What's Inside a Resin Printer Box?
Most resin printers include the machine itself, LCD screen, resin vat, build plate, basic tools, and a USB drive with software. Resin, isopropyl alcohol, and personal protective equipment are not included.
When you open the box of a resin printer like the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra — a great beginner option, you'll find more than you expect but less than you actually need. The printer comes nearly fully assembled — you just need to attach the build plate and level it. The resin vat (the clear tank that holds the liquid) comes pre-installed with its FEP film already tensioned.
In terms of tools, most brands typically include:
- Metal spatula for removing prints
- Paper filters for straining resin
- Plastic funnel
- Allen keys for maintenance
- Nitrile gloves (one pair — nowhere near enough)
- Basic dust mask (buy a proper one)
- USB drive with slicing software (usually Chitubox)
What's NOT included — and absolutely essential: the resin itself, isopropyl alcohol for washing prints, wash containers, industrial quantities of paper towels, and UV-blocking window film if you're placing the printer near a window.
What Do You Need to Buy Before Your First Print?
Before your first print, you'll need: 1 litre of resin, 2–3 litres of 99% isopropyl alcohol, nitrile gloves, a respirator with organic vapour filters, and airtight containers for washing. Budget around £40–60 for the essentials.
My day-one shopping list covers everything you'll need from minute one. None of it is optional — without it, you simply can't print safely:
| Material | Minimum quantity | Approximate cost | Why it's essential |
|---|---|---|---|
| 405nm UV resin | 1 litre | £25–35 | No resin, no printing |
| 99% isopropyl alcohol | 3 litres | £20 | For washing uncured resin off prints |
| Nitrile gloves | Box of 100 | £10 | Resin irritates and sensitises skin |
| FFP2/FFP3 respirator | Pack of 10 | £15 | Resin fumes are toxic |
| Airtight containers | 2–3 units | £10 | For your IPA wash bath |
| Paper towels | 6 rolls | £8 | You'll be wiping down everything, constantly |
When it comes to choosing resin for your first print, I recommend starting with a standard grey or beige — these are the most forgiving with exposure settings and will tolerate beginner mistakes. Transparent and black resins need much finer tuning, which you'll get a feel for over time.
How Does Resin Printing Work — Step by Step?
The full process involves: preparing your 3D model with supports, transferring it to the printer, pouring the resin, running the print (which takes 2–8 hours), removing the part, washing it in alcohol, removing supports, and UV curing. Total time: 3–10 hours depending on size.
The real resin 3D printing workflow involves more steps than most beginners expect:
- Model preparation (30-60 min): Open your STL in your slicer (Chitubox or similar), orient the part at 45-60°, generate supports at 75% density, adjust the Anycubic resin settings for your resin type, and export the file.
- Physical setup (10 min): Put on gloves and a mask, shake the resin bottle for 2 minutes (pigments settle at the bottom), pour resin into the vat up to the fill line, and transfer the file to the printer via USB.
- Printing (2-8 hours): The build plate lowers, the first layers expose for 60 seconds to ensure solid adhesion, then each normal layer takes 8 seconds of exposure with standard grey resin. The printer does the rest — don't open it during the print.
- Post-processing (45 min): With gloves on, remove the build plate, detach the print with a spatula, submerge it in isopropyl alcohol for 2-3 minutes with gentle agitation, remove it and clip off supports with flush cutters, give it a second wash in clean alcohol, then cure under a UV lamp or in sunlight for 3-5 minutes.
The Mr Resin 99.9% Pure Isopropyl Alcohol 5 Litres will last you around 50-60 medium-sized prints before it becomes saturated. When the alcohol turns cloudy and leaves residue on your prints, it's time to replace it.
What are the most common mistakes beginners make with resin printing?
The five rookie mistakes that ruin prints are: failing to level the build plate properly, using the wrong exposure times, forgetting to shake the resin, not filtering used resin before storing it, and handling prints without gloves because they look dry.
I made every single one of these mistakes when I started out, and I see beginners repeat them constantly in the forums:
Mistake 1: Sloppy bed levelling. The build plate MUST be perfectly parallel to the LCD screen. If one side sits higher, half your print will delaminate. Use the paper method: loosen the screws, lower the plate until a sheet of paper has slight resistance, then tighten while keeping even pressure.
Mistake 2: Blindly copying settings. Every printer-resin combination is different. Those 8-second exposure times for grey resin could be 13-15 seconds for black resin. Download the free Anycubic Resin Field Guide to get accurate reference settings.
Mistake 3: Unsettled resin. Pigments sink to the bottom of the bottle. If you don't shake for 2 minutes before pouring, the first half comes out watery and the second half like paste. Your prints will have colour inconsistencies and become brittle.
Mistake 4: Contaminating the bottle. NEVER pour used resin directly back into the original bottle. Always filter it through paper filters to remove any cured fragments. A single solid particle in the vat can puncture the FEP film on your next print.
Mistake 5: Assuming prints are safe because they look dry. Not dripping doesn't mean it's clean. Uncured resin is invisible but still toxic. Always wear gloves until after the final UV cure.
How long does it take to learn resin 3D printing?
Most beginners can print consistently within 2-4 weeks, but mastering complex orientations, minimal supports, and specialty resins can take 3-6 months. With proven settings, most people get decent results within their first week.
Here's the typical progression I see in motivated beginners:
Weeks 1–2: You'll wrestle with levelling, experience catastrophic failures (nothing sticks, or everything sticks wrong), learn that more supports are better than fewer, and discover that orientation matters more than support count. By the end of week two, you'll be pulling complete prints off the build plate.
Month 1: You start to understand the exposure-to-detail relationship. Clear resins need shorter exposure times, darker ones need longer. You experiment with layer heights — 0.05mm for detail, 0.1mm for speed. Failure rates drop to around 20%.
Months 2–3: You venture into hollowing parts to save resin, learn to add drain holes, and optimise orientations to keep supports away from visible surfaces. You start blending resins (rigid + flexible) to dial in specific material properties.
Months 3–6: You've mastered specialist resins (castable, flexible, high-temp), tweak print settings instinctively based on the model, and can predict support failures just by looking at the orientation. Your success rate tops 90%.
The fastest way to accelerate your learning: document EVERYTHING. For every print, note down the resin used, ambient temperature, exposure times, what failed and why. Within two weeks you'll have your own reliable settings reference sheet.
Where should you put a resin printer at home?
The ideal spot is a well-ventilated space away from direct sunlight, with a stable temperature between 20–25°C, clear of high-traffic areas, and on a solid, vibration-free surface. Garages, ventilated storage rooms, or dedicated workspaces work far better than living rooms or bedrooms.
Where you place your resin printer affects both print quality and your long-term health. I've seen setups at every extreme — from bedrooms (a terrible idea) to climate-controlled garden sheds (ideal if you can manage it).
Minimum space requirements:
- Active ventilation or openable windows
- No direct sunlight (UV light will prematurely cure the resin)
- Stable temperature of 20–25°C (cold thickens resin and causes failures)
- A solid, vibration-free table (vibrations create layer lines in prints)
- Enough room to work comfortably with gloves on
- Out of reach of pets and children
Location rankings from best to worst:
- Garage or workshop with ventilation: Ideal if you can keep the temperature stable. Add a thermostat-controlled heater in winter.
- Storage room with a window: Works well if you install an extractor fan venting to the outside.
- Spare room with extractor fan: Acceptable with good airflow and an activated carbon filter.
- Kitchen: Only if you have a powerful extractor hood and you're not cooking at the same time as printing.
- Living room or bedroom: Avoid it. Resin fumes are not compatible with living spaces.
If you have no choice but to use a shared space, invest in a grow tent with an extractor fan and activated carbon filter. It'll set you back £100–150, but your health is worth it.
When is resin printing a bad idea for your first printer?
Don't start with resin if: you live in a small flat with no ventilation, you have young children around, you're sensitive to chemicals, you need large parts (>15cm), or your total budget is under £400 including materials and safety equipment.
Resin printing isn't for everyone, and it's better to know that before spending money. Here are the red flags that suggest FDM might be the better starting point:
Inadequate space: If your only option is a living room or bedroom, stop there. Resin fumes — even from so-called "eco" or "bio" resins — require real ventilation. I've seen people develop chemical sensitivities after months of exposure in enclosed spaces.
Young children at home: Liquid resin is toxic on contact and if ingested. A curious child can open the printer mid-print. Post-processing involves open containers of alcohol and uncured resin. It's an accident waiting to happen.
Tight budget: The printer is just the beginning. Factor in a basic safety kit (£40–60), resin (£30/litre), isopropyl alcohol (£20/3L), and a wash-and-cure station (another £100 if you don't want to do it manually), and your real entry cost is closer to £400–500. With FDM, you can get started for around £250 all in.
Large parts: A typical resin build volume is around 15×15×15cm. If you need enclosures, large prototypes, or full-size functional parts, FDM is far more practical and cost-effective. Resin excels at fine detail — not size.
Allergies or chemical sensitivity: If you react badly to cleaning products, paints, or solvents, resin will likely cause you problems. I know makers who developed a resin allergy after a year of printing and had to switch to FDM entirely.
Your first recommended print and basic settings
Start with the exposure validation test (RERF) included on your printer, or print the Ameralabs Town. Use standard grey resin, 0.05mm layer height, 8 seconds normal exposure, 60 seconds for base layers. Adjust from there based on your results.
Your first print should NOT be that epic 200-piece miniature you've been saving. Start with calibration tests — you'll learn more in 30 minutes than from 10 YouTube tutorials.
Recommended tests, in order:
- RERF (Resin Reference Feature): Pre-loaded on many Anycubic and Elegoo printers. Prints 8 variants at different exposures. The one showing crisp detail without overexposure is your baseline.
- Ameralabs Town: The definitive calibration test. A miniature town complete with windows, doors, and rooftops. If you can make out every detail clearly, your settings are dialled in. Available as a free download from their website.
- Hollow calibration cube: 30×30×30mm with 2mm walls. If the walls measure exactly 2mm with calipers, your exposure is spot on. Thicker than 2mm means you're overexposed.
Starting parameters (adjust based on your test results):
| Resin | Layer Height | Normal Exposure | Base Exposure | Base Layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Grey/Beige | 0.05mm | 8s | 60s | 5 |
| Black/Dark Red | 0.05mm | 13–15s | 70s | 5 |
| Clear/Transparent | 0.05mm | 6s | 50s | 5 |
| ABS-Like Pro 2 | 0.05mm | 2–3s | 25–30s | 5 |
Keep in mind: these are starting points, not absolutes. Every printer varies slightly. A Mars 5 may need 1–2 seconds less than a Photon Mono 4K Ultra with the same resin. Ambient temperature matters too — add 1–2 seconds if you're printing below 20°C.
Resin printer FAQ for first-time buyers
Can I use water to wash prints instead of alcohol?
Not with standard resins. Water won't dissolve uncured resin — your prints will stay tacky. Water-washable resins do exist, but they're more expensive (around £40–50/L) and have weaker mechanical properties. Isopropyl alcohol remains the most effective option.
How long does an LCD screen last before it needs replacing?
Between 1,000 and 2,000 hours of UV exposure, which works out to roughly 6–12 months of heavy use. Mono LCD screens last significantly longer than older RGB panels. Replacements typically cost £40–80 depending on the model.
Is resin printing safe in a flat with natural ventilation?
With consistent cross-ventilation and low-odour resins, it's manageable but far from ideal. Open windows on opposite sides of the room, use a fan to keep air moving, and print while you're out of the house. Even better: invest in an extractor fan with an activated carbon filter.
What do I do with waste resin and contaminated IPA?
NEVER pour it down the drain. Cure liquid resin in an open container in direct sunlight until it fully solidifies, then dispose of it as solid waste. Saturated IPA can be left to evaporate in the sun (this takes several weeks) or taken to a hazardous waste disposal point.
Is an automatic wash and cure station worth buying?
If you're printing more than 2–3 times a week, absolutely. It saves time and delivers better, more consistent results. You can start out washing in tubs and curing with a UV lamp or sunlight, but in the long run a dedicated station pays for itself in convenience and reliability.
Why do my supports leave such ugly marks?
Your supports are probably too thick or poorly positioned. Reduce the contact tip diameter to 0.2–0.3mm, increase support density to spread the load more evenly, and orient your model so supports only touch hidden surfaces. With a bit of practice, the marks will be barely noticeable.
Happy printing! 🔥 😎
ELEGOO Mars 5 Ultra
If you're looking for your first resin printer that delivers professional-quality results straight out of the box, the ELEGOO Mars 5 Ultra is the perfect place to start. It combines ultra-fast print speeds with outstanding precision, and it's straightforward enough to use that you can focus on creating rather than troubleshooting.