Resin vs FDM Printing Guide
Behind the Prints: Meet the 3D Printers We Use at MiniHalla
At MiniHalla, we believe amazing miniatures should come with brilliant prices. One of the ways we work towards that goal is by using 3D printing to produce detailed miniatures, terrain and gaming accessories for tabletop gamers.
But not every 3D printer does the same job. Different technologies have different strengths, which is why our setup combines resin printing for intricate miniatures with FDM printing for terrain and larger pieces.
Here is a look behind the scenes at the equipment we use today, along with a planned upgrade that will help us expand our production capabilities.
Resin Printing: Bringing the Details to Life
Resin printing is particularly well suited to tabletop miniatures. It can reproduce fine details such as facial features, armour, scales, weapons and textures that bring a character or creature to life.
MiniHalla uses two ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 12K resin printers, alongside our larger ELEGOO Jupiter 2 16K resin printer.
ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 12K — Our Detailed Miniature Printers
Our two Saturn 4 Ultra 12K printers are part of the core of our miniature production setup.
Their high-resolution monochrome LCD screens help reproduce intricate model details, making them well suited to fantasy characters, monsters, creatures and other tabletop miniatures.
Having two printers of this model also gives us additional production capacity, helping us work on more than one print job at a time.
ELEGOO Jupiter 2 16K — More Room for Resin Printing
The ELEGOO Jupiter 2 16K gives us a larger resin-printing platform for projects that benefit from additional build space.
Its key features include:
- 16K monochrome LCD resolution for detailed prints.
- Large build volume of approximately 302 × 162 × 300 mm, providing more room for larger models or multiple smaller pieces.
- Heated resin control, designed to help maintain a more consistent resin-printing environment.
- Automatic levelling and resin-feeding features, designed to simplify parts of the printing process.
This larger format gives us more flexibility when producing bigger miniatures, larger components or batches of models.
As with any resin printer, the final result depends on the model, resin, print settings, supports and the cleaning and curing process.
FDM Printing: Terrain, Buildings and Larger Projects
Resin is excellent for detailed miniatures, but FDM printing has its own strengths. It uses a filament that is melted and deposited in layers, making it a practical choice for terrain, buildings, scenery and many larger gaming accessories.
Bambu Lab P1P — Terrain and Gaming Accessories
Our Bambu Lab P1P is used for FDM printing and gives us a different way to produce tabletop gaming pieces.
It has a build volume of approximately 256 × 256 × 256 mm, making it suitable for many terrain pieces, buildings, scenery elements and accessories.
FDM printing can be especially useful for larger objects where build size, durability and practical production matter more than reproducing the finest miniature details.
The material, layer height, print orientation and model design all affect the final appearance, so we choose our approach according to the job.
Coming Soon to MiniHalla: QIDI Max 4
We are planning to expand our FDM production setup with a QIDI Max 4.
This is a planned upgrade and is not yet part of our current production equipment.
The aim is to add more capacity for larger terrain pieces, buildings and other substantial tabletop projects. Its large build area and enclosed design make it an interesting option for expanding what we can produce in-house.
Once the printer has been acquired, set up and tested, we will be able to share more about how it fits into our production workflow.
We want to make sure any new equipment is properly configured and delivering the results we expect before we rely on it for customer orders.
Resin vs FDM: Which Is Better?
Neither method is automatically better for every project. The right choice depends on what we are printing.
| Feature | Resin printing | FDM printing |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Detailed miniatures and intricate models | Terrain, buildings and larger accessories |
| Fine surface detail | Excellent for small features | Depends on nozzle, layer height and model design |
| Larger pieces | Depends on the printer's build volume | Often practical for larger objects |
| Materials | Liquid photopolymer resin | Filament, such as PLA-based materials |
| Post-processing | Washing and curing are required | Usually less post-processing, though finishing may be needed |
For many tabletop characters and monsters, resin is the natural choice. For buildings, scenery and larger gaming pieces, FDM can be a more practical option.
The exact method used for an item depends on its design and production requirements.
Why We Use Different Printers
At MiniHalla, our goal is to offer tabletop gamers a useful range of miniatures and gaming accessories without losing sight of affordability.
Using different printing technologies allows us to match the production method to the item rather than trying to make one printer do everything.
We also know that a good result involves more than the printer itself. Model quality, materials, print settings, supports and finishing all play an important part in the finished product.
Our equipment and processes will continue to evolve as MiniHalla grows. We want to keep improving our production capabilities while staying focused on what matters to our customers: amazing miniatures at brilliant prices.
Explore MiniHalla
Ready to find something for your next adventure?
- Browse our miniature and monster collections.
- Explore terrain and scenery for your tabletop.
- Need something specific? Learn more about our custom 3D printing service.
MiniHalla — Amazing Miniatures. Brilliant Prices.