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For an FDM miniature, start with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.12 mm layers. Move to a compatible 0.2 mm nozzle and about 0.08 mm layers when faces, chainmail, or thin weapons merge at the larger nozzle. For an MSLA resin miniature, begin at 0.05 mm (50 µm) layers and use the resin-and-printer manufacturer’s exposure profile; published mono-LCD examples commonly start around 1.8–3 seconds per layer, but exposure must be calibrated for your exact resin, color, printer, and layer height.
These are starting points, not universal presets. Layer height controls vertical (Z) detail and print time, while FDM nozzle diameter controls much of the horizontal (XY) detail. Resin exposure controls whether each layer cures cleanly, so copying a number from another machine can overexpose fine recesses or underexpose thin parts.
Recommended starting settings at a glance
| Process | Starting layer height | Nozzle or exposure starting point | Use this when |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDM, general tabletop figure | 0.12 mm | 0.4 mm nozzle | You want a reliable balance of detail, strength, and print time. |
| FDM, fine facial or weapon detail | About 0.08 mm | Compatible 0.2 mm nozzle | A 0.4 mm nozzle merges eyes, fingers, chainmail, or thin blades. |
| MSLA resin, standard miniature | 0.05 mm (50 µm) | Use the manufacturer’s normal-exposure profile; published mono-LCD examples are about 1.8–3 seconds. | You need crisp tabletop detail without doubling the print time. |
| MSLA resin, maximum Z detail | 0.025 mm (25 µm) | Recalibrate normal and bottom exposure | The model has shallow relief or lettering that benefits from finer vertical steps. |
For FDM, keep layer height below 80% of nozzle diameter. That rule makes roughly 0.32 mm the upper limit for a 0.4 mm nozzle, although miniature work normally uses far less. Prusa Research also cautions that going below 0.10 mm often yields only a small visual improvement for a large increase in print time, so 0.07 or 0.05 mm should be reserved for a clear detail problem rather than selected automatically.
What each setting changes
Layer height: vertical detail and duration
Layer height is the distance between successive printed layers on the Z axis. Smaller layers reduce stair-stepping on sloped helmets, cloaks, faces, and bases, but every reduction adds layers to the same model. A 0.025 mm resin print has twice as many layers as a 0.05 mm print at the same model height, so its layer portion of the job takes approximately twice as long before any lift, retract, or settling differences are considered.
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Layer height cannot compensate for a nozzle that is too large for a feature. Lowering a 0.4 mm FDM profile from 0.12 to 0.08 mm does not make a 0.2 mm blade printable if the extrusion width still has to form that blade. For horizontal detail, nozzle diameter, extrusion width, line width, and the slicer’s thin-wall handling matter more.
Nozzle diameter: FDM horizontal resolution
A nozzle lays down a bead with a finite width. A 0.4 mm nozzle is the dependable general-purpose choice because it is less prone to clogging and usually prints faster than a detail nozzle. A 0.2 mm nozzle can separate small facial features and narrow weapons that a 0.4 mm nozzle merges, but its smaller opening is less tolerant of particles, poorly prepared filament, and aggressive speeds.
Check the hotend manufacturer’s compatibility information before installing a 0.2 mm nozzle. Confirm that the nozzle fits the heat break and heater block, then select the correct nozzle diameter in the slicer. A mechanically incompatible nozzle can leak or sit at the wrong height; a slicer left on 0.4 mm will produce incorrect extrusion widths even when the hardware is installed correctly.
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Exposure: resin curing rather than brightness
Normal exposure is the time each regular resin layer receives UV light. Too little exposure leaves soft, incomplete features and weak layer bonding. Too much exposure broadens cured pixels into neighboring gaps, closes eye sockets and lettering, enlarges small holes, and makes support scars harder to remove.
The correct value changes with the printer’s light source and screen, resin brand and color, layer height, and model geometry. A value that works on one mono-LCD printer is not a transferable specification for another. Treat published seconds as a starting range and validate them with a calibration print.
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FDM miniature settings
Start with a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.12 mm layers
For most FDM tabletop figures, set the nozzle to 0.4 mm and layer height to 0.12 mm. This combination is a practical compromise: it captures recognizable faces, armor edges, and clothing folds while avoiding the extreme duration and clog sensitivity of very fine profiles. Use a miniature-oriented profile that slows the outer walls rather than relying only on a smaller layer height.
Keep the layer-height-to-nozzle relationship within the 80% guidance. With a 0.4 mm nozzle, 0.32 mm is a theoretical upper limit under that rule, not a recommendation for miniatures. The 0.12 mm starting point leaves room for the nozzle to follow curved surfaces smoothly. If your slicer offers variable layer height, reserve the finest values for steep curves and keep flatter regions at the validated base height.
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Change to a 0.2 mm nozzle when a correctly scaled model still loses a feature because the extrusion path cannot fit it. Typical examples are eyes on a small face, chainmail gaps, fingers, bowstrings, spear tips, and sword edges. Set layer height around 0.08 mm as a starting point, then inspect the actual result rather than assuming every model needs that setting.
Expect longer print times and more failed prints if the filament path is not clean. A 0.2 mm opening clogs more readily, and a partial clog can turn a seemingly good profile into missing fingers or intermittent walls. Use dry, clean filament; avoid excessive retraction changes while tuning; and keep a cleaning procedure available. The nozzle must also be supported by the hotend, and the slicer must know that the installed diameter is 0.2 mm.
Speed and wall strategy
Miniatures benefit from slower outer walls because the visible perimeter has time to follow tight curves and small protrusions. The exact speed limit depends on the printer, hotend, material, and motion system, so use the machine’s validated miniature profile rather than a universal millimeters-per-second claim. Slow the outer wall first; reducing every movement equally may increase time without improving the visible shell.
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Use enough perimeter structure for weapon shafts, ankles, and raised arms to remain connected, but do not assume more walls will recreate detail that the nozzle cannot physically place. If a part is thinner than the slicer’s printable line width, enable the slicer’s thin-wall or single-extrusion feature only after checking that it does not create fragile, unsupported strands.
Supports and orientation for FDM
Orient the figure so the most visible face has the fewest support contacts. Tree or organic supports are often useful under chins, weapon tips, overhanging hands, and cape hems because they can reach isolated regions while reducing a solid support block around the model. Keep contact points on hidden surfaces where possible, and test removal on a small part before committing to a long print.
Tilting a miniature can distribute stair-stepping and reduce a large flat overhang, but it can also lengthen the model’s projected height and add supports. Choose the orientation that protects the face, hands, and display-facing armor, not simply the one that minimizes support volume.
MSLA resin miniature settings
Use 0.05 mm as the normal starting layer
A 0.05 mm (50 µm) layer is a sensible starting height for tabletop resin figures. It provides fine Z resolution without the doubled layer count of 0.025 mm. Set 0.025 mm when the model contains shallow relief, tiny lettering, or smooth curves that visibly benefit from smaller vertical steps and the additional print time is acceptable.
Changing layer height requires a fresh exposure check. A resin profile validated at 0.05 mm cannot automatically be assumed correct at 0.025 mm because each layer’s cured thickness and the total number of exposures change. Keep the printer’s lift, wait, and temperature settings unchanged while testing exposure so that one adjustment is easier to interpret.
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Normal exposure: use ranges only as starting points
Published starting ranges for modern mono-LCD systems include approximately 1.8–2.5 seconds at 0.05 mm in one miniature guide and about 2–3 seconds in another profile. These figures are examples, not a universal setting. Start with the profile supplied for your exact printer and resin, then run a small exposure validation model.
Resin color can change the amount of light absorbed, so a clear, gray, black, or specialty color may require a different exposure even when the bottle formulation is otherwise similar. Record the color alongside the resin name. If you change printer firmware, screen, light source, or layer height, treat the profile as unvalidated until a calibration print confirms it.
Bottom exposure and bottom-layer count
Bottom exposure and the number of bottom layers control how firmly the model or raft adheres to the build plate. Anycubic’s resin documentation presents these as linked parameters rather than one universal value. Resin & Rolls lists 30–60 seconds of bottom exposure and 6–10 bottom layers as common starting ranges for miniature work, but those values still require an adhesion and detail check on the actual machine.
Excessive bottom exposure can make a raft difficult to remove and can distort the first model layers. Insufficient bottom exposure can cause a detached print, partial supports, or a model that remains stuck to the vat film. Tune bottom exposure and bottom-layer count together with the manufacturer’s table, then confirm that the raft releases cleanly without sacrificing the base’s geometry.
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Resin supports are part of the print design, not an afterthought. Put contact points on the underside, rear, or other surfaces that will be painted or hidden. Avoid placing a large contact directly across a face, shield emblem, cloak edge, or other display surface. Orient the miniature so drainage and support access are practical, while avoiding pockets that can trap uncured resin.
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For a roughly 30 mm miniature, TitanCraft gives a light-support starting reference of a 0.25 mm tip diameter, 2 mm tip length, 0.07 mm contact depth, and 0.8–0.9 mm support diameter. Those dimensions are a starting geometry, not a guaranteed preset for every resin printer. Increase support strength for heavy weapons or long overhangs, and reduce or reposition contacts where scars would be conspicuous.
Exposure calibration: a repeatable procedure
Calibrate before spending hours on a character miniature. A small test uses less resin, exposes failure modes quickly, and gives you a controlled way to compare settings.
- Load the printer and resin manufacturer’s profile for the exact machine, resin product, resin color, and selected layer height.
- Fill and level the vat according to the printer’s operating instructions, then print a small exposure model such as a cones test or another validation pattern.
- Inspect thin weapons, facial recesses, small text, holes, and other negative spaces. Check whether fine projections are complete and whether narrow gaps remain open.
- Change one variable at a time. Adjust normal exposure in small increments before changing supports or orientation; otherwise you cannot tell which change fixed or caused a defect.
- Repeat the test until thin features are formed, recesses remain open, and the test does not show obvious under-cure or excessive blooming.
- Record the resin name, color, printer, firmware or profile date, layer height, normal exposure, bottom exposure, and bottom-layer count. Keep the record with the bottle or slicer profile.
How to read common calibration results
- Soft or missing thin parts: exposure may be too low, supports may be too weak, or the feature may be below the printer’s practical resolution. Increase normal exposure slightly and retest before redesigning the model.
- Closed holes and filled lettering: exposure is likely too high, or the feature is too small for the selected pixel size. Reduce normal exposure in a controlled step and print the same test again.
- Layers separating from the raft: check bottom exposure, bottom-layer count, plate leveling, and vat-film condition. Do not solve every adhesion failure by increasing normal exposure.
- Large support scars: move contacts to hidden surfaces, reduce contact size where the model remains supported, and review orientation. Exposure alone will not remove a badly placed contact.
- One side of the model is incomplete: inspect orientation, support coverage, vat film, and the screen or light path before changing seconds. A directional failure is not necessarily an exposure-number problem.
FDM and resin: which process fits your miniature?
| Decision factor | FDM | MSLA resin |
|---|---|---|
| Fine facial and micro-detail | Possible, especially with a 0.2 mm nozzle and about 0.08 mm layers, but limited by extrusion width and thin-wall behavior. | Usually the easier route for tiny recesses, lettering, and continuous curved surfaces at 0.05 mm layers. |
| Setup and cleanup | Filament loading, bed preparation, and support removal; no liquid resin wash or cure step. | Requires resin handling, washing, post-curing, vat maintenance, and careful disposal of contaminated consumables. |
| Print time | Smaller nozzles and fine layers can make a single figure slow; 0.12 mm with a 0.4 mm nozzle is a practical compromise. | Finer layers increase the number of exposures; 0.025 mm has about twice the layers of 0.05 mm. |
| Support marks | Tree or organic supports can be placed away from visible surfaces, but removal may affect thin parts. | Light supports can preserve detail, yet every contact leaves a potential mark that needs trimming and finishing. |
| Material and handling | Solid filament is comparatively straightforward to store and handle; the printed result is generally suited to repeated tabletop handling. | Standard cured resin captures very fine detail, but formulations differ in toughness; verify the resin’s handling characteristics before using it for thin, frequently flexed parts. |
| Best choice when | You value a simpler material workflow, durable play pieces, or already own a well-tuned FDM printer. | You prioritize small-scale detail and can provide safe resin handling, washing, curing, and support cleanup. |
A practical decision guide
Choose the FDM 0.4 mm profile when
- The miniature is larger or stylized enough that facial features are not smaller than the nozzle’s printable line width.
- You need a robust, low-maintenance workflow for repeated gaming pieces.
- You can accept visible layer lines that will be reduced by primer, sanding, or paint.
- You want to avoid liquid-resin handling and post-processing.
Move to a 0.2 mm FDM nozzle when
- The 0.4 mm profile consistently merges a feature that is important to the sculpt.
- Your hotend is explicitly compatible with the smaller nozzle.
- You can accept longer print times and have a clean, dry filament path.
- You are prepared to retune extrusion width, layer height, temperature, retraction, and supports for the new nozzle.
Choose MSLA resin at 0.05 mm when
- The miniature has fine facial planes, chainmail, lettering, or narrow negative spaces.
- You can safely wash and cure the part and manage uncured resin.
- You are willing to run an exposure test for every meaningful resin, color, printer, or layer-height change.
Use 0.025 mm resin layers only for a visible benefit
At 0.025 mm, the layer count and exposure time are roughly doubled compared with 0.05 mm. The smaller height can improve shallow Z-axis detail, but it does not fix an under-supported weapon, an overexposed hole, or an XY-resolution limit imposed by the screen. Compare two calibrated test pieces under the same lighting before accepting the longer job.
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FDM face looks melted or indistinct
First verify that the feature is large enough for the nozzle and the slicer is using the correct diameter. If it is, reduce outer-wall speed, inspect cooling and temperature settings from the material profile, and test the same model at 0.12 mm with the 0.4 mm nozzle before moving to a 0.2 mm nozzle. A smaller nozzle helps only when the hotend and filament path can feed it reliably.
FDM weapon tips or fingers disappear
Check the slicer preview for gaps or unsupported single lines. Reorient the model so the feature has a stable path, enable an appropriate thin-wall option if the slicer provides one, or use a compatible 0.2 mm nozzle. Add a light tree or organic support under a floating tip rather than covering the entire figure in support material.
Resin details are swollen
Run the same calibration model at a slightly lower normal exposure and compare holes, text, and facial recesses. Confirm that the resin color and layer height match the profile. If the test still shows broad swelling, inspect light-off delay, screen condition, and optical calibration instead of repeatedly changing exposure by a large amount.
Resin print is clean but breaks during support removal
Increase support strength or contact coverage at the failure point, and orient the part so the fragile feature is not carrying peel forces. Do not automatically increase normal exposure: over-curing may make detail worse while leaving a poorly supported blade or ankle vulnerable.
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Print adheres too strongly to the plate
Review bottom exposure and bottom-layer count against the resin manufacturer’s table. A 30–60 second bottom-exposure range and 6–10 bottom layers are common starting references, not targets that every printer needs. Reduce excessive adhesion in small steps while confirming that the raft still remains attached for the full print.
Quick Recap
Final setup checklist
- Identify the process: FDM or MSLA resin.
- For FDM, start at 0.12 mm with a 0.4 mm nozzle; use about 0.08 mm with a compatible 0.2 mm nozzle only when the model needs it.
- Keep FDM layer height below 80% of nozzle diameter and remember that very fine layers can add time with little visible gain.
- For resin, start at 0.05 mm and load the exact manufacturer profile for the printer, resin, color, and layer height.
- Calibrate normal exposure before printing the full miniature; validate bottom exposure and bottom-layer count separately for adhesion.
- Place supports on hidden surfaces, use light supports where practical, and strengthen contacts under heavy or long overhangs.
- Inspect the slicer preview for missing thin parts, unsupported islands, closed holes, and contacts on the face or other display surfaces.
- Record every validated setting so a new bottle, color, firmware version, or nozzle can be traced to a known profile.
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