The ultimate guide to creating your 3D resin figures 🎨✨

Creating 3D resin figures is one of those hobbies that truly gets under your skin. 🤩 It's the perfect blend of technology and art, letting you bring to life everything from video game characters and wargame miniatures to your own original designs — all with a level of detail that has to be seen to be believed.

Unlike traditional FDM 3D printers (the ones that use filament), resin printing works by curing liquid resin layer by layer using UV light. The result is incredible precision, making it ideal for any project where fine detail is everything.

Why resin 3D printing will change your hobby forever

Imagine having a perfect replica of your favourite character displayed on your shelf. Or commanding a wargame army of miniatures you built entirely from scratch. That's exactly what resin 3D printing offers — a way to take scale modelling and wargaming to a whole new level. 🎨

The secret lies in resin's ability to capture incredibly fine detail. We're talking armour textures, facial expressions, and intricate ornaments that previously only appeared on professionally produced pieces. This obsession with detail has sent its popularity through the roof, building a passionate and fast-growing community of makers.

The resin figure boom in the UK 🇬🇧

The hobby is currently experiencing a genuine golden age. To give you a sense of the scale, the 3D printing industry was already generating around £85 million in 2020, and is projected to surpass £8.6 billion before 2027. 📈

A significant part of this growth came from the pandemic period, when awareness of the technology jumped by 71%. Suddenly, everyone wanted to print their own miniatures. For a deeper dive into the data, check out this comprehensive industry analysis.

This surge has been instrumental in the rise of specialist retailers like Mr Resin, which have become the go-to hub for the community. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned hobbyist, you'll find everything you need in one place:

• High-quality resins: Brands like Anycubic and Elegoo offer options to suit every style and budget.
• Latest-generation printers: With resolutions capable of capturing every last wrinkle on an orc's face.
• Tools and paints: Everything you need for a flawless finish, including the legendary Vallejo paints.

Resin vs Filament for your figures 🤔

If you're just starting out, this is the question everyone asks: resin or filament? When it comes to printing 3D resin figures, the answer is fairly straightforward — but so you're left with absolutely no doubt, we've put together a quick comparison.

Quick comparison: Resin vs Filament (FDM) for figures

This table gives you an at-a-glance look at why resin is the clear winner when it comes to miniatures and highly detailed figures.

For miniatures and figures where detail is everything, resin printing is in a league of its own. The smooth surface finish and ability to capture incredibly fine detail make it the go-to choice for most makers and miniature painters.

Your starter kit for resin 3D printing 🛠️

To get your first resin 3D printed figures coming off the printer with jaw-dropping detail, you need to set yourself up with the right gear. 🚀 You don't need a full-blown lab, but there are a few key tools that will make all the difference from day one. Let's break down exactly what you need to get your workshop up and running.

Choosing your first resin printer

The printer is the heart of the whole operation. When you start browsing models, you'll quickly find that three factors change everything: build plate size, print speed, and most importantly, resolution.

Resolution is measured in "K" (4K, 8K, 14K) and is what determines the level of detail you can achieve. For getting started, a 4K printer already delivers more than decent quality. That said, if your goal is printing tabletop gaming miniatures or busts with complex textures, an 8K printer like the Elegoo Saturn 2 hits the sweet spot between price and detail. 14K machines, like those in the Anycubic Photon range, are top-tier — built for display pieces or jewellery where every micron matters.

A word of friendly advice: 😉 Don't get tunnel vision over resolution alone. Build plate size is just as critical. A larger build plate means you can print multiple figures at once or tackle more ambitious pieces, saving you a serious amount of time and resin.

The world of resins — which one do you actually need?

Not all resins behave the same way. 🧪 Each type has a very specific purpose, and picking the right one is the difference between a stunning figure and one that snaps the moment you look at it.

Here's a quick cheat sheet so you don't get lost:

• Standard Resin: The perfect starting point for beginners. It's affordable, easy to print with, and delivers great results. Ideal for test prints, getting the hang of things, and creating decorative figures.
• ABS-Like Resin: Planning to use your miniatures for wargames? This is the resin for you. It's more impact-resistant with a slight flex, so your barbarian's sword or your orc's arm won't snap off the first time they hit the table.
• Water Washable Resin: This one makes your life so much easier. Instead of dealing with isopropyl alcohol (IPA), you simply rinse your prints under tap water and you're done. It's safer, less smelly, and far more convenient to work with. 💧
• Flexible Resin: Imagine printing a cloak that actually moves, or tentacles that won't snap off. This resin is fantastic for adding realism and durability to specific parts of your figures that need a little give.

Your safety and consumables kit 🥽

Now for the important stuff: safety is non-negotiable. Liquid resin is toxic, so you always need to protect yourself. You'll also want to keep some basic consumables on hand so you're never caught short mid-print.

Add these to your shopping list:

• Nitrile gloves: Essential. Always wear them when handling liquid resin or freshly printed parts.
• Respirator with organic vapour filters: Resin fumes are an irritant. Proper ventilation and a suitable respirator are a must. A standard dust mask won't cut it. 😷
• Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA): Unless you switch to water washable resin, you'll need this to clean your prints, build plate, and tools.
• Spare FEP/ACF films: The transparent film at the bottom of your resin vat wears out over time. Keeping a couple of replacements on hand will save you a ruined weekend print session.

If tracking all of this down separately sounds like a hassle, starting with a complete kit is a great option. To make things simple, we've put together a Resin 3D Printing Starter Kit that includes everything you need to get up and running without the headache. ✨

How to prepare your 3D model for a perfect print

Your printer and resin are ready to go. Now comes the real magic — the brain work: preparing your digital model. 🧠 This is where it all happens, in front of your screen, where you decide whether your print will be a success or a sticky mess. Using slicer software like Chitubox or Lychee Slicer, you'll transform a simple STL file into precise instructions that tell your machine how to create something amazing.

It all comes down to three pillars you'll master quickly: model orientation, support placement, and hollowing. Nail these three, and you've already won more than half the battle when it comes to printing flawless resin 3D figures.

As you can see, it all starts with the right equipment: the printer, the resin, and of course, safety. From there, your software becomes your best ally.

Orientation is everything

The golden rule of resin printing: never, ever print a figure completely flat and parallel to the build plate. It's the classic beginner mistake and a recipe for disaster. 🚫

The key is to angle your model between 30 and 45 degrees. Why? By tilting the figure, each new layer that prints has a much smaller surface area. This drastically reduces the suction forces pulling on the part every time the build plate separates from the FEP film.

This one simple step gives you two massive advantages:

• Protect your important details: The most delicate areas — a face, armor textures, a thin sword — will face upward, away from where you'll be placing your supports.
• Minimize support marks: By placing supports in less visible areas (the back, under the arms, the base), the cleanup and sanding afterward will be minimal. A few passes and you're done.

Think of yourself as a surgeon. 👨‍⚕️ You wouldn't make an incision in the middle of a face, right? This is exactly the same. Always protect the areas you want to look perfect by orienting them so supports never touch them.

Supports: the scaffolding your prints depend on

Supports are the temporary skeleton holding your figure together as it builds up layer by layer. Auto-support in most slicers is a solid starting point — especially when you're just getting started — but if you're after truly professional results, you need to learn to go in and place them manually. 🧐

Your slicer lets you inspect the model layer by layer. Your job is to hunt down "islands": any point that starts printing in mid-air with nothing underneath to hold it. Every one of those islands needs a support. Skip one and that section will cure in the air, ending up as a chunk of loose resin floating in your vat.

Learn to work with the different support types:

• Light: Perfect for ultra-fine details and delicate areas. They leave almost no mark when removed.
• Medium: The all-rounders. You'll use these 90% of the time. They strike the right balance between holding strength and ease of removal.
• Heavy: Save these for the lowest, most massive parts of your figure — the areas that need to bear the full weight of the model as it prints.

A slicer like Chitubox gives you full control to add, delete, and fine-tune every single support with near-surgical precision. Mastering this is absolutely essential.

Hollowing your figures to save resin and avoid failures

Printing a 20cm dragon? 🐲 If you print it solid, you're not just going to burn through half a bottle of resin — there's a good chance the print will fail entirely. Large, solid models generate enormous suction forces that can rip them right off the supports or even damage your printer's FEP film.

The fix is straightforward: hollow out your model.

Almost every slicer has a hollowing tool that gets it done in a couple of clicks. It creates a shell with a wall thickness you choose — typically 2 to 3 mm is more than enough.

But heads up! ⚠️ A hollow model is a death trap for liquid resin. If you don't give it a way out, resin will get trapped inside and can eventually crack your figure from within. To prevent this, always add two or more drain holes. Place them somewhere hidden — the base or under a fold of clothing works great. This lets the liquid resin drain out and allows isopropyl alcohol to flow in and clean the interior properly. 🧼

The resin printing and post-processing workflow, step by step

Once your model is sliced and exported, it's time for the moment of truth: turning that digital file into something you can actually hold in your hands. 🤩 The whole process breaks down into two equally important stages: the print itself and what I like to call "the post-processing ritual." Both phases need care and a solid method if you want results worth showing off.

This is where all those settings you dialled in on your computer finally come to life. You'll watch the printer dip the build plate into the resin vat and, with each flash of the UV screen, cure the liquid one layer at a time. The magic is happening! ✨

Key print settings to get right

Every resin and every printer is a little different, but there are two values you absolutely need to nail: layer exposure time and lift speed.

Exposure time is simply how many seconds each layer gets hit with UV light. Too little and the layer won't cure properly, leaving your print weak and fragile; too much and you'll burn away fine details. Lift speed, on the other hand, controls how quickly the build plate separates from the FEP film. Go too fast and the suction forces can be strong enough to rip your print right off its supports.

Maker tip: 🤓 Whenever you crack open a new resin, always run a calibration test first — something like the well-known Cones of Calibration. It's a small time investment that'll help you dial in the perfect exposure time for your specific printer and environment, saving you resin, frustration, and half-failed prints.

Washing: the first stop in post-processing

Congratulations — your print exists! 🥳 But right now it's coated in a sticky layer of uncured resin. Your first job is to give it a proper wash. You've got two main options:

• The classic Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) method: Submerge the print in a container of IPA and agitate it gently, or scrub it with a soft brush to remove all the residue. It's highly effective, but always make sure you have good ventilation and wear gloves.
• Water-washable resin: The most convenient and beginner-friendly option, especially for home use. Just rinse the print under the tap. Perfect if you want to avoid the fumes and smell of alcohol.

Wash-and-cure stations have genuinely made our lives so much easier. And it's no surprise the European 3D printing market was valued at $5.26 billion in 2023 and is expected to hit $11.54 billion by 2029 — growth you can see reflected in the wave of new hardware making these technologies more accessible than ever. If you want to dig into those numbers, you can read more about the European 3D printing market here.

Support removal and final curing

Once your print is clean, it's time to remove the supports. Here's a golden rule to remember: do it after washing but before curing. At this stage the resin is still slightly soft and flexible, which means supports snap off cleanly and leave minimal marks on the surface. Your future self will thank you when it comes to sanding. ✂️

The final step is your UV cure. Even though your print feels solid, it hasn't reached its full hardness yet — it needs one last hit of UV light. You could leave it out in the sun (if you're lucky enough to have a good day ☀️), but for a consistent, professional finish, a dedicated curing station is the way to go.

These machines bathe your figure in UV light from every angle as it rotates, ensuring every last crevice cures completely. Your 3D resin figure will then be ready for its primer coat. If you want to dive even deeper into the hobby, check out our complete guide to resin 3D printing.

Painting techniques to bring your creations to life

A perfectly printed figure is like a blank canvas. 🎨 But the real magic starts with painting — the step that transforms your resin 3D figures from a lump of plastic into a display-worthy piece. And like any artistic endeavour, it all starts with proper preparation.

Before you pick up a brush, make sure the surface is flawless. Grab some fine-grit sandpaper and lightly sand away any marks left by the supports. You're after a smooth, even texture with no imperfections. Once that's done, it's time for primer.

The foundation for a professional finish

Primer is the coat that prepares the figure so paint adheres properly, preventing it from peeling or cracking over time. It's a step you simply cannot skip. You have two main options:

• Spray primer: The quickest and most straightforward method. A couple of thin passes from around 20–30 cm away gives you ideal coverage. Perfect if you're just starting out.
• Airbrush: If you want maximum control and an ultra-thin coat that preserves every last detail, the airbrush is your tool of choice.

A good primer coat — whether white, grey, or black — not only ensures the paint bonds well, but also helps you visualise the highlights and shadows of the figure before you start adding colour.

Quick tip: 💡 The colour of your primer dramatically changes the end result. Black gives you natural shadows and works brilliantly for dark colour schemes. White, on the other hand, makes vibrant colours pop with much more intensity. Think about the final result before you choose!

Basic painting techniques to get started

With your figure primed, the fun really begins! You don't need to be a professional painter to achieve results that leave people speechless. With just a couple of simple techniques, your figures will level up dramatically.

Start by applying your base colours. This simply means painting each area of the figure with its main colour — no worrying about highlights or shadows just yet. Use a medium brush and apply thin coats so you don't obscure any details.

To add depth, washes are your best friend. These are highly thinned paints that flow into every recess and create shadows almost automatically. Try applying a dark wash over a metallic armour piece and watch how every engraved detail suddenly pops.

Adding the finishing touches with highlights and varnish

Now it's time to make the details shine. For this, dry brushing is foolproof. Dip an old brush into paint, wipe off almost all the excess on a piece of paper, then lightly drag the bristles across the textured surfaces of your figure. The tiny amount of paint remaining will deposit only on the raised areas, creating highlights and bringing out textures like skin, hair, or metal. ✨

Brands like Vallejo have paint ranges that are absolutely perfect for this. Their Game Color line is a classic choice for base coats, while the Xpress Color range is fantastic for creating shading and filters in a single pass. If you want to master these paints, check out our guide on how to use Vallejo Game Color to paint your resin prints.

Finally, to protect your masterpiece from dust and scratches, apply a coat of protective varnish. Choose a matte finish for a realistic look, satin for a subtle sheen, or gloss for gem effects, liquids, or wet surfaces. 🛡️

The journey is just getting started!

And there you have it — the complete walkthrough. From that first moment of uncertainty when choosing a printer to the final brushstroke on your newly created figure. 3D resin printing is more than a hobby; it's an incredible blend of art and technology that lets you bring anything you can imagine into the real world with stunning levels of detail. 🥳

If you've made it this far, you already have the tools and knowledge to hit the ground running. This hobby was made for you.

As they say, the journey of a thousand prints begins with a single layer. You now have everything you need to make every project a success. Now go make it happen! 🔥

If you're ready to dive in or looking to upgrade your setup, head over to the Mr Resin online store. You'll find everything you need — from resins to tools — all tested by us so you can shop with confidence. 🛒

And remember, you're not in this alone. Join our community on the Telegram group. It's the perfect place to ask those questions we all run into, share your creations (we love seeing them!), and grab exclusive discounts and deals we only share there. And if you want to be the first to hear about everything, don't forget to subscribe to our Newsletter. 💌

Frequently asked questions about 3D resin figures

Even with the best guide in the world, there are always a few lingering questions when you're just starting out — and that's completely normal! We've compiled the most common questions we receive about creating 3D resin figures so you can get started with total confidence. 🤔

What printer resolution do I actually need?

For the bread and butter of this hobby — wargame miniatures, collectible figures around 28–32 mm — a 4K or 8K printer will deliver a level of detail that will blow you away. The difference is especially noticeable in fine textures, faces, and small accessories. ✅

14K resolution is a whole other level: jewellery, dental models, or display pieces where every micron counts. If you're just starting out, an 8K printer is the sweet spot — a great balance between quality and price.

Does resin smell bad? Is it dangerous?

Yes, let's be honest: resin has a strong chemical smell and its fumes can be irritating. It's absolutely essential that you work in a well-ventilated area. If you can open a window or set up an exhaust fan, all the better. 🌬️

On top of that, wearing a respirator with organic vapour filters and nitrile gloves is non-negotiable. They are mandatory when handling liquid resin and freshly printed parts. Low-odour resins do exist, but even then, never skip the ventilation.

Safety isn't an optional extra — it's the foundation. Good ventilation and proper protective gear are just as important as the printer itself if you want to enjoy this hobby long-term without any nasty surprises.

Why Do My Prints Keep Failing?

Most failed prints come down to three usual suspects. If something goes wrong, take a breath and check these before you try again:

• Insufficient supports: This is the number one culprit. Auto-support features in slicing software often miss "islands" — areas that start printing mid-air with nothing holding them up. Learning to add a few manual supports in those critical spots will save you a ton of frustration.
• Poor build plate leveling: If the build plate isn't perfectly parallel to the screen, your first layers won't adhere properly and the print will fail from the start. It's a tedious step, but it's absolutely essential.
• Incorrect exposure times: Every resin has its own sweet spot. Too little exposure time and your layers will stay soft and peel away; too much and you'll lose detail while the print comes out bloated and over-cured. Always run a calibration test whenever you switch to a new resin.

At Mr Resin, our mission is to make your 3D printing journey as smooth and rewarding as possible.

Head over to our online store and discover a curated selection of resins, printers, and paints from the best brands — chosen by people just like you, so all you have to worry about is creating.

Conclusion:

We've covered the full journey together — from choosing your first printer to adding that final brushstroke that brings your 3D resin figures to life. By now you know that this hobby isn't complicated — it's an incredibly rewarding pursuit that's completely within your reach. With the right guidance and quality materials, your imagination is the only limit.

Now it's your turn to take the next step. Explore the online store at Mr Resin, where you'll find everything you need to get started or take your creations to the next level. 💥

Don't sit on the fence. Join our community and share the obsession. Come find us in our Telegram group to show off your projects, get your questions answered, and grab exclusive discounts and deals you won't find anywhere else. And to stay on top of the latest news and score even more coupons, make sure you subscribe to our Newsletter! 💌

✨Happy Printing! 🚀