48 filament spools — 1 kg of PLA is 335 m at 1.75 mm
Every pairing of 8 materials and 6 spool weights, worked out as metres of filament. Weight alone answers nothing — the material’s density sets what one metre weighs, and only dividing the spool weight by that number gives you a length.
Density decides the length
Filament is a long strand with a round cross-section, so the volume of one metre is fixed — its weight is that volume times the density. That is why the same 1 kg holds nearly 400 m of ABS (1.04 g/cm³) but only about 327 m of PETG (1.27 g/cm³). Dividing the spool weight by the weight of one metre is all this table does.
1.75 mm and 2.85 mm side by side
A 2.85 mm strand has 2.65 times the cross-section of 1.75 mm, so the same weight winds that much shorter. Making diameter an axis would only multiply the cells without changing the question, so each cell shows both. Which one you need is set by the printer — 1.75 mm is the de facto standard today, with 2.85 mm surviving on Bowden-style machines.
Net weight, not the weight with the spool
The 1 kg on the box is the filament alone. An empty spool weighs another 130 to 250 g, so a kitchen scale reads that much heavy. To measure what is left, subtract the empty spool’s weight from the reading — weigh a fresh spool once, and the difference from the labelled weight is that spool’s tare.
Read remaining length off remaining weight
Run the same sum backwards and a scale becomes a ruler. Knowing the length 10 g yields, multiply the remaining weight by it: PLA at 1.75 mm gives 3.35 m per 10 g. Compare that with what the slicer says a print consumes, and the scale alone tells you whether the job will finish.
At a glance
Length on the spool
PLADensity 1.24 g/cm³
ABSDensity 1.04 g/cm³
PETGDensity 1.27 g/cm³
TPUDensity 1.2 g/cm³
ASADensity 1.07 g/cm³
NylonDensity 1.14 g/cm³
PCDensity 1.2 g/cm³
HIPSDensity 1.04 g/cm³
Worth knowing
- Length is the spool weight divided by the weight of one metre — cross-section times density.
- At the same weight, a denser material winds shorter.
- A 2.85 mm strand has 2.65 times the cross-section of 1.75 mm, and is that much shorter per kilogram.
- Weights here are net filament — the empty spool is not included.
Common questions
Q. How many metres are on a 1 kg spool?
It depends on the material. At 1.75 mm, PLA runs about 335 m, ABS about 400 m and PETG about 327 m. Equal weight does not mean equal length — density sets the difference.
Q. How do I measure what is left on a spool?
Weigh the spool, subtract the empty spool’s weight, then multiply by the length per 10 g — 3.35 m for PLA at 1.75 mm. Tare weights differ by maker, so weigh a fresh spool once and note the difference.
Q. Is the density the same from every maker?
Nearly. Density is a property of the material itself, so published values shift by only a few percent with pigments — and any error carries into the length in the same proportion, no more.