3D Printing : FDM or Resin?

There are two main sorts of printing, FDM and Resin.

• FDM: Fused Deposition Modelling (hereafter just FDM) uses a long reel of filament (a plastic) which it melts on to a moving table to form a shape.
• Resin Printing: Resin printing is a term applied to LCD, LED, MSLA, SLA and even DLP printing. An Ultraviolet (UV) sensitive liquid is placed in a tray and UV lights shine through it, causing "cured" resin to build up on a plate, forming a shape.

There's lots of reasons for choosing one type of printing over the other, but for me it comes down to one thing - quality.

FDM printing is getting better every day, but as things stand, a close scrutiny of prints shows a massive quality difference. I want my prints to be sharp, crisp, clear and well defined. I often print jewellery and miniatures, so I want to be sure that the details included in the print files actually appear in the finished prints.

Both types of prints form in layers. With FDM printing, these layers are highly visible even though they commonly measure just 0.2mm tall. However, Resin printers commonly have layer heights of just 0.05mm, which is obviously much smaller. Factor in ever improving screen resolution and Resin is the clear quality winner.

There are arguments that favour both types of printer, but for me, resin is the best, and for that reason it litters this website.

 

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Below is an old video, and so much of what I said is now obsolete, but it captures perfectly the moment I switch from FDM to Resin printing. The quality differences are profound. Yes, things have improved in FDM printing, but for me they've improved even further in Resin printing.