Resin printing produces detail that FDM simply can't match. The layer lines you see on a standard FDM print disappear completely - resin prints look smooth and precise straight off the machine. For miniatures, figurines, jewellery models, dental work, and anything where fine detail matters, resin is the right tool.
But it comes with real trade-offs. The resin is a liquid photopolymer that needs careful handling - gloves and ventilation are not optional. Post-processing takes longer than FDM. The build volumes are smaller. And the running costs are higher per ml than FDM filament per gram.
I got into resin printing after spending months trying to make FDM work for miniatures and never being happy with the surface quality. The first resin print I pulled off the plate was genuinely impressive - detail I couldn't get any other way. The workflow took some getting used to, but for certain types of prints it's the only option worth considering.
Most consumer resin printers are either MSLA (masked stereolithography, uses an LCD screen and UV light) or DLP (digital light processing, uses a projector). For beginners the practical difference is small - both produce excellent detail. MSLA printers dominate the budget end of the market and are what most of the options below use.
The key spec to look at is XY resolution - the size of each pixel projected onto the resin. Lower numbers mean finer detail. 0.05mm (50 micron) XY resolution is excellent for miniatures. 0.1mm is good for most purposes.
Elegoo's Saturn line has been one of the most consistently recommended resin printers for several years, and the Saturn 4 Ultra is the current standout. It has a large 10-inch 12K mono LCD screen with excellent XY resolution (0.019mm), fast print speeds, and tilting release technology that reduces print failures on larger parts.
Build volume is 218 x 123 x 220mm - large for a consumer resin printer and significantly more usable than the smaller entry-level options. Price is around £350-400.
Best for: Anyone serious about resin printing who wants room to grow. The large build volume and high resolution make it a long-term machine, not something you'll outgrow quickly.
The Mars series is Elegoo's smaller, cheaper line - and the Mars 4 Ultra is an excellent starting point for under £200. 9K resolution on a 7-inch screen, reasonable build volume (153 x 77 x 165mm), and the same reliable Elegoo build quality as the Saturn at a lower price.
The smaller build plate is the main limitation - you can't batch-print as many miniatures at once, and larger models need to be split. But for someone trying resin printing for the first time without committing £400 to it, the Mars 4 Ultra is a sensible choice.
Best for: Beginners wanting to try resin without a big investment, miniature printing, detailed small parts.
If miniatures are specifically what you want to print - tabletop gaming figures, scale models, detailed characters - the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K has outstanding XY resolution at 0.022mm. The detail it can reproduce is remarkable for a consumer machine.
Build volume is modest (165 x 72 x 180mm) and it's priced around £250-300, but the resolution is competitive with machines costing significantly more. The Phrozen community is active and there are good settings guides available for common resins.
Best for: Tabletop miniatures, highly detailed models where resolution is the priority.
Anycubic is Elegoo's main competitor and the Photon Mono M5S Pro is a strong all-rounder at £280-320. 12K resolution, 10.1-inch screen, and a build volume of 218 x 123 x 220mm - comparable to the Elegoo Saturn at a similar price point.
The M5S Pro has automatic resin detection and a built-in resin heater (cold resin prints worse - the heater helps consistency in cold environments). Worth considering alongside the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra as they're in the same tier.
Best for: General resin printing, anyone who wants Anycubic's ecosystem and support.
Standard water-wash resin on Amazon UK
Standard resins require IPA (isopropyl alcohol) for washing prints - you submerge the freshly printed part in IPA to remove uncured resin before curing under UV. Water-wash resins skip this and clean up with plain water, which is significantly more convenient and safer to dispose of.
For beginners, water-wash resin is worth the slightly higher cost per litre. Elegoo's ABS-Like water wash resin and Anycubic's water-wash options are both reliable starting points.
Expect to pay £20-30 per litre for decent resin. A litre goes a long way for miniatures but gets consumed quickly on larger prints.
Resin printing requires more post-processing equipment than FDM:
Wash and cure station: View on Amazon UK - Rotates prints in cleaning solution for washing, then uses UV LEDs for curing. Budget around £40-60 for a decent one. You can wash in a jar of IPA and cure under a UV nail lamp, but a dedicated station is much more convenient.
Nitrile gloves: View on Amazon UK - Uncured resin is a skin sensitiser. Always wear gloves when handling wet prints or touching the resin vat. This is genuinely important, not just a recommendation.
Mask/respirator: Resin fumes should not be inhaled. A basic N95 mask helps; proper ventilation helps more. Print in a well-ventilated space or add a carbon filter to your setup.
UV torch for touch-ups: View on Amazon UK - For curing small areas that your cure station misses, checking FEP film damage, and emergency repairs.
The detail is genuinely impressive and nothing else produces it at this price. But the workflow is not as simple as FDM. You will get failed prints. You will need to replace the FEP film periodically. You need to dispose of waste resin responsibly - it can't go down the drain.
If you want to print functional parts, phone holders, tools, brackets - stick with FDM. If you want miniatures, jewellery prototypes, dental models, or anything where surface finish and detail are the point - resin is worth learning.
The Print Settings Cheat Sheet at tools.print3dbuddy.com is focused on FDM materials, but the Slicer Recommender covers resin slicers too - Chitubox and Lychee Slicer are the main options if you're setting up a resin workflow.