HIPS filament in 2026: the ABS support trick and the settings that work

What HIPS actually is

HIPS stands for High Impact Polystyrene. In a printer it does two jobs. You can run it as a standalone part when you want decent impact resistance and a matte finish, or you can use it as a support material for ABS on a dual extruder. The second job is the reason most people buy it.

HIPS dissolves in d-Limonene, a citrus solvent you can buy by the bottle. Print a tricky ABS shape with HIPS supports, drop the finished part in limonene, and the supports melt away with no cutting or sanding. The contact surfaces come out cleaner than they do with breakaway supports.

HIPS versus ABS and PLA

HIPS prints close to ABS, with a nozzle around 220 to 250°C and a bed at 90 to 110°C. It warps less than ABS and smells milder, though it still wants an enclosure for big parts. Next to PLA it is stronger and tougher but far less forgiving on bed adhesion. PLA is the easy everyday material. HIPS is the tool you reach for when the geometry fights back.

Settings that keep it on the bed

Start with these and adjust from there:

• Nozzle: 230°C
• Bed: 100°C
• Enclosure: recommended, especially above 220°C
• Speed: 40 to 60 mm/s
• Retraction: tune it, HIPS strings if you let it

Like ABS, HIPS hates drafts. A steady enclosure temperature beats chasing a perfect first layer after the fact.

Dissolving the supports

Use pure d-Limonene, not a watered-down cleaner. Submerge the print fully and agitate now and then. Thin supports clear in an hour or two. Thick ones take longer. Rinse with water and let the part dry before you handle it, because limonene leaves an oily film.

Common problems and fixes

Warping: raise bed temp and seal the enclosure. Stringing: add retraction and drop print temp a touch. Clogged nozzle: HIPS is not as gummy as some flexibles, but a cold pull fixes most buildup. Brittle layers: you printed too cool, nudge the nozzle up 5 to 10°C.

Which brands to buy in 2026

eSUN and Polymaker both ship clean, consistent HIPS that dissolves evenly. MatterHackers and 3DJake are solid second choices when you want a specific spool size or color. Look for a dry sealed pack and a stated diameter tolerance under 0.03mm, because HIPS shows sloppy extrusion as rough walls.

One note: HIPS is not food safe and it fades in sunlight, so keep finished parts indoors or coat them. For support duty those limits do not matter, and that is where HIPS earns its spot on the shelf.