and the latter is, afaik, from the same manufacturer as Ooznest.

[Bassman59]

Hi,

As a 3D newbie have only used one reel of PLA which was a generic reel supplied by Creality UK with the Ender3 V2.

Now looking for a couple more, with Black being a specific need, preferably gloss, but looking around the forum even big users like @mnementh seem to have used different brands of black filament including Flashforges which is available here along with other brands like Overture.

Any recommendations please ?

I've been using Hatchbox and it's worked well enough. The issues I've been having recently are not related to the filament per se, but rather environmental. We went from Arizona desert spring with 5% RH to monsoon season with rain every day and it all went to hell.

[HobGoblyn]

I recently bought a reel of both red and blue Overture PLA when Amazon had a lightning deal and was selling them at just £7.99. First time I’ve used Overture.

The blue is totally fine.
I have never had a reel as bad as the red. It was vacuum packed properly, but the first 10 meters or so continually snapped just by pulling it out. I tried a print when I got passed this, halfway through, the filament snapped.

Of course I could have just had a bad roll, but them including instructions on what to do if the filament gets stuck (unwind it a few turns and rewind it) makes me sort of wonder about them.

Had I paid full price I would have returned it.

I’ve other make filament that’s been sitting open on a box with no moisture sachets, over a year old, and they print with zero problem.

Up until this reel of red, whatever make was cheapest on the day, I bought and never had any problems.

Makes I’ve used over the past year include eSun, Sunlu, Eryone and Amazon Basics.

[xrunner]

I tried Atomic filament a couple of years ago and that's the only brand I buy now. In fact I got two rolls due tonight according to USPS (I'll believe that when I see it  )

Turquoise and pine green

Seems very high quality. But who can try all the brands, there are so many?

[Lindley]

But who can try all the brands, there are so many?

Thats why I was asking the question for what filament brands other folk had actually used and found good for them.

Thought first hand comments from the forums 3d users would be better than the various online reviews which can be very biased.

[edfarrington93]

I was looking at Atomic filament, I like that it's made in the USA. It's a tad bit more expensive than the Hatchbox I have been using but after this last roll gave me nothing but problems I'm looking to try a different brand. Besides the poor winding of this last roll, the layer adhesion is terrible, my prints are delaminating pretty bad. I'm in Arizona so the humidity is low and i keep my printer in a temperature controlled area. I have done the same prints with a different filament color from the same brand and it works fine. So obviously Hatchbox quality control is not too great. I was wondering how the Atomic filament was, and I will definitely try it now.

[xrunner]

I was wondering how the Atomic filament was, and I will definitely try it now.

Hey you even get a bonus with each order - a package of gummie bears! 

[Infraviolet]

I would tend to warn against black 3d printed plastic, where possible, for practical reasons:
a)when you need to file down or clean off supprot struts black makes it mcuh harder to properly see what you're working on
b)if you're integrating the part in to an electronic assembly far too many wires are black, black wires against black plastic make it hard to see which is where and easy to snag if you're pushing black parts together with black wires running near them

Unless you have a really pressing reason to chosoe black, pick another colour, dark grey avoids the above disadvantages and looks pretty elegant and professional.

Polymaker seems to have some decent PLA, and I've heard good things about filamentive and eSun too.

EDIT: had a really dreaful batch of polymaker filament. I'd now recommend "eryone" filaments

[Lindley]

I would tend to warn against black 3d printed plastic, where possible, for practical reasons:
a)when you need to file down or clean off supprot struts black makes it mcuh harder to properly see what you're working on
b)if you're integrating the part in to an electronic assembly far too many wires are black, black wires against black plastic make it hard to see which is where and easy to snag if you're pushing black parts together with black wires running near them

Unless you have a really pressing reason to chosoe black, pick another colour, dark grey avoids the above disadvantages and looks pretty elegant and professional.

Polymaker seems to have some decent PLA, and I've heard good things about filamentive and eSun too.

Good points, plus a friend who does print with Black says he no longer keeps them in sunlight as they soften and warp too easily.

Did try and order some Black last night from Amazon, but the OTP would not work and locked me out, so think they have done me a favour as probably go for Grey as you say.

[MarkF]

I print PETG filament for parts that need to resist higher temperatures.

I used PETG for a new bottom for my coffee maker.  The first one (made of PLA) warped.

I just used my PLA settings and increased the hotend and bed temperatures by 20 degs.
Most have trouble getting the print to release from the bed when completed.
I had the opposite problem; getting the first layer to stick.
I use hairspray on glass to print.

[Bassman59]

I was looking at Atomic filament, I like that it's made in the USA. It's a tad bit more expensive than the Hatchbox I have been using but after this last roll gave me nothing but problems I'm looking to try a different brand. Besides the poor winding of this last roll, the layer adhesion is terrible, my prints are delaminating pretty bad. I'm in Arizona so the humidity is low and i keep my printer in a temperature controlled area. I have done the same prints with a different filament color from the same brand and it works fine. So obviously Hatchbox quality control is not too great. I was wondering how the Atomic filament was, and I will definitely try it now.

I'm also in Arizona (Tuxon) and I've been using Hatchbox with good results. Except ... once monsoon hit this summer it all went to hell. Prints were pillowing on the top, dimensions were off, you name it. My printer (Ender 3 Pro) is in the Creality tent, and I keep a thermometer in there and I noticed that it was getting up to about 110ºF in there! I put little heat sink fans on the four motors, which I think might be more helpful if the air inside the tent circulated ... but air circulating in the tent is itself a problem. Plus also too the controller electronics is baking under the printer in the tent.

The printer lives in an unconditioned room off the house, like a laundry room. What with the work-from-home there's no place to put it in the house.

Now that winter is coming we'll be back to our usual nice low dry air and the printer might start behaving again.

[edfarrington93]

Yeah, I'm going to have to be careful when we hit monsoon season. I have been wanting to make an enclosure, I also have an Ender 3 Pro, but haven't had the time. I saw a couple reviews on YouTube about the tent, maybe I'll just pick up one of those and be done with it.

[LoneWolf6912]

Mostly, all the PLA sell are just PLA mixed with carbon black. But don't think, ESun, Prusament, etc, synthetise there own PLA.
They just buy it in granulate from, probably, NatureWorks or Total.
So they are all the same.

You can find some information following this URL:  https://www.natureworksllc.com/

[KaneTW]

BASF Ultrafuse PLA PRO1. Best PLA on the market.

[richnormand]

One more datapoint for you:
I have some AMZ3D black PLA that is just fine for the Prusa MK3S.
Got it on sale from Amazon.

[Monkeh]

So they are all the same.

Someone hasn't gone through many rolls of filament.

[Bassman59]

BASF Ultrafuse PLA PRO1. Best PLA on the market.

And they actually provide print temperature and speed specs!