Resin Bits or STL Files: Which Should You Buy ?
The break-even is around three copies. Below that, buying a resin part printed for you is cheaper and faster. Above it, the STL file wins and keeps winning — because ten copies cost the same as one.
That is the whole decision in one line. The rest of this guide is the detail behind it, and the cases where the rule does not apply.
What you actually get
Resin
A physical part, printed to order in our Grenoble workshop on an Ultra-HD 14K printer, then washed, UV-cured and checked by hand. It arrives ready for primer. Production takes 3–7 working days, then shipping.
STL
A digital file, delivered the moment your payment clears. Pre-supported, so it goes straight onto the plate with no support work. You print it yourself, as many times as you like, forever.
When resin is the right call
- You don't own a resin printer. Obvious, but worth stating: an STL is useless without one, and buying a printer to save on one set of pauldrons is not a saving.
- You need one or two parts. A single character conversion. Printing it yourself means a plate, a wash, a cure and cleanup for one piece.
- You want it to arrive finished. No resin handling, no IPA, no failed plates. This matters more than people admit.
- You are testing a look. Buy one, see it on the model, then decide whether to commit the whole squad.
When STL is the right call
- You are converting a unit, not a model. Ten shoulder pads, five cloaks, a whole squad's worth of heads. This is where the economics flip hard.
- You want it today. No production time, no postage, no customs. You can be printing twenty minutes after you decide.
- You print outside the EU. No import fees, no customs delay — a digital file crosses no border.
- You want to iterate. Print, try it, reprint at a slightly different angle. You cannot do that with a part you paid postage for.
The cost logic, honestly
A resin set is priced per set. An STL is priced once and printed indefinitely — so the per-copy cost of an STL falls towards the price of the resin you pour, while the per-copy cost of a printed part stays flat.
Where that crossover sits depends on the specific part and on your own resin cost, which is why we will not put a fake number on it. Work it out for the part you want: divide the STL price by the number of copies you actually intend to print, and compare that to the resin set price. If you need one, resin usually wins. If you need a squad, STL usually wins by a wide margin.
What an STL does not include: your printer, your resin, your time, and your failure rate. A first print rarely lands perfectly.
The same sculpts, both ways
Most of our ranges exist in both formats — identical sculpts, two delivery methods:
- Dragon Knight resin bits · the same range as STL
- Black Crusader resin bits · the same range as STL
- Nordic Hunter resin bits · the same range as STL
- Abyssal Vanguard resin bits · the same range as STL
- Universal resin bits · the same range as STL
Two things to get right before you buy an STL
Check your build plate. Pre-supported files are oriented for a standard resin plate. A very small printer may need a part split or re-laid — doable, but it is work you were not expecting.
Check the scale class. The single most common mistake is buying 32 mm files for a 40 mm Heavy Guard body. Our scale guide covers how to tell them apart in under a minute.
Common questions
Do I get a physical item if I buy an STL?
No. Products marked [STL] are digital files for home printing — nothing is shipped. Check your cart before checkout.
Can I sell what I print from your STL?
No. STL files are licensed for personal, non-commercial printing. If you want to print and sell, contact us about a commercial licence.
Are the files supported?
Yes — every file ships pre-supported and oriented, ready for the plate.
Can I get a refund on an STL?
Digital files cannot be returned once downloaded — you waive the withdrawal right at checkout, as EU law requires us to state. But if a file is corrupted, incomplete or not as described, contact us and we will fix it or refund that item.
What if I only own an FDM printer?
These files are sculpted for resin. FDM will print them, but the layer height on parts this small loses most of the detail you are paying for.
Not sure which way to go? Buy the resin set for the model you are working on now. If you end up wanting five more, buy the STL then — you will have seen the sculpt in hand before committing.