3D Models for Resin Printing

Resin printers use STL as the primary source format — all resin slicers (Chitubox, Lychee Slicer, Anycubic Photon Workshop) import STL files. The slicer converts the STL into a printer-specific format: .ctb (Chitubox/Anycubic Photon), .pwx or .pm3 (Anycubic Photon Mono), .lyt or .lys (Lychee Slicer export), .svgx (Phrozen). You download the STL from Proofly, open it in your slicer, orient, add supports, hollow if needed, and export the printer-specific file. 3MF is also supported by newer slicers and preserves scale and print settings in the file metadata.

For resin printing, minimum recommended wall thickness is 1.0–1.5mm for structural parts; 0.5–1.0mm for fine detail features like sword blades, filigree, or thin wings. Resin handles thinner walls than FDM because it cures layer-by-layer rather than extruding plastic — 0.3mm detail is achievable at 0.05mm layer height. For hollow models (to save resin), keep shell walls at 2.0–3.0mm and add drain holes (2–3mm diameter) to release uncured resin inside. Models below 0.3mm in any cross-section will likely fail or become too brittle to handle.

Hollowing saves significant resin (cost) but is optional — small models under ~30mm are usually printed solid. For larger models: hollow the interior leaving a 2–3mm shell wall, then add drain holes at the lowest points (when oriented for printing) so uncured liquid resin inside can drain before curing. Chitubox Pro and Lychee Slicer both have built-in hollow and drain hole tools. Hollow models also reduce suction cup forces during printing (a common cause of layer separation failures) because the reduced bottom surface area means less peel force. Pre-hollowed models that include drain holes are the most convenient to print.

Orient models at 30–45° to the build plate — this reduces the maximum cross-sectional area curing at each layer, which reduces peeling forces. For miniatures: angle the torso 30° forward and tilt 15° sideways; supports will hit the back and bottom (hidden areas). Faces should never be supported directly — orient so the face has overhang angle less than 45° or is upward-facing. Use light supports (0.3–0.5mm tip, 40% density) on detail areas and heavy supports only on the main body. Lychee Slicer's auto-support is excellent for complex organic shapes; Chitubox works well for architectural and hard-surface models.

For tabletop miniatures (28–35mm scale): Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra (12K mono LCD) and Phrozen Sonic Mighty 8K offer extremely high resolution for fine detail. Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro and Bambu A1 resin are excellent mid-range options. For large display models: Anycubic Photon M3 Max (large build volume) handles entire busts or vehicles in one print. For dental and jewelry (highest precision): FormLabs Form 4 (SLA laser, 0.025mm layer) delivers the finest surface finish but at a higher cost. For cost-conscious miniature printing: any 4K–8K MSLA printer in the $200–$400 range prints tabletop-game-quality figures from Proofly STL files.

It depends on the license selected by the creator. Personal license: print for yourself only, no selling physical prints. Commercial license: you can sell physical prints you make from the STL file. Extended license: covers reselling the digital file itself or high-volume commercial production. Each Proofly listing shows the license type clearly. If you plan to sell prints at a craft fair, Etsy, or on-demand printing service, purchase a model with the Commercial license. Some creators offer separate personal+commercial bundle tiers at different prices.