{
  "opening": "These PLA rows list 190–230 °C (374–446 °F).",
  "question": "Should I use resin or filament (FDM) for my project?",
  "slug": "resin_vs_fdm",
  "useCase": "miniatures",
  "useCaseLabel": "Miniatures",
  "updated": "2026-10-18",
  "shortAnswer": "For the lost-wax dental part and the small detailed part, the comments say resin. Resin is not a filament in this catalog. The marketplace post is a used-printer deal, and the cleanup thread is the resin workflow after you choose it.",
  "recommendedMaterials": [
    "pla"
  ],
  "printerConsiderations": [
    "On r/functionalprint 1b4t3xi the part is a dental crown for lost wax, under £1000. A score-2 comment says buy SLA if you need the printer, or send the file to a shop with industrial SLA or Polyjet. Another score-2 comment says a consumer resin printer should do it and that Formlabs has a guide somewhere. The comment does not link the guide.",
    "On r/3Dprinting ru62xj the score-16 comment is the word resin. A score-4 comment says resin formulas differ in strength and flex. A score-1 comment says FDM will do the part with more post-processing. A score-1 comment says resin is weaker than FDM plastic and still enough for the keycaps in the photo.",
    "On r/3Dprinting 11bokbj a score-7 comment says buy gloves, ventilate, and hang the plate so resin drips back into the vat. A score-3 comment says drain holes matter. Those steps are the resin process. They are not FDM settings."
  ],
  "pros": [
    "The two threads that ask which process to buy both get resin as the answer for small detail.",
    "The FDM rows keep ordinary PLA nozzles, so the filament side of the choice has a temperature."
  ],
  "cons": [
    "This catalog has no resin products, no resin exposure times, and no resin viscosity. The Formlabs guide is a mention, not a stored document.",
    "r/3Dprinting 1d4il5d is a QIDI and an Elegoo Mars bought together for $240. The score-52 comment calls the printers a good deal. $240 is the post."
  ],
  "community": "r/functionalprint 1b4t3xi wants small detailed parts, including a dental crown, for lost wax. The comments say SLA. One mentions a Formlabs guide without a link, and one mentions cleaning and curing. r/3Dprinting ru62xj asks resin or FDM for a small part. The top comment says resin. One comment says FDM works with more post-processing, and one says resin is weaker than FDM and still enough for keycaps. r/3Dprinting t78bsa is resin gears. A score-6 comment says standard resin is brittle. r/3Dprinting 11bokbj is a new resin printer with bolts sitting in the vat. r/3Dprinting 1d4il5d is a marketplace bundle of a filament printer and a resin printer.",
  "related": [
    "high_detail",
    "miniatures",
    "strength",
    "gears"
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Does this catalog list a resin?",
      "a": "No. The ranked rows are PLA filaments. PolyLite PLA lists 190–230 °C (374–446 °F). Prusament PLA lists 205–225 °C (401–437 °F) in the catalog and 215 °C (419 °F) on the Jet Black page. ELEGOO PLA lists 190–230 °C (374–446 °F). Resin exposure and wash settings are outside those rows."
    },
    {
      "q": "What did the lost-wax comments recommend?",
      "a": "SLA. A score-2 comment says a consumer resin printer should handle a dental crown and that Formlabs has a guide somewhere. Another score-2 comment says outsource to industrial SLA or Polyjet if you do not want the machine. Neither comment gives a filament temperature."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Polymaker PolyLite PLA",
      "url": "https://shop.polymaker.com/products/polylite-pla",
      "kind": "manufacturer"
    },
    {
      "title": "Prusament PLA Jet Black",
      "url": "https://www.prusa3d.com/product/prusament-pla-jet-black-1kg/",
      "kind": "manufacturer"
    },
    {
      "title": "ELEGOO PLA 1.75 mm",
      "url": "https://us.elegoo.com/products/pla-filament-1-75mm-colored-1kg",
      "kind": "manufacturer"
    },
    {
      "title": "Community source, r/3Dprinting t78bsa",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/t78bsa/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    },
    {
      "title": "Community source, r/3Dprinting 1d4il5d",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/1d4il5d/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    },
    {
      "title": "Community source, r/functionalprint 1b4t3xi",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/functionalprint/comments/1b4t3xi/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    },
    {
      "title": "Community source, r/3Dprinting 11bokbj",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/11bokbj/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    },
    {
      "title": "Community source, r/3Dprinting ru62xj",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/ru62xj/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    }
  ],
  "recommendations": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "note": "PolyLite PLA lists 190–230 °C (374–446 °F), a bed of 25–60 °C (77–140 °F), and 40–60 mm/s, with the fan on. It is the FDM side of the choice. No comment in this set prints it.",
      "brand": "Polymaker",
      "product": "Polylite PLA",
      "material": "PLA",
      "url": "/brand/polymaker/polylite-pla",
      "nozzle": "190–230 °C (374–446 °F)",
      "bed": "25–60 °C (77–140 °F)",
      "pricePerKg": null,
      "datasheetUrl": "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/7299/7945/files/PolyLite_PLA_TDS_EN_V5.4.pdf",
      "affiliateUrl": null
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "note": "The catalog lists Prusament PLA at 205–225 °C (401–437 °F) and a bed of 40–60 °C (104–140 °F). The Jet Black page lists 215 °C (419 °F) and 50–60 °C (122–140 °F). The detailed-part thread's score-1 comment says FDM can make the part and will need more post-processing.",
      "brand": "Prusament",
      "product": "PLA",
      "material": "PLA",
      "url": "/brand/prusament/pla",
      "nozzle": "205–225 °C (401–437 °F)",
      "bed": "40–60 °C (104–140 °F)",
      "pricePerKg": null,
      "datasheetUrl": null,
      "affiliateUrl": null
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "note": "ELEGOO PLA lists 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) and a bed of 35–65 °C (95–149 °F). A score-2 comment on the lost-wax thread says the writer was looking at an Elegoo resin printer. That is a resin machine, not this PLA row.",
      "brand": "ELEGOO",
      "product": "PLA",
      "material": "PLA",
      "url": "/brand/elegoo/pla",
      "nozzle": "190–230 °C (374–446 °F)",
      "bed": "35–65 °C (95–149 °F)",
      "pricePerKg": null,
      "datasheetUrl": null,
      "affiliateUrl": null
    }
  ]
}