<p>Additive manufacturing is increasingly being recognized as transformative in the field of sustainable construction, with raw earth emerging as an attractive building material due to its abundance and minimal environmental impact. However, despite growing interest, no standardized framework currently exists for selecting and characterizing soils suitable for 3D printing, and previous research has employed a diverse range of materials and methodologies. This study addresses this critical gap by systematically evaluating various locally sourced soils under consistent extrusion-based printing conditions. The correlation between specific soil characteristics and their printability is rigorously analyzed. To guarantee that there are sufficient fine particles to form a lubricating layer for printability, the mass percentage ratio of sand to clay in printable soils has to be less than 6. Moreover, a significant relationship was found between the maximum packing density of the sand fraction and printability. Values below 0.5 are recommended to prevent the dominance of the frictional regime. In terms of clay activity, the printable soil’s plastic limit is 20% or higher, its liquid limit is 30% or higher, and a high plasticity index is recommended. According to shrinkage measurements, printable soils with a higher fine particle content exhibit noticeably greater shrinkage (&gt; 3%). In comparison, non-printable soils show comparatively low shrinkage rates (&lt; 1%), highlighting the need to reconcile printability with shrinkage behavior. In summary, this study provides a reference for selecting raw earth materials for 3D printing, facilitating the application of sustainable natural resources.</p>