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.

GLB — Full colour and textures for digital display, VTTs (Roll20, Foundry), and 3D viewers. Not for printing.

OBJ — For importing into Blender, ZBrush, or Meshmixer if you want to edit the model before printing.

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 OBJ 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: 0.03 – 0.05mm
Bottom Layers: 6 – 8 layers
Bottom Exposure: Per resin manufacturer spec (typically 25–45s)
Normal Exposure: Per resin manufacturer spec (typically 1.5–3s)
Orientation: 30–45° tilt (reduces layer lines on the face)
Supports: Medium density, light tips on face and hands
Anti-Aliasing: Enabled (smoother curved surfaces)
Lift Speed: 1–2 mm/s (prevents suction damage on thin parts)

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.

⚠️ 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 the GLB format 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.