Complete beginner here. I want to 3D print little figurines! Recommendations for cheapish 3D printers that can print in colour gradients?

Tealx

Tealx

Tealx

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I've been using Blender to make 3D models of little creatures for years and I'm interested in turning them into little figurines and potentially selling them if enough people are interested. I have asthma so I don't want to take the risk with a resin printer so it'll have to be a filament one. I also need one that's kinda small since I don't have a lot of space in my room and I'm interested in the ones that can print in colour, especially colour gradients where each little layer/step is a slightly different colour from the last one. Any recommendations? Thanks!
 
The colour gradient prints are the result of the filament which makes life easier for you. You could try a BambuLabs A1 printer. Relatively small and simple to set up and use
 
Figurines can be a little tricky in learning the best way to print overhanging parts with supports and needs a good printer to deal with fine details. Though I've managed to print some pretty crazy overhangs without supports.
 
As a newbie here, I was just wondering when I was reading this thread, wouldn't a resin printer be better for small items? No colour but at least there is finer detail? (I'm not asking OP that question.).
 
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SpellowHouse said:
As a newbie here, I was just wondering when I was reading this thread, wouldn't a resin printer be better for small items? No colour but at least there is finer detail? (I'm not asking OP that question.).
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Yes, if you want to print things like miniatures etc, resin is the best way to go
 
SpellowHouse said:
As a newbie here, I was just wondering when I was reading this thread, wouldn't a resin printer be better for small items? No colour but at least there is finer detail? (I'm not asking OP that question.).
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I think so too, don't have any 3D printer but watched enough to come to that conclusion.

FDM have step lines, so will be a bit ugly, resin will not, you'll find people that do the warhammer thing will use resin.
 
You can't print colour gradients with any control. Your options are multicolour filament which is just random, or something which swaps from one colour filament to another.
 
hornetstinger said:
I think so too, don't have any 3D printer but watched enough to come to that conclusion.

FDM have step lines, so will be a bit ugly, resin will not, you'll find people that do the warhammer thing will use resin.
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Even resin will have step lines if you position it badly, however the trick with resin is that when done right it will exceed the quality of FDM for the minimum print features.
Again - all depends what is considered fine detail.
 
resin is best for miniatures .. if you go fdm route you will have to tune your printer a bit..
look at sovol zero .. smallish and quite capable
 
qbazdz said:
Even resin will have step lines if you position it badly, however the trick with resin is that when done right it will exceed the quality of FDM for the minimum print features.
Again - all depends what is considered fine detail.
Click to expand...
even badly configured resin beats good FDM.
my old photon mono was epic for this, looking at newer ones they _are_ better but only with super fine detail.
 
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