Once you have turned your own illustration or original character into a 3D model, the next question is often which material to use if you actually print it through an outside service. The material affects not only how the result looks, but also how well colors come out, how much fine detail survives, how easily it breaks, and how much it costs.
This article compares the main materials for color, detail, strength, and price, assuming you print through an external 3D printing service. It also covers how to decide on size and what to watch for in the design. All figures are rough guides as of July 2026, given as ranges rather than exact numbers.
Note: Figmee currently offers figurine-style image generation and 3D model data (GLB / 3MF) downloads. Physical 3D print ordering is in preparation (Coming Soon). Treat the material discussion below as guidance for when you send your exported data to an external 3D printing service.
Four things to weigh when choosing a material
Comparing materials is easier if you judge each one on these four points.
- Color: A full-color process that prints color directly, or a single-color process that assumes you paint it afterward.
- Detail: How well fine shapes such as fingertips, hair strands, and thin accessories come out.
- Strength: Resistance to cracking, snapping, and warping. How much you need depends on handling and transport.
- Price trend: The same size can cost very differently depending on the process.
For illustration- and character-based models, color and detail usually shape the impression the most, so prioritize those two and then balance strength and price.
Comparison of the main 3D printing materials
Here are the representative materials, grouped by process.
| Material (process) | Color / detail | Strength / handling | Price trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLA (FDM) | Paint assumed; medium detail | Prints stably but cracks on impact | Among the cheapest |
| PETG (FDM) | Paint assumed; weak at fine detail | Strong and water-resistant, little warping | Cheap |
| ABS (FDM) | Paint assumed; function-oriented | Heat-resistant (about 100°C) but watch warping and layer separation | Cheap |
| SLA/DLP resin | High detail; strong on expressions, hair strands, fingers | Suited to painted, detailed work | A bit above FDM |
| Nylon (SLS) | Single color (dyeable); color needs a separate step | Flexible and abrasion-resistant, but fussy to print | Mid to high |
| Full-color gypsum | Full color, but brittle | Low strength; thin parts break easily | Higher (color process) |
| PA12 full color | Full color | Combines strength and flexibility; no post-processing | High |
| Full-color acrylic (UV-cured inkjet) | Vivid color, 10 million+ colors | Strength close to ABS; ages slowly | High |
FDM family (PLA / PETG / ABS)
This process stacks melted resin and is the easiest and cheapest group. PLA prints stably but is weak against impact; PETG is strong and water-resistant with little warping; ABS is heat-resistant (about 100°C) but needs care against warping and layer separation. All of them assume you add color by painting, and their fine-detail reproduction trails the other processes. They suit test pieces and anyone who wants to paint and finish the model themselves.
SLA / DLP resin
This process hardens resin with light and is strong at high detail. It reproduces fine areas such as expressions, hair strands, and fingertips well, and it is widely used in ordinary painted figurine work. It is a leading choice when detail comes first, though color is added by painting afterward.
Powder sintering (nylon / PA12 full color)
This process fuses powder with heat. Nylon (SLS) is flexible, abrasion-resistant, and sturdy, but it is basically single-color (dyeing is possible), so vivid color needs a separate coloring step. PA12 full color keeps the strength and flexibility of powder sintering while allowing full-color coloring, needs no post-processing, and turns around quickly, which makes it one of the choices suited to character use where you want both color and strength.
Full-color gypsum
This process binds gypsum powder with adhesive and can produce full color. However, the material is brittle, so it can break from insufficient strength and thin parts snap easily. Sections thinner than about 2–3 mm are said to be hard to print at all, so even though the color is appealing, take care with models you will handle often. It suits cases where the goal is to check color and form.
Full-color acrylic (UV-cured inkjet)
This process sprays ink and cures it with UV, producing vivid color said to reach more than 10 million colors. Its strength is close to ABS, it ages more slowly than gypsum, and it is said to resist discoloration even when it touches water. With a good balance of vivid color and durability, it is a choice often mentioned for character use finished in full color.
Price trends
Broadly, FDM is the cheapest, SLA/DLP resin is a little above it, and powder sintering and full-color acrylic that can print in full color tend to cost more per unit.
For reference, one 3D printing service's rough per-volume guide is below (a reference value from a third-party blog as of July 2026, not an official fixed price list).
| Example material | Rough guide per cm³ |
|---|---|
| Optical resin (HPS) | About ¥350 |
| PLA-like resin | About ¥390 |
| High-detail acrylic resin | About ¥1,000 |
By the same guide, rough costs by size are ¥2,000–4,000 in resin for a small part around 10 cm³, ¥20,000–40,000 for a medium part around 100 cm³, and ¥80,000–150,000 for a large part around 500 cm³. These are examples; actual prices vary by material, shape, and service. Because many services quote only after you upload the data, confirm the exact cost with each service's quote tool.
How to choose the size
Bigger is not always better. Size affects detail reproduction, breakage risk, and cost all at once.
- If you make it too small, fingers, hair, and thin accessories can fall below the minimum wall thickness described below, so they may not print or may snap easily.
- If you make it too large, cost at many services rises roughly in proportion to volume, so the price jumps quickly.
- For character-based models, it is practical to keep the size within a range where thin parts do not collapse, matched to the cost you are willing to pay.
The more detailed the design, the harder it is to reproduce when shrunk. When in doubt, set the size first by whether the thin parts meet the minimum wall thickness, and you will fail less often.
Minimum wall thickness and designing for detail
Thin, fine parts have a minimum wall thickness for each process — a "any thinner and it won't print" guide. One guide gives these process-by-process figures.
| Process | Minimum wall thickness guide |
|---|---|
| FDM | 1 mm (1.2 mm for Ultem types) |
| Optical (SLA / DLP) | 0.3 mm |
| Powder sintering (SLS / MJF) | 0.8 mm |
| Material jetting | 1.0 mm |
| Metal (DMLS / SLM) | 0.8 mm |
Another source, meanwhile, gives per-material recommendations of 2 mm for full-color gypsum, 0.5 mm for acrylic resin, 1 mm for nylon resin, and 1 mm for metal. As you can see, the figures differ by source. Because the standards vary with the service and the machine, always check the guidelines of the printing service you will actually use.
When designing for detail, these points also help you fail less often.
- Thin-part breakage: Fingers, weapon shafts, accessories, and other thin, slender shapes snap more easily. Keep to the minimum wall thickness, and where needed add local thickness or rethink the shape of joints.
- Support material: Complex curved pipe shapes and deep holes can leave support material that cannot be removed. Forcing removal can crack the finished piece.
- Data requirements: Data sent for 3D printing must be a "solid model" with all faces connected and closed. A mesh with holes or gaps is a common cause of failed prints.
Choosing by purpose
Working backward from what you want to prioritize makes the material easier to pick.
- Vivid color first: Full-color processes such as full-color acrylic and PA12 full color are candidates.
- Detail first: SLA/DLP resin is strong here. Color is added by painting afterward.
- Strength and easy handling: Materials strong against cracking and warping, such as PA12 full color and PETG, fit well.
- Try it cheaply first: The FDM family (PLA / PETG) is the easiest.
If you want both color and detail, PA12 full color and full-color acrylic are candidates, but they cost more. Deciding your budget and the one condition you cannot give up — color, detail, or strength — first makes the choice easier.
What Figmee can do
Figmee currently generates figurine-style images from an uploaded illustration and lets you download the 3D model data (GLB / 3MF). Physical 3D print ordering is in preparation (Coming Soon).
If you want to print, the flow is to send your exported 3D data to an external 3D printing service. Checking the material, size, and wall-thickness points in this article before you do keeps the finished result close to what you pictured. Start by building the 3D model in the browser, check the whole thing in 360°, and then consider the material to print in.
FAQ
If I print in full color, does it have color without painting?
With full-color processes such as full-color gypsum, PA12 full color, and full-color acrylic, the model comes out already colored. FDM and SLA/DLP resin, on the other hand, basically assume you add color by painting. The process splits along whether you want color straight out, or want to paint and finish it yourself.
Which material suits a character with lots of detail?
For fine detail, SLA/DLP resin is considered strong. If you also want color at the same time, full-color acrylic and PA12 full color are candidates, but they cost more.
Is smaller always cheaper?
Because cost at many services is roughly proportional to volume, smaller does tend to be cheaper. But if you make it too small, thin parts such as fingers and hair fall below the minimum wall thickness and may not print or may snap. Judge not only by price but also by whether the size still keeps the detail.
How much can I trust the figures?
The prices and minimum wall thicknesses here are rough guides as of July 2026 and differ by source. Because the real standards vary with the service and the machine, always confirm with the guidelines and quote of the 3D printing service you use before printing.
Summary
When you print an illustration- or character-based model, deciding first which of color, detail, strength, and price matters most makes the material easy to choose. As a guide: full-color processes for vivid color, SLA/DLP resin for detail, PA12 full color or PETG for strength and easy handling, and the FDM family to try cheaply first.
For size, choosing a range where the thin parts meet the minimum wall thickness helps you fail less. But because thickness and price standards vary by service, always check the guidelines of the one you use before printing. Build the 3D model data in Figmee, check the form in 360°, and then move on to printing in the material that fits your goal.