Material sheet · General purpose

PCTG Filament: The Copolyester Tougher Than PETG

A copolyester from the same family as PETG, with more impact resistance and better transparency. What the datasheets say and when it pays off.

Nozzle 250–270 °C 3 datasheets

Bed 90–110 °C 3 datasheets

Density 1.23 g/cm³ 6 datasheets

Tg 81 °C 2 datasheets

Drying 75 °C 1 sheet

PCTG filament properties

Data taken from 6 datasheets from manufacturers in Spain, Europe, the United States and China, reviewed on October 26, 2026. The shaded bar marks the median of the declared values and each colored tick is a different datasheet. The scales are the same across the whole library, so you can compare materials at a glance.

Nozzle temperature °C · 3 datasheets

250–270 °C range 230–270

Bed temperature °C · 3 datasheets

90–110 °C range 60–110

Density g/cm³ · 6 datasheets

1.23 g/cm³ range 1.21–1.23

Glass transition (Tg) °C · 2 datasheets

81 °C range 78–84

HDT at 0.45 MPa °C · 6 datasheets

76 °C range 76–76

Vicat softening °C · 3 datasheets

88 °C range 88–88

Tensile strength MPa · 6 datasheets

44 MPa range 43–45

Tensile modulus MPa · 1 sheet

1,755 MPa range 1,755–1,755

Elongation at break % · 6 datasheets

220 % range 24–220

Flexural strength MPa · 6 datasheets

60 MPa range 60–72

Flexural modulus MPa · 6 datasheets

1,600 MPa range 1,600–1,650

Drying temperature °C · 1 sheet

75 °C range 75–75

Drying time h · 1 sheet

24 h range 24–24

Spain · 0 Europe · 4 US · 2 China · 0 Band: median of the declared values

PCTG filament temperature and print settings

Setting	Typical value	Range in datasheets
Nozzle	250–270 °C	230–270 °C
Bed	90–110 °C	60–110 °C
Print speed	30–155 mm/s	20–200 mm/s
Drying temperature	75 °C	75–75 °C
Drying time	24 h	24–24 h

Difficulty Medium Prints like PETG, on an open-frame printer.

Enclosed printer Recommended 1 of 3 datasheets

Hardened nozzle Not needed 1 of 1 datasheets

Drying before printing 75 °C · 24 h Manufacturer values for spools that have absorbed moisture.

PCTG vs PETG, Copolyester, and Polycarbonate: comparison

Setting	PCTG	PETG	Copolyester	Polycarbonate
Nozzle temperature °C	250–270	230–260	250–275	260–280
Bed temperature °C	90–110	65–80	75–85	90–110
Density g/cm³	1.23	1.27	1.2	1.19
Glass transition (Tg) °C	81	80	90	126
HDT at 0.45 MPa °C	76	69	80	112
Tensile strength MPa	44	48	50	60
Tensile modulus MPa	1,755	2,311	1,624	2,155
Elongation at break %	220	11	26	7
Drying temperature °C	75	65	60	75

Medians from each material's datasheets. Click a material to see its full range.

Meters of PCTG per spool

Spool weight	1.75 mm	2.85 mm
250 g	85 m	32 m
500 g	169 m	64 m
1 kg	338 m	127 m
3 kg	1,014 m	382 m

Calculated with the median density from the datasheets (1.23 g/cm³). Real spools can vary by a few meters because of diameter tolerance.

What is PCTG filament

PCTG is a copolyester like PETG, but with a different proportion of its components: it contains more cyclohexanedimethanol and less ethylene glycol. That change makes it tougher against impacts and more transparent while keeping printing just as simple. The 6 datasheets analyzed print it with the nozzle at 250–270 °C and the bed at 90–110 °C.

PCTG vs. PETG

More impact resistance and less brittleness in thin parts.
Better transparency in natural versions.
The same family of problems: stringing and excessive adhesion to smooth PEI.
Similar heat resistance: median glass transition of 81 °C.

If PETG falls short on parts that take impacts, PCTG is the natural next step without changing printers.

How to print PCTG filament

The same as PETG: warm bed, moderate fan, a layer of release agent on smooth PEI and dry filament. Datasheets that give drying settings suggest 75 °C.

FAQ