If you like 3D printing busts, sculptures, or building models, you can achieve a realistic marble-like finish and appearance with marble PLA. Marble PLA is typically regular PLA mixed with fine marble powder or, in some cases, simply speckled with different colors to look like real marble. In comparison to standard filaments, less post-processing is required because marble PLA is made to look great right off the print bed.
Marble PLA is similar to wood PLA in that both are primarily plastic materials that are manipulated to attain the appearance of a natural material. As such, marble PLA is sometimes considered a composite filament because of the additional materials used in the filament composition.
Unlike most composite filaments, few people experience fast nozzle degradation with marble PLA. That’s because it isn’t that abrasive of a filament. However, if you’d rather be safe than sorry, you should consider using a durable nozzle, like one made of hardened steel.
In this article, we’ll go over the top brands of marble PLA. For every brand, we’ll provide a description of the filament and some printing tips. Let’s get started!
Amolen is a leading manufacturer of unique filament types, including glow-in-the-dark and color-changing variants, among many others. Marble-colored PLA is one of their popular novelty PLA filaments, and it’s made from eco-friendly material sourced from the United States.
According to the manufacturer, prints in their marble PLA boast a similar surface texture to real marble. They also report that the material doesn’t bubble, jam, or warp during printing. However, when we tested the material ourselves, we ran into some bed adhesion problems, but these were easily resolved by applying additional adhesives.
Eryone is another popular manufacturer that makes filaments, resins, and even 3D printers. Eryone’s marble PLA mixes PLA and ultrafine marble particles to yield a natural marble-like appearance.
Eryone states that their marble PLA is easy to print with and shouldn’t clog your hot end. The manufacturer recommends drying the filament before use and printing with a speed of 50-100 mm/s.
Despite Eryone’s claims, customer reviews suggest that using this filament may be a little tricky. At Amazon, reviewers mentioned issues of stringing, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered: there are several easy ways to prevent stringing.
Giantarm is a subsidiary of Geeetech that primarily focuses on selling filaments to the UK and European markets. The manufacturing facility is slightly different from Geeetech’s, so it has been able to maintain a higher filament quality than its parent company.
Giantarm’s filaments are popular, especially their marble and glow-in-the-dark ranges. Many users have expressed their love for both the colors and consistency of the products. Often these filaments print seamlessly with few issues. Some users have commented about how reliable their filaments are. While marble PLA can sometimes be tricky to print, reviewers have reported being able to print with no issues and good bed adhesion. Personally, we found that while the filament adhered well, there were a few nozzle clogs when printing at sub 210 ºC temperatures.
CCTree is an online retailer of 3D printing supplies, including Creality printers, different filaments, and more. Their filaments are typically 100% environmentally friendly and RoHS and Reach compliant, which basically means they are free of hazardous substances. According to the manufacturer, their marble PLA comes from virgin (pure) PLA.
CCTree also suggests that their filament doesn’t cause nozzle clogs, sticks to the bed well, and has great durability and strength. This product has received mixed reviews online, however. One Amazon customer stated that the filament doesn’t extrude well, while another shared that they got great prints right from the get-go.
Multiple customers mentioned that the filament should be stored in a clean and dry environment to prevent it from becoming brittle, but this is generally a good idea for all filaments.
PolyTerra PLA is made by Polymaker, a unique brand that offers to plant one tree for every filament purchased. Their prices are reasonable, too.
However, reviews of their filaments vary widely. Since they offer a range of different color pallettes and combinations, you can get some nice-looking prints. They offer White and Slate Grey marble PLA, although their slate gray is more of a light blue gray in practice.
One thing that stands out in the reviews is mention of requiring adhesion to help it print, especially on larger prints, as it likes to warp and doesn’t adhere too securely to the bed. After these amendments, users have mentioned that it seems to print pretty well. The manufacturer also recommends printing at 30-70 mm/s.
Ziro is a filament company that makes a lot of different filaments, from regular PLA to carbon fiber and nylon. Ziro’s marble PLA, known as Z-Marble filament, is biodegradable, and from what Ziro says about it, tough. Z-Marble is available in three variations: marble white, straw, and a combination of blue and white.
The manufacturer indicates that Z-Marble releases no odor and doesn’t warp, either. One reviewer at Amazon observed how slick the filament is, causing the extruder gears to slip when pushing it, so maybe increase the extruder arm tension when printing. Ziro recommends using a 0.4-mm nozzle size for printing Z-Marble, and they also suggest using a print speed of 30-90 mm/s.
Overture provides a reasonably priced marble PLA roll in several unique colors. Overture is a Chinese company specializing in new and exotic filaments ranging from carbon fiber to space gray PLA, and their marble PLA is no different.
If you’re looking for variety, you can choose between their white, turquoise blue, and turquoise green PLA options. They have an interesting texture and a rock feel, as the manufacturer claims. Those who’ve printed with it describe the texture as softer than most other marble PLA. However, as a result, it can sometimes struggle to print infill. They’re designed for sharp statue-themed prints, but print like ordinary PLA. Overture recommends using a raft for better layer adhesion. Another positive of this filament is that it comes with a cardboard spool.
Hatchbox is a well-known filament manufacturer that offers filament at an affordable price. Hatchbox’s marble PLA, known as Magic Stone, has a real marble, granite, or limestone look, depending on which color you choose. There are five color options in total, each with different-colored speckles mixed with white PLA.
The manufacturer says that Magic Stone doesn’t tangle, clog, bubble, or warp when printed. However, a customer reviewed the filament and revealed that it doesn’t yield good layer-to-layer adhesion, making the prints weaker. Other reviewers found that this filament tends to string a lot, so try bumping up the retraction settings if you can.
eSun is a popular filament manufacturer that also makes resins, printers, and 3D pens. eMarble is eSun’s marble PLA brand, and according to some retailers, it’s biodegradable and FDA-approved food safe.
eSun reports that eMarble filament has a consistent diameter, low shrinkage, and is very tough. Cubic Technology recommends printing this filament with a print speed of 30-90 mm/s. One reviewer at Amazon found the filament too glossy and recommended coating prints in matte varnish to show off the print’s speckled aspect.
Prusa is a household name within the 3D printing industry, although less so for their filaments. They sell a wide range of different options, and while their PETG is renowned for its quality, some of their more exotic filaments are less well known.
Their light gray Marble PLA is designed to print well on Prusa Mk3s. While good experiences have been noted, you may have issues with clogging or stringing. These problems can usually be solved with a slightly lower temperature. This filament comes in at a reasonable price, however, they only produce it in small batches, so you have to keep an eye out as to when to purchase it.
Sunlu is another manufacturer of 3D printer supplies that makes filaments and 3D printing accessories. Sunlu’s marble PLA is filament colored to mimic real marble.
According to the manufacturer, the filament is 100% bubble-free and causes minimal stringing and warping. Sunlu recommends printing this filament with a print speed of 50-100 mm/s. One customer review notes that this filament jams a lot in the hot end, and another found that Sunlu’s marble PLA sticks better to the print bed with some adhesive.
Fiberlogy is a unique company offering a wide range of different filaments and materials. They have a range of “mineral” PLAs, which includes marble filament. Under this selection, you can also find Mineral Natural, White, Black, and Concrete, all of which are worth checking out.
Their marble PLA is designed with high tolerances, and care is taken to ensure that their filaments are circular in profile (the oval tolerance is ±0.01 mm). All this means that the filament won’t string as much as others when printed on a Bowden extrusion setup. However, that extra care does come at a premium cost, punching in at a hefty $46 per kg.
MatterHackers is a well-known filament 3D printing supply online store that sells a plethora of different filament brands, 3D printers, nozzles, and more. Their Marble Pro Series PLA is a textured and speckled white filament, but they also offer a Parthenon Gray in their Marble Pro Series PETG. The raw materials for this filament are sourced from NatureWorks, specifically their 4043D Ingeo raw plastic.
MatterHackers states that their marble PLA filaments have great tensile and flexural strength and are easy to print. They also provide the external and internal spool dimensions for this filament, so you can ensure this spool is compatible with your printer.
We thought that 3DTomorrow’s filament was too nice to leave off the list. While it’s mainly available in the UK and Europe, they sell a beautiful range of filaments. And what’s more, they’re becoming increasingly sustainable, offering rolls without reels and cardboard reels as standard.
Among many things, 3DTomorrow sells marble PLA. They call it Geo PLA and it’s available in two colors, Aged Granite and Cotswold Lime. These are great alternatives if you want a creamier marble PLA.
They claim that their filaments have great interlayer adhesion, low warpage, and are well-spooled. Filament Stories reviewed it, and the results were pretty stunning. They advise printing at 45 mm/sec.
Artillery is a relatively new 3D printing company, which with the recent Sidewinder and Genius printers, has quickly become a player in the 3D printing field. It tends to offer high-quality printers and filaments, which perform as well as high-range printers and filaments, but for a much more competitive price.
The marble PLA is no different. Predominantly a white marble, we carried out a few prints with this filament and found it to have good adhesion. It’s growing more popular, even though it’s such a recent addition to Artillery’s collection.
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