3D Printing Guide

Resin (SLA/DLP) is recommended for miniatures. It captures razor-sharp detail at 32mm scale — facial expressions, chainmail, thin weapon blades. Layer resolution of 0.03–0.05mm reproduces everything the AI generates. This is what professional miniature studios use.

FDM (Filament) can work for chunky characters like golems and armored warriors, but struggles with thin features at 32mm — wings, flowing cloth, and fine weapons are often thinner than the nozzle can physically extrude. Consider scaling up to 150–200% or using a 0.2mm nozzle.

3MF (recommended) — Compressed, error-resistant format supported by PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, and Cura. Smaller file sizes than STL.

STL — Universal format that works in every slicer ever made. Use this if your slicer doesn't support 3MF.

Note: STL and 3MF are geometry-only — your print will be a single colour. Painting is part of the miniature hobby — see the "Do I need to paint my miniature?" section below.

3D printed miniatures come out as a single solid colour — and for many hobbyists, that's the best part. Painting your own mini is one of the most rewarding things in the tabletop hobby. You get to bring your character to life exactly how you imagine them, and even a simple paint job makes a huge difference.

The workflow is: print → prime → paint. A coat of grey or white primer reveals all the surface detail the AI generated, and you're ready to go. You don't need to be an artist — there are beginner-friendly techniques like drybrushing and washes that look incredible with almost no skill. Search "how to paint miniatures for beginners" on YouTube and you'll be painting your first mini in under 10 minutes.

Don't want to paint? You can upload your model to a full-colour 3D printing service and they'll print and ship it to your door. Craftcloud compares prices across multiple print vendors, Shapeways offers a range of colour materials, and Printaworld specialises in high-fidelity full-colour figures. Most services accept STL or 3MF files — check their upload page for supported formats.

Our models are exported at 32mm on the Z-axis — the standard D&D "heroic" scale used by Games Workshop, Reaper, and WizKids. Every model includes an integrated base, so it's ready to stand on a tabletop right off the build plate. You can scale up in your slicer if you want a larger display piece (150% ≈ 48mm, 200% ≈ 64mm).

Layer Height: 0.05mm (50µm) standard, drop to 0.025mm (25µm) for hero pieces with skin/cloth detail
Bottom Layers: 6 – 8 layers
Bottom Exposure: Per resin manufacturer spec (typically 25–45s)
Normal Exposure: Per resin manufacturer spec (typically 1.5–3.5s)
Orientation: 30–45° tilt on X axis, head-up (avoids visible support marks on the face)
Anti-Aliasing: 8× if your printer supports it (smoothes layer transitions on curved surfaces)
Z-Lift Distance: 5–8mm
Lift Speed: 60–90 mm/min (slower for taller prints with overhangs; prevents suction damage on thin parts)
Light-Off Delay: 0.5–2.0s

Slicer-specific extras:
Lychee Slicer: Enable Wall Thickness Adapter set to 0.4mm — adds material at slice time on any sub-0.4mm wall, complementary defense against thin-feature breakage.
Chitubox: Enable Detect Tiny Wall Thickness with threshold 0.4mm.

Resin choice matters more than slicer settings for tabletop minis. The wrong resin will shatter the moment a player drops a mini on the table.

For tabletop play (recommended): Use Tough or "ABS-Like" resin. Anycubic Tough Resin and Elegoo ABS-Like 2.0 are both widely tested with 28-32mm minis and forgive small under-exposures. Some users blend in 5–15% Siraya Tech Tenacious for extra impact resistance on cape/cloak edges.

For hero pieces and display: High-detail standard resin like Anycubic Craftsman, Elegoo 8K, or Phrozen TR300 captures the finest surface detail.

For minis you'll drill (magnet sockets): Tough or ABS-Like. Brittle resin cracks from the drill bit.

⚠️ Avoid: Pure rigid or "Hard" resin — these shatter from tabletop drops. Water-washable resin is convenient but shrinks slightly during cure, throwing off dimensional accuracy on small features.

Most resin print failures are caused by support strategy, not the mesh. Get this right and prints succeed reliably.

Support type: Light Tree (Lychee) or Tree (Chitubox). Generates fewer supports than Heavy mode and is easier to remove. Use Heavy only if Light fails.

Auto-place first, then add manually: Let the slicer auto-place tree supports, then manually add supports to:

• Cape and cloak edges (the trailing edge that hangs out into space)
• Horn tips, antennae, hair spikes
• Sword/scythe/staff blade edges
• Outstretched fingers
• Any small feature overhanging more than 45°

Support tip diameter: 0.2–0.3mm. Smaller breaks during print; larger leaves visible scars.
Support contact depth: 0.2–0.3mm. Same tradeoff.

Orientation rule of thumb: tilt the model so capes/cloaks fall away from the build plate, not toward it. This puts supports on the inside-back of the cape (hidden under paint) instead of the outside (visible scars).

Rough estimates for typical resin printers (Anycubic Mars 4, Elegoo Saturn 4, Phrozen Sonic Mini) at 50µm layer height with auto-placed tree supports:

32mm Medium character (round_25mm base):
• Print time: ~2.5–3.5 hours
• Resin used: 12–18 mL = $1–2 of resin
• Total turnaround (incl. wash + cure): ~4 hours hands-off + 30 min hands-on

65mm Large monster (round_50mm base):
• Print time: ~6–8 hours
• Resin used: 30–50 mL

180mm Gargantuan dragon (round_100mm base):
• Print time: 18–24 hours
• Resin used: 200–400 mL = $20–40 of resin

Bigger minis scale roughly linearly with height. Hollowing (see below) cuts resin usage by ~30–50% on larger pieces.

1. Wash — Rinse in 95% IPA (isopropyl alcohol) for 2–3 minutes. Use an ultrasonic cleaner if available.

2. Cure — UV cure for 3–5 minutes per side. Don't over-cure — it makes resin brittle and can warp thin features like swords and staffs.

3. Remove supports — Use flush cutters. Support nubs on the face or hands can be sanded with 400–600 grit sandpaper.

4. Prime — Apply a thin coat of grey primer spray. This reveals surface detail and prepares the miniature for painting.

Hollowing saves resin and reduces print time. If you hollow in your slicer, use 1.5–2mm wall thickness and add 2–3 drainage holes (2mm diameter) in the base to prevent trapped resin and vacuum suction during printing.

Print failed at the base / didn't stick to plate
• Bottom exposure too low → use the resin manufacturer's profile, or add 5s.
• Build plate not levelled → re-level. This is the single most common base-failure cause.
• Resin too cold → resin should be 22–30°C. Cold resin produces brittle bottom layers.

Cape, cloak, or hair feature broke off
• Add 2–3 manual supports along the trailing edge (auto-placement misses these).
• Switch resin: Tough or ABS-Like instead of rigid resin.
• Increase support density on cape edges in the slicer.

Sword tip or weapon edge is blunted
• Drop Z-lift speed to 60 mm/min for prints with pointed verticals.
• Hand-finish with a hobby blade after printing if you want needle-sharp tips.

Layer lines visible on smooth surfaces
• Enable 8× anti-aliasing in your slicer.
• Drop layer height to 25µm for hero pieces.
• Always prime before painting — primer hides minor surface artifacts.

Print warped or curled during cure
• Insufficient supports near long flat areas (capes, bases).
• Don't over-cure — 3–5 minutes per side is plenty.
• New vat film? First 5 prints need extra raft.

Print "looks fine" but feels fragile
• Wrong resin type. Switch to Tough/ABS-Like for tabletop play. Pure rigid resin is for display only.
• Over-cured resin becomes brittle. Cap UV cure at 5 min/side.

⚠️ Uncured resin is toxic. Always wear nitrile gloves when handling prints before they are fully washed and UV cured. Work in a ventilated area and avoid skin contact with liquid resin or IPA wash solution. Dispose of used IPA and failed prints according to your local hazardous waste guidelines — do not pour resin-contaminated liquids down the drain. Once fully washed and cured, resin prints are inert and safe to handle.

Your model's thinnest features must be at least 2× your nozzle diameter to print successfully. A standard 0.4mm nozzle needs 0.8mm minimum wall thickness — many miniature features (wing membranes, thin weapons, flowing cloth) are thinner than that at 32mm scale. This is a physics limitation, not a model defect. Scale up to 150–200% or use a 0.2mm nozzle for better results.

Nozzle Size: 0.2mm (ideal) or 0.4mm
Layer Height: 0.08 – 0.12mm
Print Speed: 25 – 40 mm/s (slower = better detail)
Supports: Tree Supports (easier removal, less scarring)
Overhang Angle: 45°
Wall Generation: Arachne (better handling of thin features)
Wall Count: 3+ walls
Infill: 15 – 20%
Retraction: Tuned to prevent stringing (critical for miniatures)

If you know you'll print on FDM, try prompts that favour chunky, self-supporting geometry:

✅ "Stone golem with heavy fists" — thick, blocky features
✅ "Armored dwarf warrior with a shield" — compact, solid body
✅ "Orc berserker with a greataxe" — large weapon, sturdy build

❌ "Angel with outstretched wings" — paper-thin wing membranes
❌ "Wizard with flowing robes and a thin staff" — unsupported overhangs
❌ "Spider queen with web tendrils" — sub-millimeter details

This is most common on FDM printers with complex characters at 32mm. Wings, capes, and fine weapons are thinner than the nozzle can extrude, so the printer tries to print in mid-air. Scale up to 150–200%, enable tree supports, or use a resin printer for highly detailed characters.

Our models are generated as watertight meshes, but rare edge cases can produce minor artifacts. Most slicers (PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, Lychee) will auto-repair on import. If issues persist, try importing into Meshmixer → Edit → Make Solid, or use the free Formware Online Mesh Repair tool.

Our pipeline automatically flattens the base of every model for build plate adhesion. If the base is slightly uneven after printing, sand the bottom surface on a flat piece of 200-grit sandpaper to level it.

The 3D viewer on BlastMini shows your model with full colour and textures. When you print the STL or 3MF, the surface detail is still there — but without paint, resin prints look uniformly grey and FDM prints show visible layer lines. Apply a coat of primer to reveal the true surface detail, then paint to bring the miniature to life.