Printing & Painting on Plastic and other Finishing Methods

Thermoplastics that generally accept finishes well:

  • ABS – paints beautifully, easy to print on
  • Polystyrene – accepts most paints and adhesives
  • Acrylic (PMMA) – bonds well with appropriate adhesives
  • PVC – can be painted, printed, and coated
  • Nylon – accepts many finishes after proper prep
  • PET – printable and paintable

Thermoplastics that are notoriously difficult to finish:

  • Polyethylene (PE) – paint just peels right off!
  • Polypropylene (PP) – extremely hard to paint or glue
  • PTFE (Teflon) – almost nothing sticks to it