HIPS Filament for 3D Printing: A Light, Limonene-Soluble Support and Its Limits vs. ABS

What HIPS is and what it's actually good for

HIPS stands for High Impact Polystyrene: polystyrene with rubber additives. The Prusa Knowledge Base describes it as having moderate mechanical properties and good dimensional stability. Print settings and mechanical behavior resemble ABS, with two differences worth knowing: HIPS is lighter, and it shrinks much less as it cools.

Prusa is blunt about where it shines, stating that the best use of HIPS is as a soluble support material. That matters, because plenty of makers first hear about it as an easy stand-in for ABS. It can print real parts, but that is not where it earns its spool space.

To see how it fits with everything else on the shelf, start with our overview of filament types. The short version: you pick HIPS for a specific reason, not as an everyday filament. It is worth trying for a light part you plan to sand, or for a support you want to dissolve away from a PETG print.

Light weight and low shrink: where HIPS beats ABS

Weight comes first. For the same volume, a HIPS part weighs less than an ABS one. Prusa's article doesn't put a number on it in the text and points to its material table for comparisons. For an accurate estimate, use the density listed by your filament maker, since it can differ between brands.

Shrink comes second. Prusa says HIPS shrinks much less than ABS, and thermal shrinkage is what drives warping, the lifting corners that ruin so many wide ABS prints. You can reasonably expect calmer behavior on the bed, but don't treat that as a guarantee. Part geometry, drafts and bed adhesion all still have a say.

Low weight is most appealing when mass matters more than strength, as with scale models or display pieces. Those are usage ideas rather than manufacturer recommendations, so print a small sample before committing to a long job. Prusa still compares the print parameters to ABS, so check your filament maker's profile first.

Machinability: sanding is documented, the rest is on you

HIPS often gets pitched as an easy material to work after printing. What Prusa's documentation actually confirms is narrower: it can be sanded, just like ABS and ASA. Sanding is the only mechanical finishing step that source covers, so read broader machinability claims with some caution.

Prusa's article is silent on drilling, tapping and milling. That doesn't mean they can't work. It means you should prove them out yourself on a scrap part or a test coupon printed with the same settings. Take it slow, since a hot tool can soften any thermoplastic.

Chemical smoothing is the other finishing route. Prusa notes that acetone smoothing is much easier on HIPS than on ABS or ASA: layers melt almost immediately, the whole process takes just a few minutes, and parts dry faster, so you can touch them sooner. A reaction that fast leaves little room for error, and fine details can disappear quickly. Our guide to smoothing a 3D print covers the general methods.

Limonene supports: using them without hurting the part

The idea is simple. HIPS dissolves in d-limonene, a citrus-scented solvent, so printed supports can be removed chemically on shapes where pliers can't reach. Prusa positions this as a way to handle more complicated PETG prints.

Resist the urge to leave everything soaking. Prusa explains that HIPS will dissolve completely after long exposure but says it isn't wise to go that far. Its advice is a brief dunk to loosen the supports, then removing them by hand. That approach cuts the risk to the part itself.

The bath also leaves something behind. Prusa warns that residual limonene can stay on the surface long after drying, and the model can keep a citrus smell for a long time. Its smoothing instructions call for sinking the model for 10 to 20 seconds, then letting it dry for at least 24 hours. Those times apply to smoothing, not support removal. Work in a well-ventilated space, follow the solvent's safety data sheet and review our ventilation and safety basics first.

Why ABS and ASA don't pair well with HIPS supports

This is the limit people miss most often. Since HIPS and ABS behave so similarly, pairing them seems obvious. Prusa's documentation lists HIPS as not suitable for printing supports with ABS or ASA, because both also partially dissolve in limonene.

The same article does mention HIPS being used under ABS, ASA and PETG, and it calls printing those combinations challenging. The practical takeaway still holds: with ABS and ASA, the risk is real. Prusa names Prusament ASA Orange as an example, where limonene can disrupt layer adhesion until the model falls apart into tiny flakes.

So if your part has to be ABS or ASA, don't count on a long soak. Sensitivity differs from one filament to the next, which means a small test coupon in your exact brand tells you more than any general rule. You can also rethink the support approach entirely. PETG is the partner Prusa points to most clearly, and that takes away much of the appeal of HIPS if you mostly print ABS.

Printing it well: adhesion, multi-material and slicer setup

On the bed, HIPS is fairly cooperative. Prusa says it sticks well enough to the PEI surface of its print sheets. ABS dissolved in acetone can serve as an adhesive, though that isn't needed on those sheets. In some cases HIPS won't grip as well as ASA, and Prusa suggests a brim then, especially for parts with a small contact area.

Printing the supports is the hard part, and the article says so plainly. With the MMU2S, Prusa says the unit must be well calibrated and may still need your attention from time to time. If you are new to it, Prusa recommends getting experience with PLA or PETG before moving on to soluble supports.

In PrusaSlicer, the Soluble profiles turn on layer synchronization once the top Z contact distance is set to zero. You need that synchronization to change the support extruder when printing with a wipe tower. For everything else, start from your filament maker's profile.

Sources and limits

• Prusa Knowledge Base — HIPS
• Prusa Knowledge Base — Support material

We organize manufacturer and community documentation; we have not measured these products ourselves. The manual for your exact model takes precedence over general guidance.