Starter Guide to Resin Printing Miniatures

That fresh STL is not a miniature yet. It is a promise of sharp armor plates, snarling faces, tiny belt buckles, and one very real chance to create a sticky disaster if you rush the process. This starter guide to resin printing is built for hobbyists who want dark-fantasy characters and warbands on the painting desk, not a garage full of failed supports and half-cured goo.

Resin printing earns its place in miniature hobby because it can capture the small stuff: chainmail texture, layered cloth, teeth, runes, and the battle damage that gives a grimdark sculpt its scars. The trade-off is that resin requires more care than filament printing. Treat the setup like a hobby station with chemistry involved, because it is one.

What You Need Before Your First Print

A resin printer works by curing liquid photopolymer resin layer by layer with UV light. For tabletop miniatures, an MSLA printer with a monochrome LCD is the usual entry point. Its resolution, build volume, and replacement parts matter more than chasing the largest machine on the market. A modest printer can produce an entire 32mm warband with frighteningly crisp detail.

You will also need a wash and cure setup. This can be a dedicated wash-and-cure station or separate containers for washing plus a UV curing light. Add nitrile gloves, safety glasses, paper towels, silicone mats, disposable filters, a plastic scraper, and a sealed container for resin-contaminated waste.

Ventilation is not optional. Set the printer up in a garage, workshop, enclosure vented outside, or another space away from food, pets, and living areas. Resin fumes vary by formula and sensitivity varies by person, but uncured resin is an irritant regardless of the label. Water-washable resin is easier to clean with water, not safe to pour down a sink.

Temperature matters too. Most standard resins print best in a warm, stable room, often around 70 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold resin thickens, supports fail, and detail can suffer. If your hobby space runs chilly, a printer enclosure or safe resin-heating solution will save more failed prints than endless slicer tweaking.

Starter Guide to Resin Printing: From STL to Plate

The basic workflow is simple: prepare the STL in a slicer, print it, wash away uncured resin, remove supports, cure it fully, then clean up any remaining marks. Each stage has a few traps waiting in the dark.

Choose a resin that matches the job

Standard gray resin is a good first choice because it makes surface detail easy to inspect and is usually inexpensive. It is excellent for display pieces, heads, weapons, and character models, but can be brittle when a thin sword or banner hits the floor.

For gaming miniatures, consider an ABS-like or tough resin, or mix a small amount of flexible resin into standard resin if the manufacturer supports it. Tougher formulas can protect thin parts and delicate ankles, though they may need different exposure settings. There is no universal best resin. A hulking display orc and a spindly goblin spear present different problems.

Orient models for success, not convenience

Do not simply place a miniature flat on its feet and hit print. The first layers on the build plate endure the greatest pulling force as the print peels away from the release film. A model printed upright can put fragile ankles, weapons, or fine details under stress.

Tilt most miniatures around 30 to 45 degrees, then rotate slightly so the model does not present one broad, flat cross-section to the release film. This reduces suction and spreads layer forces across the print. Keep the most visible surfaces, such as faces, chest plates, and shield fronts, away from heavy support contact when possible.

Large hollow parts deserve extra attention. If a model has a bulky cloak, giant shoulder pad, or oversized monster body, hollow it in the slicer and add drainage holes at the lowest points in its print orientation. Without proper holes, trapped uncured resin can leak later or crack the finished miniature from within. That is not atmospheric battle damage. It is a preventable failure.

Supports are the real first boss

Pre-supported files can save serious time, particularly for detailed multipart kits designed by experienced miniature sculptors. Still, inspect them before printing. Check that supports reach islands, which are sections that begin printing with nothing beneath them. A floating sword tip, dangling trophy, or the far end of a gun barrel can become an island.

For manually supported models, use heavier supports for the first contact points and weight-bearing areas, then medium and light supports for smaller features. The goal is not to bury the model under a forest of supports. It is to give every island a reliable path back to the raft while minimizing scars on visible surfaces.

A useful habit is to inspect the sliced layers one at a time. It feels tedious for the first few jobs, but it teaches you why a print failed. If a tiny island appears in layer 173, no amount of optimism will make it attach itself later.

Start with the resin maker's exposure settings

Every resin, printer, and screen combination needs an exposure profile. Begin with the resin manufacturer’s recommended settings for your printer, then run a calibration print rather than gambling an entire warband. A small test can reveal whether details are closing up from overexposure or whether tiny features are weak from underexposure.

Overexposure often creates swollen details, clogged recesses, and supports that are harder to remove. Underexposure can cause weak parts, missing details, or layers that separate. Adjust in small increments and record what works. A notebook or simple spreadsheet becomes valuable when you switch resins months later and cannot remember why that one batch of heads came out rubbery.

Washing, Curing, and Cleanup Without Ruining Detail

When the print finishes, let excess resin drip back into the vat or onto the plate for a few minutes. Remove the model while wearing gloves, then wash it according to the resin’s instructions. Isopropyl alcohol is common for standard resins. Two wash containers work better than one: the first removes most resin, and the second provides a cleaner final rinse.

Do not over-wash fragile pieces in aggressive machines. Delicate fingers, antennae, and weapon barrels can suffer if they are battered around too long. For small parts, a gentle hand wash in a sealed container may be safer.

Remove supports after washing but before final curing in most cases. At this stage the material is firm enough to handle yet flexible enough that supports usually release more cleanly. Use flush cutters for heavy supports and take your time around faces, hands, and thin blades. A tiny nub can be sanded or scraped away after curing.

Then cure the piece under UV light until it is fully hardened. Rotate it so all surfaces receive exposure. Overcuring can make some resins more brittle, so follow the material guidance rather than blasting a miniature indefinitely. Once cured, inspect seams, support marks, and drain holes. Wash and cure are production steps, not an afterthought between printing and priming.

Failures You Will Actually See

Most early failures are diagnosable. A print missing its upper half may point to weak supports or poor exposure. Flat pancakes stuck to the release film can mean the build plate was not leveled, the bottom layers were too weak, or the release film needs attention. Layer lines or partial separation may be caused by cold resin, loose hardware, or lift settings that are too aggressive.

Before changing five settings at once, change one variable and test again. Check the build plate, inspect the release film for punctures or clouding, confirm the vat is clean, and make sure the printer sits on a stable surface. Resin printing rewards boring discipline far more than frantic troubleshooting.

Make Your First Prints Worth Painting

Your first successful plate does not need to be a cathedral-sized centerpiece. Start with a few infantry models, heads, weapons, or a single character. These prints teach orientation, supports, and cleanup without wasting much resin when something goes wrong.

For high-detail STLs like the dark-fantasy sculpts from Proxy Realms, preserve the details that sell the character: faces, armor trim, trophies, and weapon edges. Place support contact on hidden undersides where possible, and do not rush the post-processing. A cleanly printed 32mm raider with a crisp silhouette will look better on the table than a giant model covered in pockmarks and half-cured residue.

Give yourself permission to make ugly test pieces. Every failed spear, warped cloak, and detached boot is tuition paid to the resin gods. Keep your station clean, write down settings that work, and let the next print earn its place in the warband.