ABSTRACT The printable polyamide 12 (PA12) nanocomposite filaments with 6 wt % graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) for fused deposition modeling (FDM) were prepared by melting compounding and smoothly printed via a commercial FDM three‐dimensional (3D) printer. The thermal conductivity (λ) and elastic modulus (E) of 3D printed PA12/GNPs parts along to the printing direction had an increase by 51.4% and 7% than that of compression molded parts, which is due to the GNPs preferentially aligning along to the printing direction. Along with these improved properties, ultimate tensile strength of 3D printed PA12/GNPs parts was well maintained. These results indicate that FDM is a new way to achieve PA12/GNPs parts with enhanced λ over compression moulding, which could contribute to realize efficient and flexible heat management for a wide range of applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45332.