Creating and collecting custom figures (also known as miniatures or figurines) is a beloved hobby for enthusiasts around the world. Whether for tabletop gaming, cosplay, or display, the joy of bringing original characters or designs to life is deeply rewarding. While traditional methods of figure-making like hand sculpting or casting have their place, technological advancements have opened new doors. Among the various modern techniques, LCD resin 3D printing stands out as the best option for figure creators due to its precision, efficiency, and accessibility.
I. Traditional Figure-Making Methods
1. Hand Sculpting
● Materials: Clay, oil-based clay, resin, and other sculpting compounds.
● Process: Artists sculpt figures manually using tools such as knives, spatulas, and brushes. The process involves building up and refining the figure layer by layer with great care.
● Advantages:
○ Ultimate Customization: Artists have complete creative freedom.
○ Artistic Value: Each piece carries the personal craftsmanship and emotional input of the creator.
● Disadvantages:
○ Highly Time-Consuming: Sculpting fine details by hand requires a considerable amount of time, effort, and patience.
○ High Skill Requirement: Mastery of sculpting techniques and a strong artistic foundation are necessary to achieve professional results.
○ Difficult to Replicate: Each hand-sculpted figure is inherently unique, making mass production impractical.
2. Casting
● Materials: Plaster, resin, metal, and other castable materials.
● Process:
○ Mold Creation: A prototype is sculpted and used to create a mold.
○ Casting: Liquid material is poured into the mold and cured. Post-processing includes trimming and painting.
● Advantages:
○ Excellent Reproducibility: Ideal for small-batch production.
○ High Detail Capture: Quality molds can reproduce intricate features.
● Disadvantages:
○ Costly Mold Making: Crafting accurate molds is expensive.
○ Labor-Intensive Finishing: Figures often require sanding, assembly, and painting after casting to achieve the desired final appearance.
II. 3D Printing Technologies for Figures
1. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
● Materials: Thermoplastics such as PLA, ABS, and PETG.
● Process:
○ Digital models are sliced and printed by melting filament through a nozzle.
● Advantages:
○ Low Entry Cost: Both the budget-friendly printers and the filament materials are relatively affordable, making FDM an accessible choice for beginners.
○ Easy to Use: FDM printers are user-friendly and typically require less maintenance than resin printers.
○ Fast Prototyping: Suitable for large, rough prototypes.
● Disadvantages:
○ Limited Detail: Not ideal for intricate figure parts.
○ Surface Roughness: Requires sanding and painting for smooth results.
2. Resin Printing (SLA/DLP/LCD)
● Materials: Photopolymer resin.
● Process:
○ UV light cures resin layer by layer based on sliced model data.
● Advantages:
○ High Precision: Resin printers can capture extremely fine details, making them ideal for complex and highly detailed figure models.
○ Smooth Surfaces: Reduces the need for surface finishing.
○ Fast Area Curing: Especially in LCD printing, masked exposure enables quicker results than point-by-point SLA.
● Disadvantages:
○ Higher Cost: Resin and equipment are more expensive than FDM.
○ Post-Processing Required: Prints must be cleaned and cured.
○ Material Handling: Requires safety precautions and proper ventilation.
III. Why LCD Resin Printing Is Best for Making Figures
LCD resin printing combines the fine detail of traditional sculpting with the scalability of modern manufacturing. It offers hobbyists the ability to produce professional-grade figures at home.
1. Unmatched Precision
LCD printers deliver high-resolution prints with extraordinary accuracy. Intricate facial features, elaborate clothing textures, and tiny mechanical parts can be faithfully reproduced. This level of detail is simply not achievable with FDM printers.
2. Efficient Production
Modern LCD printers feature monochrome screens with higher UV throughput, enabling faster curing and reduced print times. Unlike traditional sculpting, where crafting each figure is a days-long process, LCD printers can create multiple parts in hours.
3. Smooth, Professional Finish
Because LCD printing builds objects layer by layer with liquid resin, surfaces are smoother with fewer visible layer lines. This greatly reduces the need for sanding and priming, especially on delicate parts like faces and armor.
4. Creative Flexibility
From fantasy warriors to anime characters, creators can print any figure they design or download. Customization is limitless, and digital models can be scaled, modified, and iterated quickly.
IV. Anycubic Photon Mono 4 Ultra
In the Anycubic Photon series of 3D printers, the Photon Mono 4 Ultra (Mono 4 U), which is a small but might printers, has significant advantages for making figures.
Why small-format LCD printers? Why not Big-format LCD printers?
Figures are typically small in size, and the Mono 4 U is more than sufficient to meet the size requirements for most figure prints. Compared to larger models, the smaller build volume of the Mono 4 U means less resin needed to be poured for each print, reducing resin waste. During printing, the smaller resin vat also means shorter heating times, saving overall printing time. After printing, the machine is easier to clean and switch between different resins, making it more convenient to use. The compact design of the Mono 4 U saves space and is more affordable, making it a better choice for makers who focus on printing figures.
Why Choose the Anycubic Photon Mono 4 Ultra (Mono 4 U) for Figures?
a. Ultra-High Resolution for Tiny Details
● 10K Screen: With a 10K resolution and XY-axis pixel precision of 17×17 micrometers, the Mono 4 U can produce extremely fine details. This is crucial for figure-making, where intricate facial expressions, complex clothing textures, and delicate decorative elements are essential. High-resolution printing ensures these details are perfectly rendered.
● 0.02mm Layer Height: The ability to print at a 0.02mm layer height further enhances the smoothness and detail of the model's surface. This is particularly beneficial for the delicate parts of figures, such as faces and hands, reducing layer lines and making the models more lifelike.
b. Compact Yet Capable Build Volume
● 153.4 x 87 x 165 mm: Large enough to handle most figures or print multiple parts at once.
c. Speed Without Compromising Quality
● High-Speed Resin Compatible: Paired with Anycubic’s High-Speed Resin 2.0, the Mono 4 U can reach speeds up to 120mm/h, enabling rapid output of detailed models.
● Even with Standard Resin: It maintains excellent performance at up to 80mm/h—efficient for small batch production.
d. Smart Features for Reliable Results
● Remaining Resin Monitoring: This feature automatically checks if there is enough resin in the vat to complete the print, preventing pauses due to insufficient resin. This is vital for figure printing, as interruptions can affect print quality, which is highly important for the final appearance of figure models.
● Failed Print Detection: This feature monitors the print for anomalies such as cracks, detachment, or falling off. If issues are detected, the printer pauses and alerts the user, preventing material waste and time loss, especially important when printing high-value figure models.
e. Material Versatility
The Mono 4 U supports a wide range of resins: standard, water-washable, bio-based, and more. This allows users to choose the most suitable material for their figure models, whether prioritizing environmental friendliness or specific material properties like toughness or transparency.
V. Conclusion
LCD resin 3D printing revolutionizes figure-making by offering the detail and polish of traditional methods with the efficiency and customization of digital manufacturing. For hobbyists, artists, and makers alike, it unlocks a new era of creative freedom. The Anycubic Photon Mono 4 Ultra takes this even further, providing high-end features in a compact, affordable package ideal for crafting figures. Whether you're sculpting fantasy heroes, anime characters, or your own designs, LCD printing with the Mono 4 U is the perfect choice to bring your ideas to life.
