The Best 3D Printer for Miniatures [2022] – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide
Looking for the Best 3D Printer for Miniatures in 2021?
Stop searching; this is the right guide for you!
In this review, You’ll find below the winners of the test, complete with reviews, technicals specs, and pros & cons.
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3D printers have a large role in the world of miniatures and tabletop games, and it’s just becoming bigger. It’s an exciting moment to enter the realm of 3D printing. With today’s technology, you may produce prints of exceptional quality. With the cost of custom gaming characters and models skyrocketing, many gamers have concluded that purchasing a 3D printer for miniatures and manufacturing their unique models is the way to go.
So we have written this article to help you choose the best 3d printer for your preferences and needs.
So, keep on reading.
The Best 3D Printer for Miniatures – Product Reviews
We have compiled an exhaustive list of the 7 best 3D printers for miniatures in 2021 :
Best Budget 3D Printer: ANYCUBIC Photon Mono SE
Anycubic produces several printers geared at different markets, and although some are aimed at amateurs, the SE is specifically designed for commercial use. It’s also excellent for that function. The metal body is one of the greatest features of the Anycubic Photon series. It gives the printer a luxurious feel, and while the yellow UV protective screens are meant to be transparent, they look great and shield the printer from the sun.
The Mono SE has a strong feel to it, and that solidity aids in the creation of superb detail in the prints. The build platform is kept steady by the two linear rails and lead screws, and the bed includes a leveling mechanism that keeps everything fixed in place print after print. It includes a novel matrix parallel light sauce for improved, consistent, and efficient heat dissipation and exposure.
This revolutionary monochrome LCD is thermally stable and can print for up to 2,000 hours, which is far longer than many previous LCDs. This 3D printer has an easy-to-use interface that allows even novices to get started quickly. One of the most appealing aspects is the ability to control equipment remotely via the app, which simplifies the procedure for consumers. ANYCUBIC Photon Mono SE is the best 3D printer for miniatures.
Technical Specs
| Build volume | 5.11″x 3.07″x 6.3″ | 130x78x160mm |
| XY resolution | 2560×1620 (2k) |
| LCD Type | 6.08 inch Mono LCD-based SLA |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, USB |
| Materials | 405nm UV-Resin |
PROS
CONS
- UV Cooling System
- High-Quality Power Supply
- Easy to use interface
- High-performance air filters
- Build volume is relatively low
- Non-removable lid
Best open-source 3D printer: Creality Ender 3 v2
Protect your 3D printer build plate from all sides and maintain a constant temperature across the build surface. After the printed models have cooled, they are simple to remove. The Ender 3 Pro v2 comes with a Mean Well UL-certified power supply that can heat the hotbed to 110°C in only 5 minutes, safeguarding your printer from unexpected power spikes.
After experiencing unexpected power interruptions, the Ender 3 Pro may restart printing from the last recorded extruder position. Kit contains semi-assembled parts. This simple-to-assemble kit comes half-constructed, allowing you to learn about 3D printer assembly as you put it together. A fun mechanical engineering and electronics STEM teaching activity. The Creality Ender 3 Pro is a popular filament-based 3D printer that appeals to both novice and budget-conscious manufacturers.
For easy customization, the gadget comes unassembled. This printer, on the other hand, is straightforward to use because of its excellent support and consistent output quality. The Creality Ender 3 Pro is one of the best 3D printers you can purchase, whether you’re seeking to buy your first 3D printer or want to build up a fleet for production. The Creality Ender 3 Pro comes unassembled and with all of the tools you’ll need to build and run it.
A full set of Allen keys, zip ties, a set of flush cut wire snips for cutting filament, a scraper for removing parts from the bed, a micro SD card, a micro SD-to-USB reader, a small sample coil of PLA filament, and a few extra parts for the assembly process are included in the box, in addition to all of the printer components. All of the bolts are packaged in sets with their dimensions indicated, which comes in handy throughout the assembling process.
Technical Specs
| Build volume | 192mm(L）*120mm(W）*245mm（H) |
| XY resolution | 100 microns |
| Materials | PLA |
PROS
CONS
- Easy-to-follow assembly instructions.
- The frame is easily accessible and customizable.
- The 350W 24V power supply immediately warms up.
- A straightforward first-party software with good print quality.
- Stepper motors and cooling fans are noisy.
- The interface is archaic.
Best budget-oriented 3D printer: Monoprice-113860 Maker Select v2
The Monoprice Maker Select V2 is an economical-oriented 3D printer made for beginners as well as skilled and specialized operators. It has a pleasing big list of amazing features, inclusive of support for a huge variety of tools, a big print capacity, and also a user-friendly interface and common print method.
The price may seem a little bit strange to believe but this is a serious, high-end 3D printer for building small fun kinds of stuff and also creating multifaceted and comprehensive parts and models for genuine products.
The performance of this printer must not be misjudged as it is in the same line as other more expensive and high-end 3D printers. This printer is not an extremely high-end printer with various options like camera, connectivity, and other options. This is a workhorse 3D printer. It is short of some features of some more high-end and expensive printers with similar performance, but none of these characteristics are regarding the real performance. It is a serious 3D printer that is intended to be simple and easy to use and user-friendly. If it is assembled properly, it can generate abundant print quality with the default print settings.
PROS
CONS
- Cheap
- Heated Bed
- PLA and ABS
- Requires some time to get used to
- Bulky
Best Versatile 3D Printer: Flash Forge Creator Pro 2
Manufactured by the well-known company Flash Forge, the printer Creator Pro 2 is the latest model of the creator 3d series. This 3d printer comes with some great packed features and improvements which make it far better than its predecessors. Without any kind of doubt, the most noteworthy update here is the new pleasing dual extrusion (IDEX) system. With IDEX frameworks, the printers’ two nozzles are each equipped in their print heads, meaning they can both be used all together for double output.
As there is a little gap between the two hot ends in the printer, the IDEX mechanism also solves most of the smoothing, blockage, and emission issues the non-IDEX dual extruders experience. Flash Forge has far awayaraway from IDEX systems with its new releases, so it’s nice to see the company finally giving sensible products and answering the consumers’ requirements.
This printer provides great ease of use and a persistent printer which is the best feature of this printer. This printer appeared to be very much better than the expectations from flash forge. The exterior and interior have not changed much from the previous model but the technology has been improved very much.
PROS
CONS
- Pleasing print quality
- Affordable price
- User friendly
- The flash print software
- Spool holders
- The low-quality print bed surface
Best Pick: ANYCUBIC Photon Mono X
The Anycubic Photon Mono X is the biggest printer in the Photon series, and owing to the integrated 4K Mono LCD for masking, it has a lightning-fast 2-second per-layer cure time. The Photon Mono X is an excellent printer that doesn’t compromise between speed and size. The XY resolution of.05mm is similar to smaller 3D printers like the Anycubic Photon Mono or the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro, which employ lower-resolution displays.
The bundled Photon Workshop software is reasonably straightforward to use, despite a few idiosyncrasies that take some attention to get the most out of the Photon Mono X. From afar, the Anycubic Photon Mono X appears to be a conventional resin 3D printer, but closer inspection reveals a machine designed for high throughput.
The UV-resistant lid is a bright and unmistakable yellow hue that feels strong but not brittle, and the machine’s base has a groove that runs down the edge that lines up nicely with the lid. The machine’s metal base feels solid and bottom-heavy, giving me confidence that it was built with high-performance components.
ANYCUBIC Photon Mono X is the best 3D printer for miniatures.
PROS
CONS
- Incredibly low-cost.
- Produces a print of excellent quality.
- Printing area with a large capacity.
- Resin is still a sloppy mess.
- The resin vat does not pour evenly.
- Scrutiny reveals some print layering.
Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K LCD Resin 3D Printer
The monochromatic UHD LCD screen of the Sonic Mini 4K is undoubtedly its most striking feature. With blistering exposure durations down to around 2-seconds, this screen provides extraordinary levels of detail. It’s paired with a parallel LED UV lighting system that offers an equal wash of light with little leakage during printing.
The Sonic Mini 4K is one of the tiniest resin printers we’ve ever evaluated, with a build capacity of just 5.2” x 2.9” x 5.1”. Consider this before you buy, and if you’re not sure, measure the area. The advantage here is that the 4K resolution on such a tiny build platform implies that print quality may be improved even more. This is one of the cheapest 4K SLA printers on the market, if not the lowest.
The Sonic Mini 4K is your best option if you need high-resolution printing at a reasonable price. Putting aside its small build volume and low-cost plastic structure, the Sonic Mini 4K can generate high-quality prints. If you’ve used resin printers before but haven’t used a 4K or monochrome LCD, you’ll be astounded by the incredible accuracy and quick exposure times. The Sonic Mini 4K’s smaller build volume enables for the smoothest finishes and minute detail, even if you’ve used 4K displays previously.
PROS
CONS
- Low levels of noise
- Very affordable
- High resolution
- Compact
- Easy to set up
- Printing speed is fast
- Smaller builder volume
QIDI TECH 3D Printer, X-Pro 3D Printer
The Qidi Tech X-Pro has an acrylic cover, as well as extra panels that can be magnetically attached to the top and sides of the steel frame. The see-through side panels aren’t exactly snap-fit, but they’re secure enough to keep the build chamber at a consistent temperature, which is necessary for materials that require it.
A bigger surface area between the steel frame and the magnets in the windows might be included in future generations of the machine. A swing-open acrylic door is also included with the printer.
The X-Pro comes with a detachable, magnetic construction plate and a 6 mm “aviation-grade” aluminum heatable bed. The plate is as complex as Prusa’s steel bed, but it’s far more durable than other cheap machines’ floppy magnetic beds, such as the Creality Ender series. The bed adhesion worked well for our test prints. Aside from the side panels, the printer as a whole is robust and small.
It has a metallic body and a glass enclosure with efficient cable management. There are no dangling cords that might cause problems during the printing process. The spools of filament are placed on the exterior of the machine.
PROS
CONS
- Affordable
- Easy to assemble
- Removable print bed
- Dual extruder
- Reliable ecosystem
- Not advanced proprietary slicer
- Manual bed leveling
How to Pick a 3D Printer for Miniatures?
Build Volume
The maximum size of a print is effectively limited by the build volume. Whether you want to print simple miniatures, many models at once, or bigger, more intricate figures, you’ll need a printer with adequate capacity to meet your demands. Because we’re focusing on miniatures, most people will prefer a smaller construction volume. If you’re just getting started with 3D printing, a lower build volume that keeps the printer’s cost down is a good choice. A low-cost alternative is a great way to get started with 3D printing and a great place to explore and learn the skills needed to produce high-quality miniatures.
Detail and Precision
Miniature printing is all about cramming as much information as possible into a print while maintaining blemish-free outcomes and precise layering. We propose printers with the greatest resolution your budget would allow to do this. Microns are used to measure resolution, with 100 microns being a suitable starting point, however the lower the better. The nozzle also has a significant impact on this. For the greatest results, look for printers with tiny nozzle bore sizes, ideally around 0.4 mm, since this will result in thinner layers and more detail.
Filament
While the filament you choose is a matter of personal choice, think about whether the printer you want to use supports the material you want to use and, more significantly, delivers decent results with it. PLA and ABS are the most popular materials for miniatures. Due to the similarities of the materials, most 3D printers that support one overwhelmingly support the other. PLA, or polylactic acid, is not only inexpensive and available in the widest range of colors of any printing medium, but it’s also incredibly simple to use, making it an excellent choice for mass-producing miniatures or iterating ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to print a 3D miniature?
It depends on the quality of the miniature, you can print one in about 10 minutes. Depending on the detail of the object, it can take a few hours for the printing to finish.
How much does it cost to print a miniature?
The main thing about a 3D printer is the cost of printing, which can range from $5 to $10. This is relatively cheap compared to the figurine that can be sold in stores or on the internet.
What materials are used in 3D printing?
Several materials can be used for 3D printing, depending on the model you choose. Most use PLA and ABS but it is also possible to print with wax, polycarbonate, titanium, resins or nylon.
What are the best websites to download 3D models for 3D printing ?
There are many sites to download 3D models but you can find below a list of the best ones:
- Pinshape : About 70,000 creators and designers have shared their creations to date. It has a section for miniatures as well. It offers many free 3D models in STL format
- cgtrader: Currently the site offers just over 400 free Miniature models ready for 3D printing. Available file formats include STL, OBJ, 3DM, 3DS, MAX. 3D models are ready to be used with FDM, SLA, SLS and other types of 3D printers.
- myminifactory: Many miniatures are offered, many of which are totally free.
Iron Man Miniature Yoda Miniature
Final Words
Finding a 3D printer for miniatures is simple since you don’t need a huge build volume, and smaller 3D printers are more cost-effective and take up less room. However, when it comes to 3D printers, precision and resolution are critical, therefore we’ve gathered the seven finest miniature 3D printers in a variety of sizes, material compatibility, and pricing ranges so you can choose the ideal one for you.
Thank you for reading this article on the best 3D printer for miniatures.
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