So cutting through all of the tech jargon and BS, we can dramatically cut down on the options you should consider when getting a printer for miniatures. This article gives advice about the best 3D printers for miniatures for both models and terrain you can buy based on your priorities, preferences, and budget, as well as key tips for printing miniatures and beyond the specs, the factors that actually make a difference to miniature print quality. Since the price is very similar and the printers are also very similar, it gets very arbitrary to deem one of these 2 printers the best 3d printer for miniatures. An LCD 3D printer capable of fast speeds and very fine details despite the low price, the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro has fast become a mainstay in desktop 3D printing. Oh yeah, and the naming conventions and schemes are of course convoluted and not straightforward. So any best 3D printer for miniatures must have a mono screen and you should NOT buy one without it (I certainly super regret my first purchase now that this mono upgrade is here). There is post-processing involved after printing youll need to scrape the resin prints off the build plate, remove the supports (wear gloves), wash the resin off of the prints with isopropyl alcohol, dry them, and cure them in UV light. The warranty on the screen from Anycubic is only 3 months wereas Elegoo will cover a similar you screen for 6 months (but neither will cover it if you damage it). So if you want good quality printed miniatures, you will need good quality files. That being said, there are noticeable differences at each resin quality level mostly after youve primed the models. Expensive compared to budget 3D printers for miniatures. Positioned as an upgrade to the popular budget Mono X, the Anycubic Mono X 6K doesnt reinvent the wheel as much as building upon those solid foundations and fantastic build quality. How fast they fail is important to save money in the long run. The 4k printers have come down in price, so they are now a super good budget option. Also, getting replacement parts for the 3D printer will not be an issue. Instead of printing one part at a time as an FDM printers extruder traces the layer, LCD printers flash an entire layer at once, so no matter how many models are being printed within the build plate, theyll all print in the same amount of time. When printing resin miniatures, it does not matter how many miniatures you print at the same time the height will determine how long it takes. Overall, we recommend buying a resin printer for miniature models, and an FDM printer for terrain and accessories. Focus on buying a well-made printer made by a reputable company with a high-quality screen. The plus side of printing with plastic is that printing terrain or massive things is easy because the area you can print on is bigger. Aside from the large format, Ender 5 Plus also features some handy benefits over the Ender 3. The Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K offers a best-in-class 22 micron XY resolution. Large 3D printers can print potentially 20+ miniatures at once though most hobbyist printers can print around 3-4 reasonably sized miniature models. This puts you out of action for a while, and costs money. I will not go into the technical details (nor pretend that I understand them), but the gist is this: a mono screen will print the layers faster and it will last a lot more hours. So I am cutting through the crap here and just giving you options I actually think you should consider if you want the best 3D printer for miniatures. As an example: the difference in price between the Elegoo Mars 2 Mono and 2 Mono Pro is right now 70 USD. The Ender 5 Plus is priced over double what youd expect to pay for the Ender 3, but if you can stretch your budget, its a do-it-all terrain printer thats well worth the extra money. 6K LCD offers superb rendering of intricate details. You will need to replace parts the two main culprits are FEP films, and screens, which will need to be replaced over time. If you want to avoid resin printing you can use it to print miniatures, but they wont have the same level of precision, and youll need to do some sanding and general post-processing to get them closer to the level youre happy with. But be warned: while resin printing can be frustrating, plastic printing is even more of a beast. It will quickly expand you collecting with hundreds of resin miniatures! It sits at 165 x 72 x 180 mm, putting it on par with much cheaper alternatives like the Anycubic Photon Mono 4K. Resins are the best material for 3D printing miniatures, as they have fine details like faces and weapons that filament wont be able to match. It is fine for big stuff or small tokens, where the superfine detail is less important. Both printers are amazing and the price is just so good. Some designers online publish their miniature files for free online (we include the best places later on), but even premium models are extremely cheap often just a few dollars. We would like to conclude this article by reminding readers to be careful, as intellectual property (IP) laws prevents the creation, download or 3D printing of trademarked characters.

You need to print them out in pieces and glue them together.

The build plate moves down to the bottom again and the screen projects light onto the resin, A new layer of hardened resin is now formed beneath the old layer, Over very many, many layers (1-2 k is not uncommon) your miniature will slowly form hanging upside down from the build plate, Mat (super useful to get everything with resin on it out of the way and cured before you despise of it). The series the various brands offer are often: Elegoo has these lines of resin printers: Anycubic is a bit more troublesome in their series and models, so it is way harder to get what is going on. If you plan on printing large numbers of miniatures, it is definitely worth buying a 3D printer for miniatures. But, the Ender 3 V2 is the best printer in its price range for terrain, and PLA filament is very cheap and super easy to print with. It comes with a BLTouch automatic bed leveling probe to save time and effort, so you can concentrate on bringing to life terrain. You can only print as high as the build plate can move up, so if you want to printer super big things (without breaking them up into smaller parts), you will need to make sure the machine is high enough for it. If you can stomach the price tag, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K is as premium as the best 3D printers for miniatures get unless you go full industrial. It can be hard to figure out how the structure of each brands printers are, so here is a big long list with some pointers on what is what. Finally, paint your miniature. Rather than being limited by the models featured in the catalogs of miniatures companies, and having to pay in excess of $10 per model, with a 3D printer you can print whatever you want, and also save up to 90% on the purchase price! Learn more. Its particularly suited to intricate ruins, battlefields, towers, rocky outcrops, dungeons, and the like perfect for heightening that crucial sense of immersion. You can get started for cheap by spending under $300 on an Anycubic Photon M3 or Elegoo Mars 3. So I really wish I would have waited for that. Here are some sites that host free and paid files: And here are some articles where we recommend miniature-related prints: Really, a miniature isnt truly finished without some post-processing love and attention.

Underneath the tank you have a small screen (or a projector) that can project light up into the resin above. Also, it kinda defeats the purpose of printing which is to have the miniature come out in one piece without any issues. This is focused heavily on getting you a printer with good printing quality for tabletop games or wargaming. Both have been released in summer 2022 and has all the new features and specs. You can end up spending a lot of time just getting the damn thing to produce some okayish results. High-quality brands include Anycubic, Elegoo and Phrozen in these lower price ranges, and we highly recommend these if youre printing miniatures at home or other precise resin models. Both spray and brush paint options are viable any old primer from your hardware store will do. More than double the price of the Ender 3 and Ender 3 V2. 3-in-1 3D Printers (with CNC & Laser Engraving), Check price at Creality Official Store here, Gambody (specialized in video game/comic book models), 3D Printed Anime Figures: Best Sites & 40+ Top Free Files, 30+ Warhammer 40K 3D Print Files & Best Sites in 2022, We also recommend an Elegoo washing and curing station . Picking a 3D printer for printing miniatures can be incredibly daunting.

Very upgradable: many extruder, bed, hotend, and other upgrades available. But, you can print the larger, rougher parts with an FDM printer, such as terrain, backgrounds, and accessories like towers, bridges, and other cool add-ons. I have made a whole article covering how to get the best 3D printing files for miniatures. I have found the Elegoo system very easy to use as a beginner and found no big difference when I have tried the Anycubic system. Big towers are hard to print with resin, because you are limited in how big of a print you can do. We also participate in affiliate programs with other companies. If you dont need all 6K quality, opt for a Photon M3, Photon Mono 4K, or Elegoo Mars 3. Its an FDM printer, so it cannot reach the same level of precision as an Elegoo or Anycubic resin printer. I print with a layer height between 0.03-0.004 mm (so it is not uncommon to have 1000-2000 layers on a single miniature). I have only worked with resin printers from the Elegoo, Anycubic and Phrozen brands so that is what I am recomending. This applies to large and small figures or models thanks to the Anycubic Mono X 6K having a roomy 197 x 122 x 250 mm build volume for a resin printer. And Should You Buy a Mono 3D Printer? In tech jargon resin 3D printing is called SLA or MSLA. Bigger layers will mean less precise details, so you want a printer that can print small layers. Only look from Mars 2 Pro on and on. Resin printers work differently from FDM printers. Above the tank you have a metal plate (build plate) that can move up and down (very carefully and very precise). So I suggest getting a popular printer from a well-known brand. A 2K screen with a printer made from high-quality parts such as build plate bolts and resin vat locks that can handle low layer heights and retain accuracy and arent prone to threading will produce better miniature models than a shoddily built 4K printer. Now this is super important and something I used quite a lot of time on. First, remove any support structures by either removing them by hand or using clippers, or in the case of soluble supports, immersing them in the appropriate liquid, usually water. So, the only factor that determines how long a resin print job will take is the height of the tallest model. Perfect for small 28 mm figures with precise features and details. The most important thing is to pick a mono 3D printer. The rise of video games has pushed tabletop games to the fringes, but those who enjoy these games are often die-hard fans. There are so many various factors in terms of printing high quality models. Is it worth buying a 3D printer for miniatures? Very upgradable: many extruder, bed, hotend, and. If you can snag this on a sale, it is an incredible price point to get a mono 4k resin printer. Some premium files even come with their slicer profiles pre-made so that you just need to import the file, and print. I view a plastic printer more as a second 3D printer, when you have a resin printer and know that this is something you enjoy. As an example, Elegoo claims a lifetime of about 2000 hours on the Mars 2 pro mono screen (that is a lot of printing time!). That way you make sure that the motor and parts will not break down on you instantly (and that when something breaks you know you can get a replacement part). If you want to print Miniatures you want a resin 3D printer that can print in high detail. If you have the money, opt for the Elegoo Mars 3 or Photon M3. Products Released for Kill Team (The New 2021 Edition), Hi, I am Peter Thuborg and this is Age of Miniatures, I hope you enjoy the content. Next, youll want to clean and improve the print surface to remove blemishes, blobs, marks from the supports, and other imperfections. These are a pain to try and clean up and they are a super bad experience to try and paint on (at least if you are trying to paint something decent). Now, this is not really anything about the printer, but remember this: the print will only be as good quality as the file you are inputting. Alternatively, you can buy a small nail grinder with different attachments suited to miniature post-processing. Considered one of the best cheap 3D printers around, the Ender 3 is famed for its reliability and effectiveness for the price. Screen Quality and Precision: Do you need a 4K, 6K, or 8K Screen? For miniature makers, this means a noticeable jump in quality over the Mono X, especially on finer parts such as hairs, scales, horns, armor detail, and facial features. In other words, the Anycubic Mono X 6K is as suited to printing large Warhammer tanks, knights, and warhounds as classic space marine 28 mm miniatures. As an example, no matter what version of the Elegoo Mars printer you buy, they can all print miniatures of the almost the exact same detail and quality. The resolution and pixel density of the screen will help with making a more fine detail miniature, so more is better here (think 4k screen is super good, 2k screen is good). For amateur Warhammer players and those partial to the occasional Friday night D&D session, the Photon M3 remains the most cost-effective option. They cure and print resin layers often 3x faster, and often last up to 4x longer, too, so theyll save you money and hassle replacing parts continuously. Not so long after I made my purchase the mono versions of printers came out. First, well need to prime the minis to create a strong first layer for successive layers of paint to adhere well. Resin printing has been around for a long time, but it is only in recent years that the price of home printers have gone down AND the quality has gone way up. Both printers have a mono screen, which means they print good quality miniatures very fast. This means I mainly talk about resin printers. But pixel density is only a small part of what makes it possible to print high-quality miniatures. Each other article that says a plastic printer is good for printing miniatures are definitely not serious about painting those miniatures afterwards. We recommendbuying your brands wash and cure station to save you time and hassle. However, if you want to save money, the Photon M3 is a great shout if youre comfortable with 4K resolution, as the Mono X 6K costs double the price. At least I would make sure that the FEP and the screen is in standars sizes so I can get a replacment easily. I have no idea what makes the expensive printers better and I am nervous I will wreck something. Overall, the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro Mono is one of the best low cost resin printers around, and for creating miniatures, if you have the tech know-how, you may find resin printing meets your needs best. From there, take your time painting, and remember, practice makes perfect. The screen is one of those things that will break down after using it, and the lifespan you can expect from it is not that long. If youre looking for a brand name, we recommend Tamiya Surface Primer. In theory the 4k screen of the Anycubic printer should make higher quality prints, but that is not the whole story. Neither is great, but it is what it is. But resin 3D printing is actually quite simple to understand: Important elements of a resin 3D printer: What the important elements of a resin 3D printer do: Now that you (roughly) understand how resin 3D printing works, you are also better qualified to know what elements are important in a 3D printer. For terrain, this is another matter. If you have the money, go for an 8K printer but it isnt a necessity. Corners will look a bit sharper, and certain facial features and muscle definitions will come out better generally but you can still create very good models on 4K or even 2K LCD screen resin printers, you just get that extra sharpness when you go up to 6K or 8K. This article is also useful for a general understanding of where you stand with 3D printing and intellectual property. While I still think most printers are capable of mostly the same detail, the things you get with a more expensive machine is: So my Elegoo Mars is sloooow. But, for next-level resolution, the Mono X 6K is the best out there. There are also dual z-axis lead screws to improve stability and, by extension, overall print quality. To put that into perspective, in a 6cm tall resin miniature print, with 0.05mm layers, that is 1200 layers to print. You have some hardware and software inside the machine. The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro Mono and the Anycubic Photon Mono 4k delivers everything you would want in a good quality 3D printer for miniatures, and neither will set you back a fortune. If you want to print big monsters and models, it is way better to print them in one piece instead of glueing them together. You can print a lot of things on an fdm printer, but what you will find is that the detail is not super good. Widely considered one of the best consumer-grade resin 3D printers on the market, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K is ideal for super high-quality miniatures, whether for tabletop gaming, display, or war gaming. We still recommend the Photon M3 over the Mono 4K for the larger build volume at this level, a 5-micron difference is not going to make a difference, even in the most precise of miniatures. The Anycubic Photon M3 and Mono 4K both use a monochrome 4K LCD, but the Photon M3s larger 7.6 screen handles the larger build volume. While FDM 3D printers have larger print areas, and the filament is cheaper and non-toxic, you cant get anywhere near the same level of detail. So if you are after terrain or big printing, plastic might be the way for you. If you really want something massive and premium, the Elegoo Jupiter could also be an option. The smallest layers that a plastic printer can print are so big that you can see each layer with the naked eye. Youll see the layer lines on the model, and will need a fair amount of finishing and post-processing to reach your quality standards. So if you try to print a miniature in plastic, you will see small rings on the miniature, which is the layers. It costs around $1 per miniature 3D print on average, though this will vary depending on the size of the model, and the type of resin used. My biggest takeaway from buying a printer myself and looking at all of the options is that the more expensive options of 3D printers do not really give you better quality prints but they might give you the ability to print faster, print more miniatures at a time or ease of use features. When we tested it for our Elegoo Mars 2 Pro review, we were very impressed with the quality it delivered at such a low price. The Mono X was already a top pick now its upgraded. The newly released Anycubic Photon M3 hits its stride in miniature making by bundling in better specs at the same price as its predecessors, the Photon Mono and Mono 4K. A good usb stick (most are super crap), a carbon filter, a good fan that does not spin constantly and make super annoying noise, having the UI and user screen be good, a rubber seal that will keep the toxic air inside and so on are all great things to have. It comes as a 3D printer kit, but takes under an hour to assemble and its really easy just 20 screws. You can print any model you want rather than buying whatevers available, and for a fraction of the price. Now, for all its ability to create superb miniatures, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K does have one major drawback compared to other resin printers a smallish build volume. Most FDM printers heat up the plastic and drip it down into the shape it needs to be on a plate. But in this blocking process, light will still bleed through making the miniature less crisp. Patent laws prevent anyone from selling any object based on someone elses intellectual property. Now getting in cheap was super, but if I could make another decision today I absolutely would. While the resolution of the screen is important for quality of prints, it is by no means the only spec you should look into. I Want to display Your Pictures on my Site, Where to buy your Warhammer and information about my Affiliate Links, Terms and Conditions for Age of Miniatures, $300 RRP on Amazon (but seen for $204 on sale), $300 RRP on Amazon (but seen for $199 on sale), Buy directly from Elegoo (cheap for Europeans), Elegoo will cover a similar you screen for 6 months, you can check out the differences between the two here, super sweet sculpted printing files that are flowing out of various Patreons each month, So if you want good quality printed miniatures, you will need good quality files, how to get the best 3D printing files for miniatures, you can check our introduction to Bloodfields here, Beginners Guide to 3D printing miniatures, Bigger printers with faster speed and more features, Even bigger models or fancy features or super big printers. The build plate moves up and (hopefully) the small hard layer of resin sticks to the build plate. The 2K 6 LCD screen gives the printer great precision for solidifying resins, with layer resolutions between 0.01-0.2mm available. You can use non-cure products like the excellent Apoxie Sculpt to fill in gaps. We've covered the 3D printing industry since 2017, tested over a dozen of the world's most popular 3D printers, and we're dedicated to being the most informative 3D printing site in the world to help democratize the technology. You can input a figure (on a file on a USB stick) into the machine telling it the dimensions and shapes of the figure as well as a lot of variables of speed, timings and so on. This might not seem like much on paper, but means the Anycubic Photon M3 can produce much larger single models or batch print more copies of the same in one sitting than the Mono 4K, let alone the original Mono. The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro Mono is a super value resin printer that consistently prints high-quality miniatures even for beginners. So not only do you have to print your terrain in a few pieces, it will also be quite expensive in the long run (resin is not super cheap). For example, the 2021 Appropriations Act changed the way holders of IP and perceived infringers interact. What is the best material for 3D printing miniatures? All that said, be careful with paying for extra features. Leading this is a jump to a 6K display, an enhanced light matrix to improve curing uniformity, and a larger 9.25 LCD. Part of a 3d printer is expected to fail. Against the standard Monos 2K LCD, theres no competition: the Anycubic Photon M3 delivers far better fine details and features on even the most complex Warhammer and D&D figures. If you are just looking to get the highest quality of miniature print you can do, you could go for any newer 8k printer like the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8k. What you will soon figure out in your 3D printing journey, is that failed print is no fun at all. It seems all printer are capable of comporable detail quality. So I will just make a list of all of the equipment you will actually need for the printing proces: You could also get a wash and cure machine if this process is really something you hate. Different 3D printers have different minimum layer heights, for example the Elegoo Mars 3 has a minimum layer height of 0.01mm, or 10 microns. They will not differ super much in build quality and features, but the screen can make a huge difference. That is a pain to do, not only because it takes time, but also because the pieces can warp slightly in size making it hard to fit together cleanly. The other thing I am bummed about is the areas where they have cheaped out on building the thing. Only get the 4k screen if the printers are very close in price (the important part is the mono screen, get that no matter what you do).

Also, how high can the printer go up? After cleaning up the print, glue or attach parts of the mini using a bonding agent (you can also do this after painting if you prefer), and fill in any drainage holes, seams, gaps, and cracks using a brush and a mix of resin and baby powder. After getting really into 3D printing, I have realised that a lot of printers are very much the same. From Anycubic you get the Anycubic Photon Mono 4k and from Elegoo you get the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro Mono. So if you want to print a lot of miniatures, or some big ones, it is best to get a printer with a good-sized build plate and screen, as this determines how much you can print simultaneously. It supersizes the build volume to a generous 350 x 350 x 400 mm, ideal for those sprawling backdrops for your tabletop and D&D adventures that simply wont fit on a stock Ender 3. Not well suited to miniatures stick to terrain, and strongly consider a resin printer instead. However, if youre a complete beginner and resin printing is intimidating, then you can still print adequate quality miniatures with an FDM printer. In this article, I cut straight to what specs you need to consider when getting a 3D printer for miniatures and which of the various models and brands I think deliver the best value for you and your use case. Slightly lower resolution than the Mono 4K but this is because of the larger screen and build volume on the Photon M3. I suggest you do your own research if you are interested in this topic: There are a lot of 3D printers on the market. It comes with CHITUBOX, the highly-praised resin 3D slicer which slices models quickly to save you time, and also includes useful features such as tools that hollow out models before you print to lower material costs, if you dont mind slightly less durable parts. The first part features the best resin printers for miniatures in every price range, and then the best FDM 3D printers for miniatures we recommend are listed. There are so many different technical aspects and features listed on the sales pages. There are basically two different ways of printing miniatures: Plastic or resin. Extra features, or lack of them, can be crucial to how the 3d printer feels and operates. A lot of resin printers have used normal phone screens. In theory, this can result in more precise layers. Too many really. Couple that with the surge of pro, ready-made, super sweet sculpted printing files that are flowing out of various Patreons each month and you can see why this 3D printing thing is becoming so damn popular. In numbers, this means a slight downgrade to a 40 micron XY resolution compared to the Mono 4 Ks 35 microns, but at these low numbers, the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye, even for veteran miniature aficionados. Then, optionally you can fix any imperfections, prime and paint them for your custom look. It is just a fancy way of saying that they cure the resin faster, so they can make the same number and detail of layers much quicker. You insert a usb stick with the file with the miniature on it you want to print (right now a lot of people use, The metal plate moves down to the bottom of the tank, The screen projects UV light in the shape required by the file, The smaller layer of hardened resin is now stuck between the build plate and the clear plastic. Both will print 32mm miniatures in about 3-4 hours (you can make it slower to up quality, but it is hard to see the difference). However, its one of the best FDM 3D printers for terrain for miniatures, as it prints reliably, cheaply, and has a decent print volume of 220 x 220 x 250 mm. Skip Mars 1 and Mars 2 non-pro as they are outdated and not sold anymore. We recommend using regular acrylic paints found at any hobby store such as Vallejo Game Color.

Two light coats are a good option to be on the safe side. Age of Miniatures is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.Read more about our affiliate links here. I would not mind getting a 4k screen on the 3D printer, but it would by no means be my biggest concern (as it can be hard to see a big difference in print quality). It outperforms much-loved resin printers such as Elegoo Mars family and Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K and Mono 4K. For makers who have experience with 3D printing and are comfortable with the added complexities of resin printing, the Elegoo Mars could be your perfect 3D printer for miniatures and tabletop models. But I suggest you do your own research to decide which route to go. Top value: If youre happy with a 2K LCD, the Mars 2 Pro is your best option. I will not go into super much detail about it here, but instead cover that in my beginners guide to 3D printing. Standard miniature etiquette and techniques apply here. How Speed and Size Works with a Resin Printer. That is time-consuming and very annoying. Some of the best affordable resin materials are made by companies like Siraya Tech, Anycubic, and Elegoo, letting you print fantastic details on your miniatures within your budget. These enhancements are most pronounced with a larger 163 x 103 x 180 mm build volume.

Sitemap 34