Which 3D printer do you need?
Start with the part, not the printer. Answer four questions and we'll point you at the machine that fits: high-temp FDM, SLA resin or SLS nylon. If a cheaper printer does the job, we'll tell you.
Tell us the part. We'll match the printer.
A real person on our team reads every one of these, engineer to engineer. If a cheaper machine does the job, we'll say so.
- What it's made ofOr what it has to survive: heat, chemicals, load.
- How big and how manyOne prototype or 500 a month changes the answer.
- A photo or a fileSTEP, STL or a picture of the part you're replacing.
Rather pick it yourself? Try the printer finder ›
Four questions. One printer.
Pick one answer per row. Your match shows up on the right and updates as you change answers.
Answer the questions and your printer shows up here.
Three ways to print. Pick by the part.
What the part is made of and where it has to live usually picks the process for you. If two would work, the cheaper one wins.
| High-temp FDMStrength & heat | SLA resinDetail & finish | SLS powderTough parts in volume | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Jigs, fixtures, tooling, brackets and end-use parts that see heat, fuel or load | Prototypes that need to look finished, molds, dental and medical, small precise parts | Nylon 12 production parts in volume: snap fits, housings, complex shapes, hundreds per build |
| Materials | PEEK, ULTEM™ (PEI), PEKK, PPSU, PPS, PC, carbon & glass fiber blends, ESD-safe | Formlabs engineering, flexible, high-temp, dental and biocompatible resins | Nylon 12, Nylon 11, glass & carbon filled nylon, TPU |
| Heat resistance | Highest | Lower, high-temp resins help | Good |
| Surface finish | Visible layer lines | Smoothest | Matte, slightly grainy |
| Batch production | Mirror & duplicate mode on the 22 IDEX | Good for small parts | Best, parts nest in 3D. Hundreds per build |
| Supports | Yes, breakaway or soluble | Yes, snapped off after printing | None, the powder holds the part |
| Printers from | $14,900 · 22 IDEX v4, AON3D Hylo™ | $699 · Form Studio 1, Form 4, Form 4L | $24,649 · Fuse 1+ 30W, Fuse X1 |
| See FDM printers › | See SLA printers › | See SLS printers › |
Already know the part? Here's the printer.
The jobs we get asked about most, and what we'd put them on.
Jigs & fixtures
Carbon fiber nylon or PC, printed overnight, on the line the next morning.
Aerospace & defense parts
ULTEM™ 9085 and 1010 for flight hardware, ducting and brackets.
Big parts, one piece
Full-size prototypes and tooling without gluing sections together.
Molds & casting patterns
Smooth, sharp-edged molds for silicone, urethane and investment casting.
Watch it before you buy it.
Straight answers from our channel: what each process is good at, what it isn't, and what the machines are like to run.
Start here
You Probably Don't Need PEEK
19 min
Hobbyist vs industrial FDM: toys or tools?
8 min
Building vs buying a high-temp printer
9 min
Save thousands on printers at tax time
8 min
See them run
22 IDEX v4 full overview & deep dive
13 min
AON3D Hylo™ and Basis™ explained
20 min
Form 4L unboxing, setup, Wash L & Cure L
25 min
Fuse X1: 8× bigger industrial SLS
10 min
Form 4 unboxing & first print
11 min
Fuse 1+ 30W complete workflow POV
58 min
Massive Nylon 12 batch on the Fuse 1+
23 min
Tuning ULTEM™, CF PEEK & nylon on the 22 IDEX
46 min
Before you buy.
Can one printer do everything?
No, and anyone who says so is selling you something. FDM wins on heat and material choice, SLA on finish and detail, SLS on tough nylon parts in volume. A lot of shops end up with two: a 22 IDEX for high-temp work and a Form 4 or Fuse 1+ next to it.
Do I actually need PEEK?
Probably not. Most parts that "need PEEK" work fine in carbon fiber nylon, PC or ULTEM™, which are cheaper and easier to print. We made a whole video on it: You Probably Don't Need PEEK. If you do need it, the 22 IDEX prints it.
Can I run any filament or resin I want?
On the 22 IDEX, yes: it's fully open, any 1.75 mm filament, no locked cartridges or unlock fees. Formlabs printers run Formlabs resins and powders, which is part of why they're so consistent.
Can I finance it?
Yes. The 22 IDEX works out to about $340 a month. See financing for terms, or ask us for a formal quote your purchasing team can run.
Can I write it off?
Many US businesses can deduct the full price of equipment in the year they buy it under Section 179. Check with your accountant. Our tax video walks through how it works.
What if I'm not ready to buy a printer?
Send us the file. Our 3D printing service runs the same machines we sell, so you can test the part and the material before you buy.
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