Best 3D Printers for Miniatures – A Hobbyist’s Guide

Best 3D Printers for Miniatures – A Hobbyist’s Guide

In this epic guide, we’ll cover everything to pick the perfect desktop printer for your needs and budget.

Print Quality

•Aim for 25-35 microns resolution for tabletop-ready miniatures

•Higher resolution (15-22 microns) for museum-grade results

Essential Features
• Build plate size determines batch printing capability
• Auto-leveling for consistent results
• Direct drive extruder for material versatility
• Reliable construction for consistent prints

Top Brands to Consider
• Elegoo: Best overall value and community support
• Anycubic: Excellent balance of quality and features
• AnkerMake: Leading innovation in print speed
• Phrozen: Premium choice for ultra-fine detail1

Investment Range
• Entry-level: $200-300 for basic miniature printing
• Mid-range: $400-600 for reliable workhorses
• Premium: $700+ for professional-grade detail Remember: The best printer isn’t always the most expensive one – it’s the one that matches your specific needs and skill level.

Best 3D Printer Brands for Miniatures

While there are dozens of 3D printer companies that exist, 3 dominant consumer brands tend to rise above the rest based on the extensive first-hand testing and reviews.

They perfectly blend reasonable affordability with the print quality you are searching for all the while catering specifically to hobby miniatures and models.

Best 3D Printer for Miniatures: Brand Best Overall – Elegoo

Elegoo

Elegoo: The Miniature Maker’s Dream Machine

If you’re starting to get into the world of miniature 3D printing, you’ve probably heard something about Elegoo. These printers have become the go-to choice for everyone, from people looking at the price of Warhammer 40k box sets or those of us that have emptied our bank accounts many times over to get a new set of mini’s.

The Mars Series: Your Gateway to Amazing Minis

Think of the Mars series (especially the Mars 3 Pro and the shiny new Mars 4) as your perfect first date with resin printing. These little powerhouses pack some serious punch:

• Crystal-clear details down to 28-35 microns (that’s tiny!)
• Just the right size for printing your hero characters
• A price tag that won’t make your wallet cry

Sure, you can only print 1-2 minis at a time, but for most beginners, that’s plenty while you’re learning the ropes.

The Saturn Series: When You’re Ready to Go Big

Ready to level up? The Saturn series is like the Mars’s bigger, beefier cousin. We’re talking:

• Even finer details (25 microns – your miniatures will thank you)
• Enough space to print entire squads at once
• Perfect for those massive terrain pieces you’ve been dreaming about

Why Elegoo Has Won Everyone’s Hearts

• These machines just work – plain and simple
• The detail on these prints? chef’s kiss
• You get way more than what you pay for
• Got a problem? The community’s got your back
• They’ve thought of everything – from printers to wash stations
• Warhammer fans especially can’t get enough of these

Here’s the real deal: whether you’re printing your first D&D character or cranking out an entire army, Elegoo has a printer that’ll make your miniatures look like they came from a professional workshop. But this is the best part: You won’t have to sell your soul or work an extra 40 hours a week to actually afford to buy one.

If you want to start printing minis that’ll make your gaming group jealous Elegoo’s got what you are looking for. – just pick the size that matches what it is you want to do and off you go, don’t feel the need to buy a super expensive one just beacuse big numbers mean more quality (They don’t)

Best 3D Printer for Miniatures: Newcomer with Potential

AnkerMake

AnkerMake: The Speed Demon of 3D Printing

Do you ever wish your 3D prints could finish faster? Not without the quality dropping? That’s exactly what AnkerMake set out to do when they burst onto the scene in 2020.

As a branch of Anker (yes, the same folks who make those reliable power banks), they’ve brought some serious technical skill to the 3D printing world, through various 3D printers they’ve made a big dent on the industry.

What Makes AnkerMake Different?

Picture this: prints moving at lightning speed – we’re talking up to 500mm/s – while still looking fantastic, no, we aren’t joking. The speed on these things is rodonk.

It’s like having a sports car that’s also comfortable enough for daily driving. Their M5 and M5C printers are making waves by proving you don’t have to choose between speed and quality, you wouldn’t 3D print a sports car would you?

Smart Features That Actually Make Sense

• Auto bed-leveling that actually works (goodbye, manual adjustments!)
• AI monitoring that lets you check on prints from your phone (Our favorite feature, by far.)
• An interface that doesn’t feel like it’s from the 90s – Sorry Elegoo.

The Lineup

Currently, AnkerMake offers two main models:

The M5 – their flagship printer launched in 2022, packed with all the bells and whistles that you would want when 3D printing miniatures
The M5C – the 2023 “budget-friendly” option that still keeps the speed demon DNA – Although we found this one to be a bit, odd.

Why People Are Taking Notice

AnkerMake has put themselves right in that sweet spot between professional-grade features and won’t-break-the-bank pricing, this is something many other 3d printer brands haven’t managed to do.

They’re not trying to be the cheapest option out there, but rather the smartest choice for people who value their time and want reliable results.

Although they might not be the best brand on 3d printer market, AnkerMake is using Anker’s tech skills and brand recognition to really change things up, but also put good quality engineering into the brand.

Ankermake are showing us that 3D printing doesn’t have to be slow, complicated, or frustrating. It can be fun, enjoyable and a skill to learn and play around with, without having to sit for hours figuring out all the buttons.

Just remember – they’re still building their community and reputation, but if their current pathway is anything to go by, we’ll be seeing a lot more from AnkerMake in the future. For anyone tired of watching paint (or in this case, filament) dry, AnkerMake might just be your new best friend.

Best 3D Printer for Miniatures: Brand Best Quality

Anycubic

Let’s talk about why Anycubic has become a powerhouse in the miniature printing world. If you’re like me and love creating awesome miniatures, you’ll want to hear this.

What Makes Anycubic Special?

Think of Anycubic as the sweet spot between quality and value. Their Photon series printers always deliver good results that’ll make you do a double-take, making you think more aobut rivaling even the Elegoo models. And trust me, that’s saying something!

The Big 3D Printers for Miniatures

Two models really shine in their lineup:

The Photon Mono 4K – perfect for beginners and experts, easy to get to grips with and work with.
The Mono X 6K – when you’re ready to start printing bigger things, think Titans? Think Gargants? Think big.

Both offer incredibly good details and enough build space to print multiple miniatures at once. The best part? They won’t force you to empty your wallet unlike some other 3d printer brands.

The Tech That Makes It Happen

These printers come packed with features that matter:

• Mono LCD screens that cure faster and capture those tiny sword hilts and facial expressions
• A interface so straightforward your cat could probably figure it out
• Built like a tank – these machines keep performing print after print

Real Talk: The Good and the “Could Be Better”

Look, no printer is perfect. Some users have mentioned some quality control problems with Anycubic. But here’s our words on it – when these printers work (which is most of the time), they really work. The community loves them for a reason, nothing is perfect.

3D Printers for Miniatures: New People

If you’re just starting out and buying your first 3D Printer for Miniatures, here’s my advice:

• Don’t rush the setup – take your time to get it right
• Check everything when your printer arrives
• Be patient with yourself – there’s a learning curve, but you’ll be printing some absoloutley stonking miniatures before you know it

Do you want to see what these printers can really do? The proof is in the printing (And the pudding, sometimes) – Anycubic users consistently produce miniatures that look like they came from a professional workshop.

Best 3D Printer for Miniatures: Brand Best Price

Phrozen

Phrozen: When Only the Finest Details Will Do

Let’s have a gander at Phrozen’s 3D Printers – the brand that makes other 3D printers seem bad when it comes to mind-blowing detail. We’re talking about the kind of precision that lets you see individual eyelashes on your miniatures. Yes, really! – For those of us that just LOVE the finder points on models, it’s perfect.

Pushing the Boundaries of Detail

Imagine being able to print miniatures with details as fine as 22 microns (that’s thinner than a human hair!). Phrozen makes this possible, and the results are nothing short of spectacular. If you’ve ever squinted at a miniature thinking “I wish I could see more detail,” this is your answer.

The Lineup: Something for Every Detail

Sonic Mini 4K/8K: Think of these as precision scalpels – small but incredibly sharp. Perfect for those hero miniatures you want to look absolutely stunning. Think of a Brother Captain with a chapter standard raises far above his head and the finer points upon that banner. The Mini’s are very capable of this.

Sonic Mighty 4K/8K: The big brothers that don’t compromise. Want to print an entire squad of something at once? Guess what, Mighty big boys have you.

The Big Guns: Their industrial printers are for when you decide to print that life-sized Titan(okay, maybe just a really, really big one).

Who Is Phrozen For?

Let’s be honest – these printers aren’t for the casual dude who just wants to print a few minis now and then. They’re for:

The painter who counts individual towers on a titan
The collector who wants their miniatures to look like they belong in a museum
The perfectionist who zooms in on photos and says “not detailed enough”

The Bottom Line

Yes, Phrozen printers might cost a bit more than your average 3D printer. But here’s the thing – if you’re the type who notices (and cares about) every tiny detail on your miniatures, you won’t regret investing in one of these machines.

It’s like upgrading from standard definition to 8K – once you see the difference, there’s no going back. Once you go Phrozen, you never go back (That’s what she said? Maybe?)

Is a Phrozen printer overkill for printing simple terrain pieces? Probably, But who cares, if you want to create miniatures that make people say “I can’t believe that’s 3D printed,” well… now you know where to look. Don’t bother yourself with such trivial ideas.

Other Brands

Certainly other printer brands exist like Creality, Flashforge, QIDI Technology, Peopoly, and more.

However, based on our hands-on testing and reviews, these alternatives don’t really match up to the top three brands for affordable high-detail printers ideal for hobby miniatures.

Despite what google search results might tell you when searching.

The big three simply dominate the consumer market for the more detailed yet obtainable prints catering to tabletop gamers looking for the price/quality/reliability levels.

We recommend sticking with Elegoo, Anycubic, or Phrozen to get that perfect fit of resolution, reliability, community, and value.

Let me know if you need any other specifics on these top miniature printer brands!

 

Best 3D Printer for Miniatures: Entry-Level

ELEGOO Neptune 4 Pro

Meet the ELEGOO Neptune 4 Pro: The Speed Demon That Actually Delivers

Have a good look at the ELEGOO Neptune 4 Pro – a printer that laughs in the face of slow print times while still delivering the quality you need. Tired of waiting for that Predator tank to finish printing or that Necron’s Gauss cannon to just be god damn done?

Look no further lads.

What Makes It Special?

• Zooms along at an eye-popping 500mm/s (yes, you read that right!)
• Rock-solid metal frame that stays steady even at top speed
• Direct drive extruder that handles everything from basic PLA to tricky flexible filaments
• Self-leveling bed that actually works (goodbye, manual leveling headaches!)

The Sweet Spot

With its 225 x 225 x 280mm build volume, it’s like having a Goldilocks printer – not too big, not too small, just right for most projects. Even if you’re prototyping your next big idea or cranking out different parts for a new project you have, The Neptune 4 Pro has it all.

What Can You Make With It?

• Rapid Warhammer Miniatures at speed!
• Small production runs that won’t take forever
• All your terrain projects (and then some)
• Teaching tools that won’t frustrate you but allow you to learn at a good level and speed.

Pro Tips for Getting Started

• Don’t go full speed right away – learn to walk before you run
• Get adventurous with materials – this printer can handle it
• Let the auto-leveling do its thing – it’s smarter than we are
• Find a good spot for it – it can get chatty at full speed
• Play around with different slicers – sometimes third-party options surprise you

The Bottom Line

If you’re ready to graduate from beginner printers but don’t want to sell a kidney for a professional setup, the Neptune 4 Pro hits that sweet spot.
Just remember – with great speed comes great responsibility.

Take your time learning its goods and it’s bads, and this printer will reward you with sonic speed fast prints that don’t look like they were rushed.

 

Best 3D Printer for Miniatures: Entry Level

ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 Plus Station

 

 

Best 3D Printer for Miniatures: The ANYCUBIC Photon Mono M7 PRO 14K

Best Budget 3D Printer for Miniatures

Elegoo Mars 3

Best 3D Printer for Miniatures: High Resolution Prints

Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K

Read our full review here: Phrozen Sonic Mini 8ks Review for Miniatures

Best 3d Printer for Miniatures: Anycubic Kobra 2 Neo

I’ve been tinkering with the Anycubic Kobra 2 Neo for my hobby projects, and here’s my honest breakdown of what matters for miniature printing.

Print Quality Essentials

• The 250mm/s speed is great for terrain, but I run at 45-50mm/s for detailed characters
• Layer lines are minimal at 0.12mm height – perfect for those power armor panels
• Direct drive extruder handles both basic PLA and specialty filaments like a champ

Real-World Performance

The build volume has been more than enough for my needs – I can fit an entire combat patrol’s worth of bases on one plate.

The auto-leveling isn’t just marketing hype; it actually works, which is very much needed when you’re printing multiple batches of models overnight, there’s nothing worse than waking up to see this goo pile of Space Marines, goo marines are good but only when we want to make a Plague Marine.

Practical Features

• LeviQ 2.0 auto-leveling means no more issues with bed adjustments between print sessions
• Smart Z-offset adjustment helps make those crucial first layers, especially for detailed bases
• The direct drive setup makes switching between regular and flexible filaments much easier and with a lot less hassle.

Daily Use Experience

I’ve found the printer to be nice and reliable for regular use.

The interface is straightforward enough that I can focus on slicing models rather than fighting with printer settings. When I’m printing larger terrain pieces, the stability of the frame really shows – no wobble means cleaner vertical walls.

I’ve printed on and off for several weeks daily with it only to find I’m pretty happy with all the models produced, only a few times have I been met with slight dissappointment.

Common Adjustments

• Start with a slightly higher nozzle temperature for detailed bits (+5°C from standard)
• Use 3-4 wall layers for durability, especially on weapon arms
• Enable z-hop for highly detailed characters to prevent nozzle catching

The Kobra 2 Neo has become my go-to workhorse for everything from objective markers to centerpiece models.

It strikes a solid balance between user-friendliness and the precision needed for actual good prints instead of terrible looking garbage.

Worth Your Coins?

Look, if you’re on the fence about getting into 3D printing for the hobby, the Kobra 2 Neo is a solid entry point.

It’s not the cheapest printer out there, but you’re getting features that actually matter for miniature printing.

I’ve saved more on terrain pieces alone than the printer cost, and being able to test print army schemes before committing to expensive kits is invaluable. For what it offers, it’s worth the investment if you’re serious about the hobby.

Frequently Asked Questions About 3D Printed Miniatures

Is a 3D printer worth it for miniatures?

If you’re serious about the making 3d printed miniatures, absolutely.

I started with basic terrain pieces but quickly moved to printing custom chapter badges and unique conversion bits.

The ability to test different poses and scales before committing to expensive kits has saved me both time and money. Plus, the satisfaction of fielding completely custom units is a great feeling.

What can you actually print?

• Character models for RPG campaigns and kill teams
• Complete armies in any scale from 6mm to 32mm
• Terrain pieces and objective markers
• Custom bases and decorative elements
• Conversion bits and weapon options

The real magic happens when you start combining printed parts with traditional kits. I’ve created entire custom chapters using a mix of both.

How durable are printed miniatures?

Modern printing materials have come a long way.

With the right settings and proper support structures, my printed models handle regular gaming sessions just fine.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Standard PLA is perfect for terrain and larger pieces
• Resin prints offer incredible detail but require more careful handling
• Using 3-4 walls in your print settings significantly improves durability Print Time Reality Check

Print times vary significantly based on what you’re making:

• Single character (28mm): 2-3 hours
• Squad of basic troops: 4-6 hours
• Large vehicle or terrain piece: 8-12 hours

Pro Tip: Batch your prints efficiently. I usually run larger prints overnight and save detailed character models for when I can monitor the printer.

Remember, the learning curve is part of the hobby. Start with simple prints and work your way up to more complex projects as you get comfortable with your printer’s capabilities.

 

Evaluate Print Speed for Faster Results

A 3D printer’s speed – how quickly it can print each layer of resin – greatly changes the entire total production time when making multiple miniatures.

Consumer Printers

• Expose layers for 4-8 seconds each
• Lead to very long print times overall
• Hundreds of layers add up quickly

Professional Printers

• Use rapid resins to harden ultra thin layers under 2 seconds
• Produce models at blazing speeds without quality loss
• Can print armies much faster than consumer-level machines

When researching printers, focus on typical layer exposure times rather than misleading “insane speed” marketing claims in demo videos. This is all normally malarkey and just marketing ploys.

Ideally, look for exposure times under 6 seconds per layer. This specification directly impacts throughput volume and how fast you can print entire squads of miniatures.

Faster print speeds let you churn out squadrons faster compared to the slower devices with extremely long wait times stopping quicker army assembly.

Average consumer printers expose resin layers for 4-8+ seconds each. This continues into over hundreds of slices into multi-hour total print jobs even for the smallest of Guardsmen to the largest of Orks

But the more professional 3D printers tend to bring down exposure to 1-2 seconds using cutting-edge rapid resins without forfeiting(Much) detail integrity – Rapidly increasing your printing times.

Beware misleading hype videos only showing off the very impractical burst speed modes. Instead inspect normal real-world layer exposure times for the uh, more realistic expectations.

Choose the Right Build Plate Size for Faster 3D Printing

When buying a 3D printer, the physical size of its build plate is very important. This largely determines:

• Number of models you can print at once
• Maximum print size for large objects
• Overall production capacity

Standard Plate (5 inches)

• Fits 1-2 small miniatures
• Forces slow, tedious one-by-one printing
• Ideal only for tiny display models

Expanded Plate (7-8 inches)

• Accommodates 4+ miniatures at the same time
• Enables super fast batch production
• Perfect for printing squads rapidly

Extra Large Plate (12+ inches)

• Exceeds 5 inches of height clearance
• Allows oversized prints – giant miniatures, sweeping scenery, cosplay armor, titans
• Essential for large-scale models, if you are wanting a Thunder hawk for example

Think about and consider your normal print jobs. Bigger build volumes speed up production times. Smaller plates conserve resin for single prints.

Think about the tradeoffs between capacity and resin economy before deciding, You don’t want to go broke do you?

The physical areas build plates determine the production limits by calculating the max miniature quantity per print or max scenery piece proportions.

Bigger plates greatly raise efficiency by enabling whole armies printed in batches instead of tiny plates forcing the dull job of one-by-one printing building your forces very slowly.

7-8 inch build volumes comfortably fit printing 4+ minis at the same time in amazing squad blocks. Furthermore, grand plates invite printing giant Titans or other large creatures!

Print Resolution

A printer’s resolution indicates its capability to create the finer details. Resolution is normally measured in microscopic microns describing the effective XY pixel size.

Standard entry-level printers print at 25-35 microns. This creates decent minis, but faint layer lines visible under magnification where flat areas meet can be a problem.

For museum quality miniatures however,  with practically perfect layering, look for advanced printers achieving 15-22 micron ultra-fine resolution. However, beware leaping head first into such areas as a newbie or even a novice – it demands heavily calibrated resin exposure times perfectly matched to the printer.

Without expertise, a 15 micron device can generate inferior results compared to a well-tuned 35 micron printer! It would be better to buy another printer and begin to learn first.

Some key notes on resolution:

• Lower micron values equal higher resolution and sharper prints.
• Under 25 microns is best for miniatures, under 15 is elite.
• Balancing resolution and resin exposure takes experience.
• Match resolution to your experience level for better prints.

Best 3D Printer for Miniatures: Reliability

Fantastic resolution and good speed don’t matter if a printer proves unstable, requiring endless tweaking and troubleshooting to achieve the occasional slices of successes.

Instead, you need to look out for printers more known for the actual enduring mechanical quality and dependability you are looking for – removing (some) frustrations while avoiding(most) disappointing failed prints.

Well crafted and good metal construction adds physical resistance compared to the plastic machines that are more vulnerable to components wearing, wobbling, and losing the actual precision over time from heat/force/general usage.

Carefully engineered components, auto-calibration, deftly tuned software, and strong customer support also boost reliability through good design that is more towards catering specifically to hobby printing, which is great but there are always sharks trying to sell you that snake oil.

Additionally, think about the massive user communities, like reddit, or other positive applications you can speak to people when you need some assistance(Discord, is a great example).

Don’t underestimate this value for a hobby device. Value wisdom of the crowds. You would not ask a painter how to make a boat!

Added Features

Extra touches that enhance the printing experience but aren’t strictly needed or mandatory:

• Air filters to reduce fumes
• Wash and cure stations for easier post-processing
• Monochrome UV LED arrays for faster curing
• Wifi and touchscreens for printing remotely(This one is really not needed!)
• Heated resin vats to optimize material properties

Weigh any of these premium features against print quality basics this article mentioned in the previous sections – don’t overpay just for conveniences, you’ll end up spending more money overall if you go into it with that mindset.

Final Thoughts on Choosing the Best 3D Printer for Miniatures

I hope this guide helps you discover the amazing opportunities of 3D printing for hobby miniatures and models! Using the criteria and recommendations above will ensure you get a printer well-suited for crafting stunning tabletop models dripping with details.

Just remember resolution isn’t everything. Give equal weight to real-world reliability, print speeds, build plate sizes, and smart features that improve the experience.

And don’t be afraid to learn and dial things in. The 3D printing journey is a passion of its own. Take it slow, focus on fundamentals, and let your collection of jaw-dropping printed minis grow over time. The results are so worth it.