Polylactic Acid (PLA) is created from processing a number of plant products, it’s considered the greener plastic compared to ABS. Since PLA is derived from sugars, it gives off a semi-sweet smell when heated during printing. This is generally preferred over ABS filament, which gives off the smell of hot plastic.
PLA is stronger and more rigid, which generally produces sharper details and corners compared to ABS. The 3D printed parts will feel more glossy. The prints can also be sanded and machined. PLA has much less warping versus ABS, and thus a heated build platform is not required. Because a heated bed plate is not required, many users often prefer to print using blue painter tape instead of Kapton tape. PLA can also be printed at higher throughput speeds.