For most FDM tabletop miniatures, begin with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.12 mm layers. Move to a compatible 0.2 mm nozzle at about 0.08 mm layers when faces, chainmail, or thin weapons merge at the larger nozzle. For MSLA resin, start at 0.05 mm (50 µm) layers, but do not copy an exposure number blindly: calibrate the exact resin color, printer, layer height, and model geometry. These starting points come from published miniature and printer guidance; your calibration print is the final authority.
Quick-start settings
The table below gives usable starting points rather than guaranteed final profiles. Load the filament or resin manufacturer’s profile first, then adjust one variable at a time after a small test print.
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| Process | Starting nozzle | Starting layer height | Exposure starting point | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDM | 0.4 mm | 0.12 mm | Not applicable | General figures with reliable detail and reasonable print time |
| FDM detail setup | Compatible 0.2 mm nozzle | About 0.08 mm | Not applicable | Faces, chainmail, and thin weapons that a 0.4 mm nozzle merges |
| MSLA resin | Fixed screen pixel size | 0.05 mm (50 µm) | Use the printer/resin profile; published mono-LCD examples are about 1.8–3 seconds | Most tabletop miniatures |
| MSLA detail mode | Fixed screen pixel size | 0.025 mm | Recalibrate; exposure is not transferable from 0.05 mm | Extra Z detail when roughly double the layer count and time are acceptable |
FDM figures are limited in two directions: layer height controls detail along Z, while nozzle diameter strongly limits the width of features in the XY plane. Resin printers do not use a replaceable nozzle; their practical limits are screen resolution, resin behavior, exposure, orientation, and supports.
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Layer height controls vertical detail and time
A smaller layer height creates more slices through a model. Curved helmets, shoulder plates, and facial planes can look smoother, but every reduction adds layers and therefore print time. Prusa Research advises keeping layer height below 80% of nozzle diameter; with a 0.4 mm nozzle, that puts an approximate upper limit near 0.32 mm. That upper limit is a mechanical guideline, not a miniature-quality target.
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For small figures, 0.12 mm is a useful FDM balance. Going below 0.10 mm often produces only a modest visual improvement while substantially extending the job, according to Prusa’s layers-and-perimeters guidance. A 0.08 mm profile can still make sense when paired with a 0.2 mm nozzle and a model whose fine geometry benefits from it.
Nozzle diameter controls narrow XY features
A slicer cannot reliably draw a line narrower than the extrusion system can place. A 0.4 mm nozzle may turn a sword edge, finger, or chain link into a thickened blob or remove it entirely. A 0.2 mm nozzle can separate those features, but the smaller orifice increases clogging risk and lengthens the print. Confirm that the hotend, heat break, nozzle mount, and slicer profile support the replacement before installing it.
FDM miniature profile
Choose the nozzle before fine-tuning layers
Use the stock 0.4 mm nozzle for most figures. It is the dependable choice for busts, monsters with broad limbs, and models whose details are deeper than the extrusion width. Reserve a 0.2 mm nozzle for a specific problem: facial recesses disappear, chainmail becomes a continuous surface, or a thin weapon cannot be separated from the hand.
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Set layer height and line behavior
- With a 0.4 mm nozzle, set layer height to 0.12 mm as the first miniature profile.
- With a compatible 0.2 mm nozzle, try approximately 0.08 mm.
- Keep the layer-height-to-nozzle relationship within the 80% ceiling; do not select a tall layer simply because it reduces the job time.
- Use the slicer’s thin-wall and variable-line-width features only after confirming that they do not erase isolated details.
- Slow the outer walls. Miniature guides treat this as a practical quality setting, not a universal speed limit, so increase speed only after checking ringing and layer adhesion.
Orient the figure for visible detail
Keep the face, shield emblem, and other display surfaces away from aggressive support contacts. Tilt the figure only as much as needed to expose overhangs to successive layers. Chins, weapon tips, cape hems, and deep undercuts commonly need tree or organic supports. A poor orientation can leave more scars than a change from 0.12 mm to 0.08 mm can remove.
What to inspect on the first FDM print
- Check eyes, noses, fingers, and chainmail for merged or missing features.
- Look at sword edges and spear shafts for breaks caused by unsupported spans.
- Inspect the underside of capes and arms for sagging.
- Compare the outer-wall finish on the front of the model before changing infill or other settings.
- If the figure is acceptable but details are merged, try the smaller nozzle; if details are rough in stair steps, lower the layer height within the nozzle’s practical range.
MSLA resin miniature profile
Start at 0.05 mm
A 0.05 mm (50 µm) layer is a practical starting height for tabletop resin miniatures. It gives a useful balance between Z detail, print duration, and the number of layers that must be supported. A 0.025 mm profile can improve vertical detail, but it creates roughly twice as many layers and approximately twice the layer-related exposure and lifting events. Use it when the model justifies the added time, not as a default quality setting.
Exposure is a calibration problem, not a universal number
Normal exposure changes with the printer’s light source, resin brand and color, layer height, and model geometry. Published starting examples for modern mono-LCD machines range from about 1.8 to 2.5 seconds in one miniature guide and about 2 to 3 seconds in another profile. Those figures are starting ranges, not a specification that can be transferred between machines.
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Set bottom exposure and bottom layers together
Bottom layers anchor the model to the build plate, so use the resin maker’s table for bottom exposure and bottom-layer count before experimenting. Resin & Rolls describes 30–60 seconds of bottom exposure and 6–10 bottom layers as common starting ranges for 0.05 mm miniatures, with calibration required. Treat those numbers as a starting window for the stated class of setup, not a promise for every resin or printer.
Use supports as part of the detail profile
Supports can determine whether a miniature looks clean even when exposure is correct. Keep contact points off faces, armor panels, weapon edges, and other display surfaces whenever orientation allows. Start with light supports for delicate areas and add stronger supports only where the model’s weight or peel forces require them.
TitanCraft gives a 30 mm miniature starting reference for light supports: a 0.25 mm tip diameter, 2 mm tip length, 0.07 mm contact depth, and 0.8–0.9 mm support diameter. These dimensions are a baseline to adjust for the resin, printer, orientation, and part geometry. Larger contacts can improve reliability but leave larger scars; smaller contacts may pull out or fail during a long print.
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Exposure-calibration workflow
Calibrate before committing a full character. A small exposure model costs less resin and makes defects easier to compare.
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- Load the printer manufacturer’s profile for the exact resin brand, color, and printer model.
- Set the intended layer height, normally 0.05 mm for a first miniature profile.
- Print a small exposure calibration model, such as a cones test or validation pattern. Resin & Rolls and miniature guidance both recommend this step.
- Inspect thin weapons, facial recesses, tiny text, and the edges around support contacts.
- If details are closed, swollen, or fused, reduce normal exposure in a small increment. If thin parts are weak or missing, increase it in a small increment.
- Change one variable at a time. Do not alter layer height, normal exposure, bottom exposure, and support dimensions in the same test.
- Repeat the test when you change resin color, resin formulation, printer, screen, or layer height.
- Record the tested resin, color, layer height, normal exposure, bottom exposure, bottom-layer count, printer firmware or profile date, and the result.
The correct exposure is the one that preserves the calibration model’s fine openings and raised details while producing reliable adhesion. A number copied from another machine can overexpose details or underexpose the build even when both printers are marketed as mono-LCD systems.
FDM versus resin for tabletop miniatures
| Decision factor | FDM | MSLA resin |
|---|---|---|
| Fine feature resolution | Improves mainly with a smaller nozzle and lower layers; 0.2 mm nozzles can separate features merged by 0.4 mm. | 0.05 mm layers are a practical miniature baseline; screen pixel size and exposure also limit detail. |
| Setup and cleanup | Generally simpler setup; remove supports and perform normal finishing. | Requires exposure calibration, support planning, washing and curing steps specified by the resin workflow. |
| Material cost | Not stated in the supplied figures; depends on filament and failed-print rate. | Not stated in the supplied figures; depends on resin, support volume, and failed-print rate. |
| Print time | Falls as layers get taller, but a smaller nozzle and 0.08–0.12 mm layers add time. | Falls with taller layers; 0.025 mm takes roughly twice the layer count of 0.05 mm. |
| Support marks | Tree or organic supports can scar chins, weapon tips, and cape hems. | Contact placement is critical; light-support dimensions are only a starting reference. |
| Handling durability | Material and geometry determine strength; thin details still need careful orientation. | Resin formulation and cured geometry determine durability; thin features require calibrated exposure and adequate supports. |
Choose FDM when you value a simpler workflow, larger figures, or robust parts and can accept less separation in tiny features. Choose MSLA when facial detail, chainmail, lettering, and small weapons justify calibration and support cleanup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting by symptom
Faces or chainmail are blobs on FDM
First verify that the slicer is using the installed nozzle diameter. If it is already correct, move from a 0.4 mm to a compatible 0.2 mm nozzle and about 0.08 mm layers. Do not lower layer height alone and expect it to recover XY features that the nozzle cannot physically place.
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The FDM miniature has strong stair-stepping
Lower the layer height from 0.12 mm in a controlled step, but stay within the nozzle guidance and expect longer print time. If the improvement is barely visible below 0.10 mm, the additional hours may not be worthwhile; refine orientation and outer-wall speed instead.
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Resin details are swollen or holes are closed
Normal exposure is probably too high for that resin, color, printer, or layer height. Re-run a calibration model and reduce only normal exposure between tests. Also check that the model is not receiving excessive support or an orientation that traps partially cured resin around a recess.
Resin layers separate from the build plate
Use the manufacturer’s bottom-exposure and bottom-layer guidance, then validate with a calibration print. If adhesion remains poor, inspect the support arrangement and orientation before increasing every exposure value. Bottom exposure and normal exposure solve different problems.
Thin resin weapons break or vanish
Check calibration details first. A modest increase in normal exposure may strengthen a feature, but excessive exposure will close nearby gaps. Add or reposition supports away from visible edges, and use a stronger support only where the part’s weight requires it.
A practical decision sequence
- Identify the process: FDM or MSLA resin.
- For FDM, keep the 0.4 mm nozzle unless a visible feature is being merged; then verify hotend compatibility before choosing 0.2 mm.
- Set 0.12 mm layers for a general 0.4 mm profile, or about 0.08 mm for the compatible 0.2 mm detail profile.
- For resin, set 0.05 mm layers and load the exact manufacturer profile.
- Orient the model to protect display surfaces and support overhangs such as chins, weapon tips, and cape hems.
- Print a calibration model before the full miniature and change only one setting per test.
- Record the successful profile so the same resin, color, printer, and model class can be reproduced.
The best setting is therefore a controlled starting profile, not a single magic number: 0.12 mm and 0.4 mm for dependable FDM, 0.08 mm with a compatible 0.2 mm nozzle for finer FDM features, and 0.05 mm resin layers with measured exposure for most MSLA miniatures.
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