Resin Printing Process
This is what the resin 3D printing process looks like. Support structures are needed for printing. These will be removed by us afterward.
Difference
You've probably come across the terms "requiring your own finishing" and "completely ready for painting, including primer." Unfortunately, there has sometimes been confusion in the past, which is why we want to explain the difference between these terms again here:
If you order a figure requiring your own finishing, you will most likely still find areas that you need to sand before painting. However, we take great care to ensure that even with this option, you receive a well-prepared print that doesn't require too much effort from you. We, of course, cure hollow prints from the inside, and we also seal all holes from the internal curing process (except for a ventilation hole in a hidden spot, which must remain open).
If you order your figure completely ready for painting, including primer, then we prepare the print so that you can start painting immediately. We also apply a primer.
Painted prints are currently only available for horses. However, this service must be booked separately (Product -> Painting Service for Model Horses).
We are working on being able to offer painting for animal models as an additional service in the future :)
Resin prints
Description below the images
Drain holes of a hollow-core slab
Even before the printing process, large, hollow models (most scales we print solid) receive drainage holes. This ensures that uncured resin drains during the printing process. We seal these holes afterward. You will only be able to faintly discern them :).
Curing hole
Hollow prints also receive one (or sometimes two, depending on the model) large hole. The UV lamp for internal curing is inserted through this hole. Afterwards, we seal this hole so that it's almost impossible to tell where it was :)
The tail will also be clean
Even with this cavity, everything drains out through holes in the tail.
A gap remains!
So that the prints can always breathe from the inside, a single air hole remains. However, we hide this in a location that is not easily visible. In horse models, this is usually under the ganaches (cheeks of the horse).
Curing from the outside
We pay great attention to proper curing. Our prints are cured by two 150-watt lamps over an extended period. This corresponds to many times the wattage recommended as a minimum requirement for UV curing. This ensures that even hidden corners are cured :)
We thoroughly sand every model beforehand
You won't have to do much sanding yourself, as we thoroughly pre-process each model and also ensure that the surface is nice and smooth.
Curing from within
All hollow prints are cured by us from the inside using very strong UV light. The example image shows how the lamp shines through the entire model (hole in the camel's hump). For very intricate models, we also use small UV bulbs that are inserted into the model's angles. However, our prints are only hollow at larger scales (usually from 1:12 upwards).
Ready for the customer
This is how a print that goes to the customer looks (not yet ready for painting and not primed)
Ready for painting
This is what a product with our special service "ready for painting + priming" looks like.
2Our manufacturing processes
FDM Printing:
FDM prints are significantly more stable than resin prints and are made of plastic. The FDM printer creates objects by layering multiple small plastic lines that bond together, slowly forming the object. Unfortunately, for smaller scales like figurines, this printing technique is nowhere near as precise and clean as a resin printer. However, for larger objects (e.g., 1:6 model horses or large busts), it presents no problem. The disadvantage of this printing method definitely lies in post-processing (the small print lines remain visible after printing). To achieve a completely smooth surface, extensive sanding is required, and possibly the use of spray filler (which significantly reduces sanding time). Once this work is done, FDM prints can also be very smooth. However, you will always receive FDM prints from us already pre-processed, so you don't have to do all the sanding yourself :).
Here are some example images of an FDM print from us:
