One of the most common questions we get from collectors and aspiring 3D print enthusiasts is: "Should I print my collectibles on an FDM printer or a resin printer?" It's a real debate in the 3D printing community, and the honest answer is — it depends entirely on what you're making.
Let's break down exactly how FDM (filament-based) and resin (SLA/MSLA) printing compare for fan art collectibles, Pokémon figures, statues, and display pieces.
What Is FDM 3D Printing?
FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) is the most common type of 3D printing. A spool of plastic filament (usually PLA, PETG, or ABS) is melted through a heated nozzle and deposited layer by layer to build up the object. Printers like the Bambu Lab X1C, Prusa MK4, and Creality Ender 3 are all FDM machines.
Best for: Large prints, multi-color pieces, durable parts, Pokéballs with mechanisms, bookmarks, wall art, display bases.
What Is Resin 3D Printing?
Resin printing (SLA/MSLA) uses UV light to cure liquid photopolymer resin, layer by layer, into solid objects. Machines like the Elegoo Saturn, Phrozen Sonic Mighty, and Formlabs Form 3 are all resin printers. The resolution is significantly higher than FDM — typical resin layer heights are 0.025–0.05mm vs FDM's 0.1–0.2mm.
Best for: Highly detailed small figures (under 10cm), miniatures, intricate facial features, scale models with fine surface texturing.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Detail Level
Winner: Resin — by a significant margin for small, intricate pieces. Resin can capture detail that FDM simply can't reproduce at the same scale, including facial features, tiny scale textures, and sharp edges on small geometry. However, FDM at 0.12mm layer height with proper settings produces excellent results at 10cm+ scale, and the detail difference becomes less noticeable as print size increases.
Print Size
Winner: FDM — most consumer resin printers max out around 20×11cm build plates. FDM printers regularly offer 30×30cm or larger build volumes, and nothing stops you from assembling multi-part FDM prints into large-scale display pieces. Our largest fan art statues are assembled from multiple FDM-printed parts to exceed any resin build volume limitation.
Multi-Color Capability
Winner: FDM — significantly. Resin printers generally print in a single material per print (though some can do multi-resin with effort). FDM printers with multi-material systems (Bambu AMS, Prusa MMU) can print with 4–16 colors in a single print, making them ideal for multi-color Pokéball designs, character-colored statues, and HueForge filament paintings.
Post-Processing Requirements
Winner: FDM — resin prints require washing in isopropyl alcohol, UV curing, and careful handling of uncured resin (which is a skin irritant and requires PPE). FDM prints come off the bed ready to display with minimal post-processing. For a production shop printing dozens of pieces per week, FDM's simpler workflow is a major advantage.
Durability
Winner: FDM — standard photopolymer resin is brittle and can yellow over time with UV exposure. PLA+ FDM prints are tougher, more impact-resistant, and hold their color better long-term for display pieces. If a resin Pokéball gets knocked off a shelf, it will likely chip or crack. A PLA+ Pokéball will survive the same fall much better.
Cost Per Print
This is relatively close. Resin costs roughly $25–50/liter and each print uses varying amounts based on volume. FDM filament is $15–30/kg. For small, high-detail prints, resin can be more cost-efficient by volume. For large prints, FDM wins decisively on material cost.
Our Recommendation by Use Case
- Pokéballs with mechanisms: FDM — resin is too brittle for functional clicking mechanisms
- Large display statues (20cm+): FDM — scale wins
- Small detailed figurines under 8cm: Resin — detail advantage is clear at this scale
- Multi-color pieces: FDM — no competition
- Wall art / filament paintings: FDM — this is exclusively an FDM technique (HueForge)
- Tabletop miniatures: Resin — the gold standard for minis
- Bookmarks and flat decorative items: FDM — simple, fast, durable
What We Use at One More Layer Prints
All of our products are FDM printed. This gives us the flexibility to produce multi-color pieces, large statues, functional Pokéball mechanisms, and custom HueForge filament paintings — none of which are practical with resin. Our N3D Pokéballs rely on FDM's mechanical strength and multi-color capability, while our fan art statues benefit from FDM's large build volume and durable PLA+ material.
Want to see what FDM printing can produce at its best? Browse our full collection or request a custom piece — we'd love to bring your idea to life.