3D Printing Miniatures and Tabletop Gaming Pieces: Resin vs FDM

Updated March 2026 · 8 min read

The tabletop miniature market changed permanently when $200 MSLA printers hit the market. What was once a choice between paying $5–$15 per Warhammer figure or spending 30 hours carving foam became a third option: print your own army for cents per model.

But the reality is more nuanced than "just get a resin printer." Learning to print minis well takes time, resin fumes require ventilation, post-processing is messy, and support failures waste resin and patience. For many hobbyists, commissioning prints from a service bureau makes more economic sense than building a home setup.

This guide covers what actually produces good tabletop miniatures, the real comparison between FDM and resin, cost math, and what to look for when ordering from a print shop.

Need a local shop? /directory

Resin vs FDM: the definitive answer for miniatures

The short answer: resin for detail, FDM for large terrain and dungeon tiles.

Here's why, in specifics:

Resolution

A standard FDM printer (0.4mm nozzle) has a practical resolution of about 0.1–0.2mm in Z (layer height) and ~0.4mm in XY. This is fine for terrain but shows visible stair-stepping on curved miniature surfaces at tabletop scale.

A $200–$400 MSLA resin printer (Elegoo Saturn, Anycubic Photon M5S) prints at 25–50 micron (0.025–0.05mm) layer height with XY resolution of 18–35 microns. At this resolution, chainmail links, facial features, feather details, and gem facets are fully resolved.

You can't make FDM competitive with resin for 28mm miniature detail. It's physics.

Print speed

MSLA printers cure an entire layer at once regardless of how many models are on the build plate. A plate full of 20 miniatures takes the same time as 1 miniature — roughly 2–4 hours for a standard 32mm character figure.

FDM prints each layer by moving a nozzle, so more models = more time. A 28mm FDM mini at 0.1mm layer height takes 3–6 hours for a single model with detail settings.

Material and durability

Standard resin minis are brittle. Swords, spears, and thin extremities snap under handling pressure. This is the biggest real-world complaint about printed resin gaming pieces.

Solutions:

• ABS-like resins (Siraya Tech Blu, Elegoo ABS-like) are significantly tougher than standard resins without losing detail
• Water-washable resins simplify post-processing but are generally more brittle than IPA-washed resins
• Flexible resins (Siraya Tech Tenacious) mixed 10–20% with standard resin add toughness without major detail loss

FDM minis in PLA are more durable than standard resin for gaming pieces that get handled constantly. PETG is tougher still. The tradeoff is visible layer lines at gaming scale.

Cost per model (at home)

• Resin: ~$0.30–$0.80 per 28mm miniature in materials. Bottle of resin ($25–$40) prints 40–80 average figures.
• FDM: ~$0.05–$0.15 per 28mm miniature in filament. Dramatically cheaper material, but worse results.

Neither accounts for failed prints (a real cost with resin, especially during learning curve) or time investment for post-processing.

What produces great miniatures

File quality is everything

The best printer in the world can't add detail that isn't in the digital model. Miniature STL quality varies enormously:

• Free files (Thingiverse, Printables): Highly variable. Some are excellent; many are mediocre. Check the print photos in comments before downloading.
• Patreon sculptors (Mz4250, EC3D, Titan Forge): Consistently high quality, $5–$15/month for hundreds of models per month. The best value in the hobby.
• Commercial releases (MyMiniFactory, DriveThruRPG): $5–$20 per model or set. Studio-quality sculpts designed specifically for printing.

Support generation and orientation

This is the skill that separates good resin prints from failed ones. Orientation determines where supports attach, and supports leave marks where they're removed. The goal: orient the model so support contact points are on hidden surfaces (backs of legs, underside of bases, interior of cloaks).

Most commercial sculpts sold as "pre-supported" have support placement done by the sculptor. This dramatically improves success rates for beginners.

Printer calibration

An uncalibrated MSLA printer produces delaminating or over-cured parts regardless of how good the file is. Bottom exposure time, normal exposure time, and lift speed all affect quality. Most printer communities (Elegoo Reddit, Anycubic Discord) have calibration resources. Run a calibration matrix before your first batch of real minis.

Post-processing

Resin post-processing:

1. Remove print from plate — wear nitrile gloves, uncured resin is a skin sensitizer
2. Wash in IPA or dedicated wash solution (Elegoo Wash & Cure, Anycubic Wash & Cure) for 3–5 minutes
3. Remove supports — best done before final cure, when resin is still slightly flexible
4. UV cure for 2–6 minutes (time depends on resin and curing unit power)
5. Prime with rattle can (Vallejo Surface Primer, Army Painter Primer) before painting

Skipping or rushing any step creates tacky surfaces, weak parts, or dimensional inaccuracy.

FDM for terrain and large gaming pieces

FDM is not the answer for 28mm character miniatures. It is absolutely the right technology for:

• Dungeon tiles and modular terrain: Openforge, Printable Scenery, Dragonlock formats. Layer lines at 0.2mm are invisible at arm's distance on flat stone floors and walls.
• Buildings and scatter terrain: Taverns, ruins, market stalls. FDM at 0.2mm layer height looks great when painted with washes.
• Large monsters: Anything above ~75mm scale. At this scale, you can either sand the layer lines or embrace them as skin texture on a dragon.
• Bases and movement trays: Purely functional. FDM is faster and cheaper per gram.
• Vehicles: Tanks, ships, siege engines. Angular geometry reads well in FDM.

Material: PLA works for everything in this list. PLA+ (tougher PLA) for pieces that will be handled constantly. PETG if you're in a hot environment or transporting to conventions.

Layer height for terrain: 0.2mm for normal terrain. 0.15mm if you want cleaner curves. 0.3mm if you're printing a massive dungeon layout and time matters more than finish.

Using a service bureau for miniatures

When does it make sense to order from a shop instead of printing yourself?

• One-time project: You need 40 orcs for a campaign but don't want a printer forever. Commission them.
• Commercial product: Selling painted miniatures? You need consistent quality and resin is a full-time job to manage at volume.
• Large terrain pieces: A full dungeon layout might need a printer with a 300mm+ build plate. Service bureaus have those.
• Professional finish: Casting in resin from a printed master, nickel-plated figures, or multi-color SLS prints are service bureau capabilities only.

What to ask a service bureau for miniatures:

• Do they use MSLA/DLP resin? (FDM for 28mm minis is usually not appropriate)
• What layer height? 25–35 microns is ideal for gaming miniatures.
• Do they do support removal and cleanup, or do they ship supports on?
• What resin type? ABS-like resins hold up better for gaming.
• Have they printed gaming miniatures before? Ask for photos.

Typical cost from service bureau (resin, 28mm figure): $3–$10 per model depending on complexity and quantity. For a party of 5 character miniatures, expect $20–$50 total plus shipping.

Find local print shops: /directory

Popular miniature categories and what to expect

D&D and fantasy RPG characters

28mm or 32mm scale. Highly detailed with fine cloaks, facial features, and weapon details. Resin only for acceptable results. Popular sculptors: Mz4250 (free, 7,000+ figures), Hero's Hoard (Patreon), Flesh of Gods (professional studio quality).

Warhammer proxies and alternative sculpts

28mm heroic scale (slightly larger proportions than true scale). Great for building armies at low cost. EC3D, Bestiarum Miniatures, and Highlands Miniatures produce proxy-friendly sculpts. Note: printing official Games Workshop IP is copyright infringement.

Board game components

Replacement pieces, upgraded components, and custom insert trays are popular. FDM works well for insert organizers and token trays. Resin for detailed figurines. BGG (BoardGameGeek) has extensive file libraries for specific games.

Terrain: dungeons, wilderness, cities

FDM territory. Openforge and Fat Dragon Games define the standard. A full modular dungeon layout costs $30–$80 in filament if printed at home. Expect 3–5 large spools to furnish a solid dungeon setup.

Scale models for wargames (1/72 to 1/35)

Vehicles, aircraft, and artillery at wargaming scales. FDM handles 1/72+ vehicles reasonably well. Resin is better for 1/72 infantry figures. Print-N-Play and many independent designers sell these files.

Painting considerations

Printed miniatures paint like any resin or plastic mini once properly primed and cured. A few specifics:

• Priming is mandatory. Paint doesn't adhere to unprepared resin surfaces well. Rattle can primer (Vallejo, Army Painter) or airbrush primer (Stynylrez) both work.
• Resin accepts washes and glazes perfectly. Army Painter and Citadel Contrast paints work extremely well on printed surfaces.
• Support marks need attention. Light sanding (400–600 grit) on support stubs before priming saves hours of touch-up.
• Grey or black resin is easier to paint. Color resins can affect paint color perception. Most painters use grey.

The economics: home setup vs service bureau

Home MSLA setup

• Printer: $150–$600 (Elegoo Saturn 4, Anycubic Photon M5S)
• Wash & cure station: $60–$150
• Nitrile gloves, IPA, FEP replacement film: $50–$100 startup
• Resin: $25–$40/liter, prints 80–150 average 28mm figures per liter

Total startup: ~$400–$800. Payback at service bureau prices ($5/mini): 80–160 miniatures. If you're printing more than 100 figures for a campaign, home printing pays off.

Service bureau

• No equipment overhead
• No resin fume exposure
• No time investment for post-processing
• Higher per-unit cost ($3–$10/mini)
• Shipping time and cost

For a one-time campaign with 30–50 figures, ordering from a service bureau is economically rational. For an ongoing wargaming habit printing thousands of figures, owning the hardware wins.

Practical takeaways

• Resin (MSLA/DLP) is the only practical technology for 28mm miniature detail — FDM cannot compete at that scale
• FDM is excellent for terrain, dungeon tiles, buildings, and large bases
• File quality matters as much as printer quality — invest in good sculpts (Patreon sculptors are the best value)
• ABS-like or toughened resins hold up better for gaming than standard brittle resins
• Support placement and orientation are the critical skills for home resin printing
• Service bureaus make economic sense for one-time projects or when you don't want the resin workflow overhead

Material comparison: /materials | Find service bureaus near you: /directory