3D fanshop

HS PLA Clear filament

Transparent PLA by Fiberlogy, made for fast printing.

HS PLA Clear is transparent PLA by Fiberlogy, made for 3D printers that print at high speed. It prints as easily as regular PLA and lets light through: clear in the colour Pure, or in a transparent colour. Ideal for lampshades, light objects, vases and decoration. Below the products you can read how clear a print gets and which settings give the best result. Read more…

1–9 of 9 products

What is HS PLA Clear?

HS PLA Clear is a transparent filament from our PLA filament range. HS stands for high speed: Fiberlogy made it to keep flowing well at high print speeds, up to more than 900 mm/s according to the manufacturer, if your printer can handle it. Otherwise it behaves like regular PLA: it hardly shrinks, sticks well to the print bed and needs no enclosure.

How clear does a print get?

On the spool, transparent filament is clear, but a 3D print never becomes as see-through as glass. Light refracts at the boundaries between the layers and print lines, so a print is translucent rather than transparent. The fewer of those boundaries, the clearer the result. Vases and lampshades with a single thin wall (vase mode) therefore give the best effect. For solid parts, a higher temperature, a lower speed, less cooling and 100% infill help.

Which transparent filament should you choose?

FilamentSuitable for
HS PLA ClearLight objects and decoration in clear or coloured transparent, also when you want to print fast.
Fill 3D PLA Natural TransparentA good-value, natural transparent PLA for everyday printing, on a 1 kg spool.
Transparent PCTGClear parts that need to be stronger, more impact-resistant and more heat-resistant than PLA.

Printing HS PLA Clear: the right settings

  • Nozzle: 220–250 °C. If you print fast, choose the top of this range.
  • Print bed: 60 °C.
  • Cooling: as with PLA, usually 100%. For clearer solid parts you can cool a little less.
  • Speed: suitable for high speeds, but for the clearest prints you print more slowly.
  • Enclosure: not needed.
  • Spool: 0.85 kg of 1.75 mm filament, with a diameter tolerance of ± 0.02 mm. The spool fits in the Bambu Lab AMS.

Something going wrong? Our article on solving 3D printing problems covers the most common problems and how to fix them.

Pros and cons of HS PLA Clear

Pros

  • Lets light through, also in colour
  • Made for printing at high speed
  • Prints as easily as PLA, without an enclosure
  • Accurate diameter of ± 0.02 mm
  • Fits in the Bambu Lab AMS

Cons

  • A print becomes translucent, not glass-clear
  • Seams and layer lines show more than with an opaque colour
  • Like other PLA, not suitable for hot places such as a car in the sun

Uses of HS PLA Clear

  • Lighting: lampshades, night lights and light objects with LED lighting.
  • Decoration: vases, Christmas decorations and window hangers.
  • Displays and models: covers for small lights, light guides and parts of display models.

Frequently asked questions

  • What does HS mean in HS PLA?

    HS stands for high speed. The filament is made to melt and flow well even at high print speeds. You do not have to print fast: at a normal speed HS PLA Clear works just as well, with a nozzle temperature of 220–250 °C.

  • Is HS PLA Clear really see-through?

    Translucent, not glass-clear. Light refracts at the transitions between the layers. You get the clearest result with a single thin wall in vase mode, as with a vase or lampshade. The colour Pure gives the clearest effect.

  • Can I use HS PLA Clear in the Bambu Lab AMS?

    Yes. The spool has an outer diameter of 199 mm and a width of 59 mm and fits in the AMS. In this article you can read more about our spools in the AMS.

  • What is the difference between transparent PLA and transparent PETG?

    Transparent PLA is easier to print and strings less. Transparent PETG and PCTG are stronger, tougher and more resistant to heat and moisture. Choose PLA for decoration and light objects, and PETG or PCTG for parts that are put under load or used outdoors.

  • Can I print a lampshade with HS PLA Clear?

    Yes, with LED lighting. LEDs hardly get warm. Do not use an incandescent bulb, halogen lamp or candle: PLA softens with heat and can then deform.

  • Why are there bubbles or white streaks in my transparent print?

    Usually the filament has absorbed moisture: the moisture boils in the nozzle and leaves bubbles behind. Dry the filament in a filament dryer and store spools sealed with silica gel beads. White streaks are often caused by too much cooling or too low a temperature.