3D Printing
Choosing Resin for 3D-Printed Miniatures: The Material Math That Decides It
Key takeaways
- Standard grey resin: $0.15-$0.30 per 35mm miniature
- The margin holds until you move to a specialty resin
- Color resins cut the margin by 30-50%
The per-gram math
A 35mm miniature uses roughly 2-5 grams of resin. The material cost is the floor; the sale price is set by the buyer, not the material. That is why the spread is so wide.
| Resin type | Per-kg cost | Cost per miniature | Margin at $20 sale | | Standard grey | $40-$60 | $0.15-$0.30 | 96-98% | | Premium / fast | $80-$120 | $0.30-$0.60 | 93-97% | | Specialty / color | $150-$250 | $0.50-$1.20 | 85-94% |
The rule
Run the standard grey for volume. The specialty resins are for the premium tier, not the default. A miniature line that is all color resin is quietly cutting its own margin; the money is in the grey-resin volume, with a color option as the upsell.
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