When faced with multiple colors and multiple types, it's easy to get turned around when trying to choose the right 3D printing resin. You want it to print quickly, but stay strong without becoming brittle. We've used as many as possible to bring you some of the best you can buy, but our favorite is Siraya Tech Fast, which prints smoothly and quickly.
Siraya Tech Fast
For everyday printing this can't be beat
I love this fast resin. It makes printing models stress free, and the models print quickly without being brittle.
Pros:
- No bad smell
- Prints smoothly
- Prints extremely quickly
Cons:
- The white can discolor if over-cured
I have been using Siraya Tech Fast for a few months now, and it's consistently the best resin I've used. Every print I have made with it so far has printed perfectly, and the resin seems to help smooth out layer lines that may appear. It's especially good at creating hollow prints since the resin maintains the strength of the part without being brittle.
It's called "fast" resin for a good reason, too. Most resin prints with an exposure time of around 9-11 seconds, with a first layer exposure in 60-70 seconds. The Siraya Tech can give you the same quality print at just 6-8 seconds and the first layer in 40-45 seconds. Now I know those numbers don't sound all that different, but when you are printing a model with 1,800 layers, shaving off a few seconds per layer makes a big difference.
Siraya Tech is a great company too. It works hard to make sure you are satisfied and are always happy to participate in community events. The only issue I would mention is to be careful when you cure the white resin; it can yellow off if you cure it too much.
ELEGOO 3D Rapid Resin
Cheap and cheerful
I've been using a lot of the ELEGOO resin recently to reduce my outlays. It's super cheap and gives a great overall model. Some of the details may be lost, but you can tune it pretty well to provide you with an overall good product. I particularly like the gray as it shows any issues in the print very clearly, allowing you to fix the print easily.
I would use the ELEGOO for those models you are thinking of post-processing — sanding and painting this resin works well — or if you are printing large models without too fine details since a lot of definition can be lost.
Siraya Tech Tough (blu)
Great for building practical prints
There is a lot of reason to choose Siraya Tech (blu) as your resin of choice. Firstly the blue is gorgeous — it looks like tropical water on a clear day — but more importantly, it's tough. Resin can be extremely brittle once it is cured, making it unsuitable for anything other than model making.
As 3D printing enthusiast Chris Russell shows in this picture, you can even make parts for other 3D printers using the Siraya Tech tough resin, and they will look beautiful and be strong as heck.
The Siraya (blu) is extremely tough and can withstand impacts — even high falls and drops — much better than any resin I've used before it. This makes it useful for building cases and objects that are more useful than just pretty models to sit on a shelf.
Elegoo Water Washable Resin
A different way to clean
Water Washable resins are a relatively new technology, but one that could make resin printing much easier. Most Resin require you to use alcohol to clean it, and not only is Isopropyl alcohol is in short supply, it can also be quite toxic in large amounts.
It is important to note that the water you use is not safe to use for anything else. You shouldn't be washing these off under a faucet either, this should be treated as hazardous waste and disposed of accordingly.
Siraya Tech Sculpt
Making jewelry from 3D printing is awesome
One of the coolest things you can do with a resin printer is to create jewelry or models that can be cast in actual metal. This takes some time and skill to get right, but Siraya Tech has come up with an excellent resin to help you.
Sculpt resin is designed to be high-temperature resistant, allowing it to be used for making molds for casting. It can be a little brittle though so you'll need to be careful with the print until you are ready to mold it.
It all depends on your printing style
The type of resin you use will greatly depend on the type of printing you do. If like me, you tend to print a mixture of practical prints and cool models to stare at, then you will likely want to use a good all round resin rather than something specialized.
The Siraya Tech Fast resin is the best resin out there right now. It's extremely easy to use and very forgiving if you do mess up the settings. It lives up to its "fast" name as well, allowing you to print what you need in a much shorter time limit.
I use the Siraya Tech every day, and if you want a resin that balances value for money and exceptional results, then this is the right resin for you.
