Obloid
All guides
Up next Don't print PETG on smooth PEI Transcript & details below

Your outdoor print will die from the heat

Don't hang a PLA planter on a sunny wall because it looked perfect on the desk. A week of afternoon heat and it droops like a sad taco. Sun is a heater. Dark plastic on a balcony gets far hotter than the air. PETG can live in the shade. Full sun wants ASA.

Tips & Tricks 1:01

#3dprinting#3dprintingtips#3dprinter#prusa#bambulabs

Featured in this video

AI Model Generator tool visual progressing from an apple prompt to a white low-poly mesh and a red 3D-printed apple 3D Model Generator Figures, toys, props — printable models Open

How to pick filament for a part that lives outside

  1. 1 Pretty PLA is not an outdoor spool

    You hung a PLA planter on a sunny wall because it looked perfect on the desk. A week of afternoon heat and it droops like a sad taco.

  2. 2 Sun is a heater

    Dark plastic on a balcony gets far hotter than the air. You are not printing for room temperature. You are printing for the plate the sun turns the part into.

  3. 3 Skip PLA around 50 C

    Bambu says skip PLA around 50 C or higher. It slowly softens and deforms. Prusa says over 60 C it gets soft, and it also degrades under UV. Heat plus sun is a double kill.

  4. 4 PETG for shade

    PETG survives more of that. Prusa rates it for most exterior use below about 80 C. A shaded hook can live in PETG. Full afternoon sun on a dark planter is not that job.

  5. 5 ASA for full sun

    If the part sits in full sun, step up. ASA is the outdoor filament: UV plus heat to about 93 C. Bambu calls it for plant signs, mailboxes, anything that lives outside. It wants an enclosed, ventilated printer.

FAQ

Can PLA live outside if it is in the shade?

Shade still gets hot. Dark plastic runs hotter than the air. Bambu skips PLA around 50 C. A week of afternoon heat droops a planter that looked fine on the desk. Keep PLA indoors.

Is PETG enough for a balcony planter?

Prusa rates PETG for most exterior use below about 80 C. A shaded hook can live in PETG. A dark planter in full afternoon sun should be ASA, not PETG.

Do I need an enclosure to print ASA?

Yes for this job. Bambu wants an enclosed printer for ASA. Prusa says an enclosure for large parts, and a well-ventilated room because of fumes. Do not skip the ventilation.

Why is a dark outdoor print worse?

Sun is a heater. Dark plastic on a balcony gets far hotter than the air. The spool rating is not the temperature of the wall at 3pm.

Full transcript

You hung a PLA planter on a sunny wall because it looked perfect on the desk. A week of afternoon heat and it droops like a sad taco. Sun is a heater. Dark plastic on a balcony gets far hotter than the air. Bambu says skip PLA around 50 C or higher. It slowly softens and deforms. Prusa says over 60 C it gets soft, and it also degrades under UV. Heat plus sun is a double kill. PETG survives more of that. Prusa rates it for most exterior use below about 80 C. A shaded hook can live in PETG. If the part sits in full sun, step up. ASA is the outdoor filament: UV plus heat to about 93 C. Bambu calls it for plant signs, mailboxes, anything that lives outside. It wants an enclosed, ventilated printer. Need a planter or hook at your size? Obloid's Parametric generator builds CAD-style models from a prompt. Check out the tool.

Sources

Don't print PETG on smooth PEI Don't use PLA for useful prints Wrong build plate selected = instant fail Stop using a metal scraper on your PEI plate Why your prints won't stick (it's your dirty bed) Wet filament is ruining your prints (and you can't see it)