Resin (SLA) and filament (FDM) are both 3D printing, but they are good at different things. Most parts have an obvious answer once you weigh detail, strength, price, and timing in that order. Here is how to read yours.
Start with detail and surface finish
Resin holds finer detail and a smoother surface than filament does. If your part has small text or thin features, or needs to look finished, resin usually wins.
Then how the part gets used
Filament covers a far wider range of engineering plastics, so a part that has to survive real mechanical load, heat, or repeated flexing usually wants filament in the matching material. If the part lives outdoors, use filament: ASA is the material we suggest for parts in the sun.
Then price and quantity
Filament is almost always the cheaper choice for size- or budget-driven jobs, and it is the better fit for a real production run. Resin makes sense when the detail or the finish is the point, not the unit price.
Then how soon you need it
On Standard or Expedited, filament gets there sooner. Lead times for both, and the faster tiers, are on the turnaround page.
Quick read
| If your part is... | Reach for |
|---|---|
| A miniature, a jewelry pattern, or a small display piece | Resin |
| A bracket, enclosure, jig, or anything under real load | Filament |
| Ordered in volume | Filament |
| Anything that lives outdoors | Filament (ASA) |
| A connector or housing where fit and finish matter more than size | Resin |
The materials
Resin is not one material. The resin materials section covers all nine families in one place. Filament covers standard plastics through engineering, flexible, and high-temperature grades. The FDM material selector walks through the full range and narrows it to your part.
Still not sure?
Tell us what the part is for and we will recommend a process and a material, whichever side of this page it lands on. Get a Quote or ask us first.