Troubleshooting
Which filament has best dimensional accuracy / shrinkage?
By SSS
Published . Updated .
- Nozzle190–230 °C(374–446 °F)
- Bed25–60 °C(77–140 °F)
- Speed40–60 mm/s
- Dry55 °C · 6 h(131 °F)
- Density1.17 g/cm³
Heat resistance: HDT 60 °C (140 °F) (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) · Vicat 63 °C (145 °F) (ISO 306) · Tg 61 °C (142 °F) · source →
Heat resistance: HDT 58 °C (136 °F) (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa) · Vicat 63 °C (145 °F) (ISO 306) · Tg 61 °C (142 °F) · source →
Bed, Speed, Drying, Density. Source: Polymaker product page · Last checked 14 October 2026
Ranked filaments
| Rank | Filament | Material | Nozzle | Bed | Datasheet | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polymaker · Polylite PLA | PLA | 190–230 °C374–446 °F | 25–60 °C77–140 °F | Datasheet | |
Open Filament Database nozzle 190–230 °C (374–446 °F). The US product page checked 14 October 2026 lists a bed of 25–60 °C (77–140 °F) and drying at 55 °C (131 °F) for 6 h. PolyLite PLA TDS EN V5.4, checked 21 October 2026, lists heat deflection of 60 °C (140 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 58 °C (136 °F) at 1.8 MPa, ISO 75. No shrinkage percent is on those pages. | ||||||
| 2 | Polymaker · Polylite PETG | PETG | 220–250 °C428–482 °F | 70–90 °C158–194 °F | Datasheet | |
Open Filament Database nozzle 220–250 °C (428–482 °F) and bed 70–90 °C (158–194 °F). PolyLite PETG TDS EN V5.4, checked 21 October 2026, lists heat deflection of 78 °C (172 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 75 °C (167 °F) at 1.8 MPa, ISO 75. No shrinkage percent is on that sheet. | ||||||
| 3 | Polymaker · Polylite ABS | ABS | 230–260 °C446–500 °F | 90–110 °C194–230 °F | Datasheet | |
The catalog record takes a nozzle of 230–260 °C (446–500 °F) and a bed of 90–110 °C (194–230 °F) from PolyLite ABS TDS EN V5.4. The same sheet, checked 21 October 2026, lists heat deflection of 100 °C (212 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 98 °C (208 °F) at 1.8 MPa, ISO 75. No shrinkage percent is on that sheet. | ||||||
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No sheet in this set states a shrinkage percentage. A part that moves because it was printed hot, and a part that lifts at the corners, are different complaints. Corner lift is warping. A part that sags under a load without a stated oven test is PLA creep. Heat deflection, which is not shrinkage, is heat. Diameter, which is also not shrinkage, is filament diameter.
What the sheets list instead
PolyLite PLA stores a nozzle of 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) from the Open Filament Database. The product page checked 14 October 2026 lists a bed of 25–60 °C (77–140 °F) and drying at 55 °C (131 °F) for 6 h. The TDS checked 21 October 2026 lists heat deflection of 60 °C (140 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 58 °C (136 °F) at 1.8 MPa, ISO 75. PolyLite PETG stores 220–250 °C (428–482 °F) and 70–90 °C (158–194 °F) from the Open Filament Database, and the TDS checked the same day lists 78 °C (172 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 75 °C (167 °F) at 1.8 MPa. PolyLite ABS stores 230–260 °C (446–500 °F) and 90–110 °C (194–230 °F) from its TDS record, and the 21 October 2026 check lists 100 °C (212 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 98 °C (208 °F) at 1.8 MPa. The full table is the heat-resistance dataset. None of those cells is a percent of linear shrink.
What the community says
a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting: The other score-3 comment is a PLA+ mug adapter that "shrank in the heat" and then held the mug tight.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Heat-deflection numbers stay on the sheet that states the load. 0.45 MPa and 1.8 MPa are not ranked against each other.
- The comments are quoted only where an comments was supplied, including the ones that do not answer the accuracy question.
Cons
- No row here stores a shrinkage percentage, a scaling factor, or a diameter tolerance tied to a manufacturer sentence in these notes.
- These comments do not say that.
Printer considerations
- A part that changes size after it cools, or after a later heat cycle, is not fixed by a flow calibration alone. The first comment on r/3Dprinting describes tensile strain from printing hot.
- Silk that looks puffed is the die-swell thread, r/3Dprinting. That comment says the nozzle is too far from the bed. It is not a shrinkage table.
- Corner lift while the part is still on the bed is warping, not this page.
Sources & notes
Published . Updated .
- PolyLite PLA TDS EN V5.4 datasheet
- PolyLite PETG TDS EN V5.4 datasheet
- PolyLite ABS TDS EN V5.4 datasheet
- Polymaker PolyLite PLA product page manufacturer
- Filament heat resistance dataset other
- a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/prusa3d reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab reddit
Related questions
- Does PLA creep or deform under a sustained load?Heat resistance
- What filament should I use for heat?Heat resistance
- Does filament diameter tolerance matter, and what about 1.75 mm versus 2.85 mm?Troubleshooting
- How do I stop warping (especially ABS/ASA)?Troubleshooting
Related data
- Cheapest filament per kg
- Cheapest PLA per kg
- Will my dryer cover this filament?
- Drying dataset
- How long to dry PETG
- PLA drying temperature and time
- PETG drying temperature and time
- ABS drying temperature and time
Questions
Does PolyLite PLA shrink less than PolyLite ABS?
Not according to a number in this catalog. Neither TDS comments we store is a shrinkage percentage. What the sheets do list is heat deflection: PLA at 60 °C (140 °F) and 58 °C (136 °F), ABS at 100 °C (212 °F) and 98 °C (208 °F), each pair being 0.45 MPa then 1.8 MPa under ISO 75. A hotter deflection temperature is not a smaller dimensional change on cooling.
Is the PLA+ cup holder a shrinkage measurement?
No. The score-3 comment on r/3Dprinting says a PLA+ adapter shrank in the heat and then held the mug tighter. It does not state a temperature, a percent, or a brand beyond pla+.