High-detail resin orc miniatures for a private tabletop commission

Small resin orc miniature resting on fabric after post-processing.

Project snapshot

Item	Details
Process	Resin printing
Material	Grey water-washable resin
Printer	Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra
Model source	Client-supplied files
Size	Roughly 15–25 mm
Quantity	Around 30 pieces
Production time	About 2 days including post-processing
Price	About £2.50 per miniature

The brief

This was a private tabletop commission for a client who supplied a collection of detailed orc models for a miniature hobby project. Some files represented complete miniatures, while others were split into smaller parts for assembly. The finished prints were intended for later painting, so the real priority was not colour but sharp detail, clean surfaces and safe preparation for dispatch.

For miniatures at this scale, the difference between an acceptable result and a convincing result is often decided after the print finishes. Support removal, washing, curing and packing all matter just as much as the machine itself.

Why resin was the right process

FDM printing was considered for part of the job, including tests with a 0.2 mm nozzle, but the result still did not match what the client needed. The small features looked softer, and support removal was less forgiving on this kind of geometry.

That made resin printing the correct choice. On the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra, the models could be produced with the fine detail and clean surface definition expected for miniature figures in the 15 to 25 mm range.

Several small orc miniatures attached to the build plate of a resin printer. — Resin printing was chosen because small miniature geometry benefits from sharper detail and cleaner support behaviour than the FDM tests delivered.

Production workflow

The miniatures were printed in grey water-washable resin, then washed, supports were removed, the parts were dried, cured and checked individually. That workflow mattered because many of the parts were small enough that careless handling could have ruined an otherwise successful print.

A group of small resin orc miniatures laid out together after printing. — Batch handling was important because the order included many separate miniatures rather than just a single showcase model.

Some of the models were supplied as multi-part sculpts, which added another layer of care to the process. Individual weapons and smaller components had to be preserved through washing, support removal and final packing.

Small resin orc body parts laid out on a cutting mat. — Several files arrived as separate components, so the project also involved keeping very small parts organised and intact.

Tiny resin weapon parts resting in a hand for scale. — Small accessories such as weapons are exactly the kind of detail that can justify resin printing over FDM in miniature work.

Fast turnaround and safe packing

The full batch came to roughly 30 pieces, produced in about 2 days including post-processing. That speed mattered because part of the value here was convenience: the client could source the digital files, send them over, and receive finished physical miniatures in the UK only a few days later.

Packaging was treated as part of the production process rather than an afterthought. Each part or set of parts was checked, packed carefully and then consolidated into a more secure shipment so the order could survive delivery without damage.

Result

At roughly £2.50 per piece, the project gave the client an affordable route from digital files to real miniatures without sacrificing detail. It also demonstrates one of the most practical strengths of resin 3D printing: clients are not restricted to the small number of niche models available in open sale, and they do not need to own a printer themselves to get a clean, usable result.