A multitude of materials can be used to 3D print, and each are better for certain projects.Nylon Plastics - A light, flexible material. Water resistant and durable, this material requires little preparation and can create very detailed designs as well as functional objects. This material can have good elongation, meaning it can stretch, but can equally be more tensile, meaning it is like a glass: very solid and rigid, but is prone to crack when stretched.ABS - ABS is the same thing that children's toys such as building blocks are made of. ABS is an ideal material for items which will see a lot of use and need to withstand wear and tear. ABS leans more to the tensile side, being a more rigid and tough plastic.PLA - The organic cousin of ABS, this material is made of corn starch, it is food safe, and it is ideal for intricate or high detail work as its lower printing temperature means it can offer more detail in the later stages of the printing process. PLA is rather rigid, and tensile, more so than ABS.Metals - You can find metals such as stainless steel, brass, and even silver serve as good materials to 3D print with. Serving a vast range of purposes, such as an intricate silver ring to a stainless steel machine component, metals are useful for an extremely diverse range of projects. Metals can vary. While they are tensile, they also resist very large amounts of pressure before cracking or weakening.Charged Plastics - These are plastics which have been mixed with other materials, such as metals, wood and more. These materials are great for artisanal projects as well as industrial projects. Charged plastics are more tensile.More Flexible Materials - For certain projects, more flexible materials with better elongation may be desired. These projects are typically for functional pieces which would need to resemble rubber in its elasticity. Materials in this category include: certain specific nylons, such as PCTPE.