Igor Gaspar from the My Tech Fun channel directly compared the same manufacturer’s transparent PETG and PCTG filaments. While PCTG’s higher CHDM content makes it more ductile and flexible than PETG, it requires higher printing temperatures closer to ASA settings. In the tests, PCTG was found to have superior impact resistance and resistance to high temperatures compared with PETG.
Why it matters
The practical significance of the comparison lies in showing that there is no single criterion of superiority when choosing a transparent filament. While strength and flexibility are priorities for parts subjected to impact or high temperatures, the higher printing temperatures required by PCTG mean that printer settings must also be assessed separately. Therefore, users need to weigh the material’s mechanical properties and the feasibility of the printing process together; the choice between PETG and PCTG depends on the conditions of use. However, the reported tests leave open the question of how much the results may vary with different settings and part geometries.