New to 3d and need some tips please  

RE:

Different people might have different opinions on that but I would recommend beginners to start with PLA or PETG as filament material. PLA is the easiest and doesn't flex very much but doesn't cope well with UV light, heat or constant load (ie an applied force) over a long period.

Some people are using PLA for tool holders etc but I personally would very much recommend rather PETG for technical prints. It is a good fit for technical applications where it doesn't get too hot (Temperatures below 50-60°C or so) and it is still fairly forgiving compared to other technical materials. 

If you have a Prusa printer and you don't know where to start, Prusament filament is a very decent choice (and has good stock profiles in Prusaslicer for Prusa printers), there are cheaper ones out there but I wouldn't start with some cheepo filament, first get a baseline with a reliably good one. 

RE: New to 3d and need some tips please

What Thejiral said. PLA is easy to print, great for decorative stuff. For anything I want to use as a tool or outdoors or requires more heat resistance (such as use in cars), I go with PETG or ASA. For extra strength, composites such as PETG-CF or PC-CF are great. (PETG-CF arguably prints even easier than PETG—but requires a hardened nozzle).

Brands: Good thing is, in this day and age there's hardly any bad filament anymore—unless you're really scraping the bottom of the price barrel.

Filament sensor: It's trivial to install. If you're going down that path (or even if not), I would strongly suggest adding the Bondtech IFS extruder. It's the only upgrade for the Mini I wholeheartedly recommend. Its dual drive gear system makes dealing with different filaments a breeze. Before I upgraded my Minis to Bondtech extruders, I had to constantly adjust the idler tension and had several cases of clogged hotends. Since upgrading, I haven't had to adjust the extruder once, and I have run many dozens different brands and material types through them. Not one hotend clog either. It also has an integrated filament sensor (hence IFS), but it requires the sensor chip and magnets from the original Prusa extruder, so you need that one in addition. But again, it's the only upgrade I consider essential.

RE: New to 3d and need some tips please

Thats great and thanks for the advice.  With regards to the Bondtech IFS extruder upgrade, are you saying I would only need to purchase this and then take the sensor chip and magnets out of the old one and transfer them over, do you know where I can see instructions for this please?

Also on filaments, do you mind if I ask which brands you normally purchase?  I have read and watched some reviews on YouTube but im sure they might be pushing them for their own benefit, the ones I have seen are Polymaker, Esun, Hatchbox and Sunlu and of course Prusa's own but it seems hit and miss on availability.  

Thanks 

Mark 

RE: New to 3d and need some tips please

PLA is easy to print but extremely temperature-sensitive. Filigree parts start to deform even when exposed to strong sunlight (accumulated heat).

I would prefer PETG for functional components.

wbr,

Karl

RE:

Had a look at the Bondtech IFS extruder upgrade and I see you can upgrade the heartbreak as well, but looking at the reviews seems a bit hit and miss.

RE: New to 3d and need some tips please

Don't think about upgrades yet, really.

About filaments - I suggest sticking to PLA or PETG, and after that read about other if you get more know-how over time. Also the most forgiving are transparent ones, because they do not contain any colors so this is pure PLA or PETG. 
If you are going to see reviews then I suggest to see recent (under 1y) articles/vids.

I usually stick to the middle range of the price, they usually have a bit better quality in diameter and thus less issues when printing.
Filament sensor is good addon if you print a lot or you know you will run out of filament during the print, and actually getting a decent kitchen weight scale is more useful, because you can predict how much filament you have left 😉

For your first few prints stick with good quality filament in clear, translucent or dark colours - avoid white and pastel.

If you are designing your own; in a few weeks buy a lot of the cheapest PLA available - use this for prototyping.  Measure the diameter and enter it in the slicer parameters and invest in and use, a filament drying system.

For actual working prints follow the advice above - PLA is easy to print, strong and stiff but doesn't survive high temperatures, UV light exposure, shocks or vibration.  PLA has a poor reputation but is actually quite useful for objects that will not be exposed.

PETG is slightly more temperamental on the printer but as long as you keep the filament dry you should be OK; it is tough, slightly flexible, resists shocks and vibration and survives higher temperatures and more UV light - but a coat of paint really helps if you're going to leave it outdoors.

Cheerio,

RE: New to 3d and need some tips please

I would start with Prusa PLA it will make your first few prints a lot easier.

Which print sheet do you have? If you have the Smooth PEI Steel Sheet I wouldn’t try printing PETG on it.