Tips for Painting Resin 3D Prints
Resin 3D Prints: Image Source: youtube.com
Resin 3D printers are used to print tabletop figures, miniatures, an other designs that require much details. The Resin 3D printer uses photopolymer resins to create small details accurately, producing finely crafted miniatures. 3D printing figures and miniatures are only the first steps of the 3D printing process. To make the 3D models showroom ready, you have to paint them. This is an important task requiring quite a bit of skill. For painting a 3D model, you must follow many tips and tricks to achieve the best results.
Here is the complete guide for painting a Resin 3D printed model. We will also share some tips and tricks for making the whole process easier for you.
The Beauty of Painting Resin 3D Prints
Beauty of Painting Resin 3D Prints: Image Source: 3dinsider.com
Painting miniatures and other small 3D prints was a kind of hobby even before 3D printing was popular. At that time, readymade figurines were available for painting. However, now 3D printing has revolutionized the craft of painting these miniatures. By using a resin 3D printer, you can paint the 3D print. If you make any mistake while painting, you just have to print a new one. But this should not be the case; you must take all the necessary precautions while painting resin 3D prints.
Painting a D&D miniatures is a delicate task, and for this, you require well-established techniques and practices. This article has given some tips for painting resin 3D-printed miniatures.
Tips for Painting Resin 3D Prints
Painting is the last and most important step for taking resin 3D prints to a professional level. However, it requires some pointers for painting. Before you start painting, prepare yourself with a lot of things. Without following all these steps, you cannot assure of the perfect painting of resin 3D print. There is a risk of peeling of color from the model, or any other similar problems may occur.
1. Follow the Post-Printing Steps: Washing and Curing
After printing a resin print, polishing the model is necessary. First, you must finish a resin 3D print and make a smooth surface. Naturally, the prints from the resin 3D printers are not as smooth as we required. This produces an uneven surface for your resin prints. It is difficult to paint such a rough surface. It’s difficult for paint to adhere to uneven surfaces. If you want to achieve professional resin 3D print painting, then the only way to do this is by making a smooth surface by finishing a resin print.
After finishing a resin print, you must wash off the excess resin using the isopropyl alcohol. After this, cure the resin print for the second time. This step helps to get rid of the smell of the uncured resin.
2. Removing Support Marks and Using a Sanding Process
Resin 3D printers do not have the problem of layer lines; the prints still require sanding to produce a smooth surface. Also, if you’ve printed an object using support, then it is necessary to remove these supports with a cutter or a small knife. The cutting may create a mark on the object, which must be sanded down. For this, standard sandpapers and rotary sanding tools are available.
If you want to remove some imperfections from the resin print, you can also use sandpaper to make the resin print even more beautiful. This can be difficult if you work with a tiny miniature resin print. After sanding, use water to clean off the dust and a soft tack cloth to dry the object.
3. Apply a Primer
For painting a resin print, primer is a necessary thing. Primer gives a matte finish to the resin print so that paint can easily adhere to the printed part. Primer also fills the gaps and imperfections if present on the printed object. There is light and heavy primer available in the market. Choose the light primer for highly detailed and small printed models. Thick primer is also available for larger prints. Depending on your need, you can paint or spray the primer on the object. Before applying a primer, remember to wipe down the resin print using a soft cloth.
4. Use a Model Paint
After the priming process, it’s time to apply the paint to the model. For this, there is no thumb rule; you can experiment with several ways to paint a resin print. Depending on the resin print and the project you are working on, you can choose the necessary tools.
For painting miniatures, you can get the best brush set which can help to cover everything from pinpoint details to larger strokes. Now choose the paint for your resin print; it depends on how you want to see your print after painting. There are also many branded paints available for the miniatures. Here you also have the option of spray painting for larger prints. You can apply as many layers as you want, depending on how bright you want your printed object to be.
5. Washing Treatment
For painting miniatures, washing is used. It is a unique treatment. Wash can shift the color of the layer when it is applied to that layer. It is an acrylic solution. This is an easy way to highlight a painted object. It is also used for adding contrast and creating a different color in your article.
Wash is a watery and thinner mixture of colors that can be easily applied to the object. You can also create your wash by mixing a required color with thinner, mineral oil, and water.
6. Finish by Applying a Clear Coat
If you are done with your painting job and you are satisfied, then finish the painting process by applying a clear coating of paint. This step has several benefits. A clear coat can add a glossy finish, and your object will look even more beautiful after some polishing. This is also a necessary coating for protecting the color underneath. A clear coat can prevent the peeling off and crack of the paint. The final layer of clear coat seals the smell of resin print and the paint smell of the printed part.
The best advice for painting a resin print is to go slow through the process as it is a skilled job. Allow each coat to dry perfectly before applying a new coat. Also, clean off the dust before applying paint on the resin print. Don’t be afraid of experimenting with several painting techniques on the resin model. This is the beauty of painting a 3D-printed resin part.
Best Software for Creating 3D Models for Resin 3D Printing
With the advent of many 3D designing programs, it’s now easier than ever before to create your 3D models that are ready for 3D printing. One of the best 3D modeling software available is SelfCAD. SelfCAD is an easy to use program that you can use to create both simple and complex designs.
It comes with various tools for 3D modeling, 3D printing, simple animations, as well as 3D rendering all in one software. The online slicer of SelfCAD for example allows you to prepare your 3D models for resin 3D printing by generating the G-code that you can send to your 3D printer.
3D modeling tools like freehand drawing and sketching, modification tools, and selection options are handy when you are preparing both simple and complex designs. The image to 3D feature allows you to convert any 2D image to 3D model at a click of a button. If you would like to generate realistic renders of your designs after you are done 3D modeling, you can use the 3D rendering engine of SelfCAD to do the job.
So if you are looking for an easy to use, powerful and affordable program to create your 3D models or edit STL files for resin 3D printing you should definitely give SelfCAD a try.
Conclusion
Resin 3D printers are common now, so it is easy to print your miniatures. These are useful in various tabletop games, and if you can print and paint your miniature, it will be great for you. There are many methods to improve the final look of the resin print. Painting is the best thing of all those techniques. By using the right tools and the perfect color blending, you can ensure making the perfect final model of the resin print. Painting a miniature resin print is fun, so enjoy the process and make the best-painted model.
Enjoy powerful modeling, rendering, and 3D printing tools without the steep learning curve.
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