Resin printing is a little more complex than standard filament printing. Not only do you need a few must-have 3D printing accessories, but you also need to pick the proper resin. When faced with multiple colors and types, it's easy to get turned around when choosing 3D printing resin. You want it to print quickly but stay strong without becoming brittle. We've used as many as possible to bring you some of the best 3D printer resin you can buy, but our favorite is Siraya Tech Fast, which prints smoothly and quickly.
I have been using Siraya Tech Fast for ages, and it's consistently the best resin I've used. Every print I have made with it has printed perfectly, and the resin seems to help smooth out layer lines that may appear. It's perfect to create hollow prints since the resin maintains the part's strength without being brittle.
It's called "fast" resin for a good reason, too. Most resin prints with an exposure time of 9-11 seconds, with a first layer exposure in 60-70 seconds. The Siraya Tech can give you the same quality print in just 6-8 seconds and the first layer in 40-45 seconds. Now I know those numbers don't sound all that different, but when you print a model with 1,800 layers, shaving off a few seconds per layer makes a big difference.
Siraya Tech is a great company too. It works hard to make sure you are satisfied and are always happy to participate in community events. I would mention that the only issue is to be careful when you cure the white resin; it can yellow off if you cure it too much.
My Anycubic Photon Mono came with some standard Anycubic resin. It was great, and when the time came to replace it, I decided to try something different, so I picked up the plant-based resin instead in this green, and boy was I hooked. The plant-based resin had a significantly lower odor and didn't get as thick in colder temperatures as the standard resin, which worked better in my chilly office. It isn't the cheapest 1000ml resin, but I'd call it an "everyday" resin, good enough at basically everything for a reasonable price.
If you buy in bulk, make sure you have a cool, dry place to put all the resin bottles and make sure they are away from kids and animals. Resin is dangerous and should be treated like bleach or other toxic chemicals.
Using a resin 3D printer to make miniatures for tabletop games like Warhammer and Dungeons & Dragons is one of the most popular uses for the technology; however, not every resin performs well at such minute details. Phrozen's Onyx Rigid Pro410 does, though.
While Rigid is in the name, I don't think this is brittle. Onyx Rigid Pro410 is both rugged and durable with some flexibility. The flexibility in the resin means that dropping a mini doesn't automatically shatter it into a thousand pieces. While I wouldn't recommend purposefully dropping any resin print, the laws of the universe are the same — something rigid with no give contains all the stresses. This flexibility makes it easier for the part to distribute the force.
Onyx Rigid Pro410 was engineered in collaboration with Henkel, the brand behind Loctite adhesives. Part of this is to be easy to print, bed adhesion is essential, and having the right type of epoxy in the resin makes first-layer issues a thing of the past. A 1kg bottle of this is pretty expensive stuff, definitely not your everyday resin, but for those minis, maybe if you sell them, this will make itself back in no time.
Elegoo's ABS-Like resin is an excellent mix of properties, not as stiff and brittle as others, with a wide range of colors, including this fetching translucent Cyan. Whether it be for D&D miniatures, cosplay props, or some masters for silicone molds, this is a tremendous all-around resin.
This general-purpose resin from Elegoo is perfect for those who want to try different printing applications instead of drilling down into something specific. Its decent tolerance to heat and seemingly magical ability to bring out details even when it's overexposed gives you a chance to experiment without every print failing spectacularly.
Unless you have a particular use case for your resin — metal casting, for example — then the general-purpose resin is an excellent choice for all your needs.
I've recently been using a lot of the Elegoo resin to reduce my outlays. It's super cheap and gives a great overall model. Some details may be lost, but you can tune in pretty well to provide an overall high-quality product. I particularly like the gray as it shows any print issues very clearly, allowing you to fix the print quickly.
I would use the Elegoo for those large models without too many fine details, as you'll save quite a lot of cost. It's also for those prints you are thinking of post-processing — sanding and painting these prints works quite well.
There are a lot of reasons to choose Siraya Tech (Blu) as your resin. Firstly the blue is gorgeous — it looks like tropical water on a clear day — but more importantly, it's tough. Resin can be highly brittle once cured, making it unsuitable for anything other than model making.
As 3D printing enthusiast Chris Russell shows in this picture, you can even make parts for other 3D printers using the Siraya Tech tough resin, and they will look beautiful and be strong as heck.
The Siraya (Blu) is extremely tough and can withstand impacts — even high falls and drops — much better than any resin I've used. It helps build cases and objects more useful than just pretty models to sit on a shelf.
Siraya Tech also recommends mixing a little Blu with its Fast resin as well. This is helpful because it lets you use the cheaper resin with a splash of the more expensive but tougher Blu, saving you money without sacrificing rigidity.
Choosing the best resin for your SLA/DLP 3D printer
Why you can trust Windows Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The Siraya Tech Fast is the best resin out there right now. It's straightforward to use and forgiving if you mess up the settings. It also lives up to its Fast name, allowing you to print what you need in a much shorter time limit.
I use the Siraya Tech daily, especially when reviewing printers like the Peopoly Phenom. If you want a resin that balances value for money and exceptional results, then this is the right resin for you.
If you want to print as many prints as possible, you may want to look at the Anycubic 1-liter options. They seem to offer the best deals on bulk buying, and if you are new to resin printing, you will need all the resin you can get! Also, check out our list of must-have 3D printing accessories to help with your prints.
