How to 3D Print Miniatures: Complete Tabletop Guide (2026)
TL;DR: For quality miniatures, print in resin (SLA) — it captures detail filament can’t. Use a 4K/8K/12K resin printer like the Elegoo Saturn 4, a standard gray/8K resin, tune layer height to ~0.03–0.05mm, rely on automatic supports with light manual touch-ups, then wash, cure, and cleanly remove supports. This guide covers the whole workflow. Quick Answer: How Do You Print Good Miniatures? The workflow in 5 steps: Get a resin printer (detail is the whole point) — see best resin printers. Slice with proper settings: 0.03–0.05mm layer height, ~2s layer exposure (tune to your resin), 3–4s bottom exposure. Orient the model and add supports (automatic “light” support type works well). Print, then wash in IPA (or wash station) — carefully remove supports while the part is still soft-ish, then cure under UV. Post-process: sand nubs, prime with a miniature primer, and paint. For D&D/Warhammer-scale (28–32mm), resin beats FDM every time on detail. See resin vs FDM for details. ...