Best Small Resin 3D Printer for Miniatures: 5 Picks

The best small resin 3D printer for miniatures is the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra ($269 on Elegoo’s US store in October 2026): a 7-inch, 18 µm machine with a tilting vat and auto-leveling on a 260 x 268 mm base. For less desk space, buy the Anycubic Photon Mono 4: 230 x 235 mm, 17 µm pixels, $240 on sale.

Small means two different sizes: the chassis that fits your desk and the build volume that fits your models. The five main picks below are four compact machines plus the larger Saturn for batches. Compare XY pixel size alongside footprint: the 9K, 10K and 16K labels describe pixel counts, not the space a printer occupies or the detail a finished miniature will retain.

Specs at a glance

Specifications are from each vendor’s page or the 3DJake listing linked below. Prices were checked on the makers’ US stores on 9 October 2026; the Elegoo figures are sale prices from its Mars series and Saturn series pages, and sale prices move often, so check the seller before ordering. Chassis dimensions come from the official product pages, with Phrozen’s centimetres converted to millimetres. Footprint is width x depth; the third dimension is closed-cover height, not operating clearance.

What counts as a small resin 3D printer?

A small resin 3D printer is a desktop MSLA machine with a 6.6 to 7.1-inch screen, a base of roughly 230 to 290 mm square and about 2 litres of build volume. The compact printers in this guide weigh 4 to 10 kg. A “Mini” name guarantees nothing: Phrozen’s Sonic Mini 8K S has the largest compact base here.

If the printer lives on a shelf, weight matters too: the Photon Mono 4 weighs 4 kg, under half the Mars 5 Ultra’s 8.8 kg.

Smallest resin 3D printers compared

The smallest machines in this comparison all sit on a base of about 230 mm square; what changes between them is the screen. This table adds two 6.6-inch 4K printers to the compact picks, sorted from smallest base up.

The Elegoo Mars 5 has the smallest base at 230 x 230 mm and keeps one-click auto-leveling, but its 4K panel draws 35 µm pixels, roughly double the Mono 4’s 17 µm, and it is USB-only at 70 mm/h. At $179 on Elegoo’s US store it is the cheapest small machine here. The Photon Mono 2 is the lowest at 390 mm, but Anycubic listed it as sold out at $209.

The three smallest bases differ by no more than 5 mm on any side. Spending that 5 mm on the Photon Mono 4 buys a 10K panel instead of a 4K one, so it remains the smallest printer here worth buying for faces and weapon edges.

Small resin 3D printers: footprint and desk fit

Among the five main picks, the Photon Mono 4 has the smallest published base at 230 x 235 mm and the lowest closed height at 391 mm. The Mono 4 Ultra occupies almost the same base but is 430 mm tall. Both list a 153.4 x 87 x 165 mm build volume, so choosing the smaller chassis does not sacrifice model capacity between those two.

The Mars 5 Ultra needs 260 x 268 mm of desk, while the Sonic Mini 8K S needs 290 x 290 mm despite its Mini name. The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K is the larger-capacity alternative at 327.4 x 329.2 x 548 mm. Choose it when its extra build area serves your batches, rather than assuming every miniature job needs that much printer.

Before buying a small printer, mark its base on the work surface and check the manual for cover movement and access. Plan separate space for the plate, wash containers, drying and curing equipment; the resin starter kit covers that workflow. A chassis fitting under a shelf does not establish that you can remove its cover or handle a dripping plate there.

Why pixel size matters more than the K number

An MSLA printer masks a 405 nm backlight through an LCD, so the smallest feature it can draw in XY is one pixel. Elegoo’s 9K panel is 8520 x 4320 at 18 µm; Anycubic’s 10K panel is 9024 x 5120 at 17 µm. One micron is not visible on a 32 mm figure. The 16K Saturn is 14 x 19 µm, finer on one axis and coarser on the other, and the larger axis limits the finest edge.

Layer height is the other half. AmeraLabs printed the same dragon at 100, 80, 50, 20 and 10 µm on a Mars 4 DLP and found 50 µm gave crisp edges with faint lines that vanished under primer; 20 to 10 µm was “very subtle, invisible post-paint”. Their times: 58 min at 100 µm, 2 h 18 min at 50 µm, 3 h 52 min at 20 µm and 7 h 27 min at 10 µm. Buy the pixel size first, then print at 0.05 mm.

How many 28mm miniatures fit on a small resin printer?

About four to eight supported 28mm figures fit on a 7-inch plate like the Mars 5 Ultra’s. PrintTuner’s Mars 5 Ultra notes say its 153 mm wide plate “fits a party of five 28mm heroes with room for bases” and point to the Saturn 4 Ultra for batches larger than six to eight.

Height is never the limit at this scale: the compact printers here offer 150 to 170 mm of Z. The tight axis is Y, at 72 mm on the Sonic Mini 8K S, 77.76 mm on the Mars 5 Ultra and 87 mm on both Photon Mono 4 models. PrintTuner notes that a part wider than 70 mm on one axis has to be rotated diagonally on the Mars plate.

Filling the plate costs little extra time: MSLA print time relies on the number of layers, which 3Dnatives notes is an advantage when printing multiple objects at once. The practical limit is plate area and how steeply each figure is tilted, which the support placement guide covers. For 28mm parties and small squads, the Mars 5 Ultra is the pick; past eight figures a plate, look at the Saturn.

Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra: the default pick for 28 to 75 mm figures

For single characters, squads of five or six, or 75 mm display pieces, buy the Mars 5 Ultra. The 3DJake spec sheet lists an 18 µm panel over 153.36 x 77.76 x 165 mm, a 25-LED COB source at 405 nm and 150 mm/h.

The screen is not why. Instead of lifting the plate to peel each layer, the Mars 5 Ultra tilts the vat, which lowers peel force on spear shafts and banner poles, the parts most likely to tear off a support on a conventional lift. It also self-tests and levels the platform before every print, so no leveling paper and no Z-offset guesswork. 3DWithUs printed 32 mm and 75 mm figures on the default 0.05 mm, 2.5 s profile, reported sharp detail and intact lattice work, rated it 4.8 out of 5, and quoted $338 list with a $269.99 direct-sale price. Their complaints: a plate that is awkward to clean between the stand-offs, and a stale demo file. Skip it for terrain or 10-figure batches; the 77.76 mm Y axis fills fast.

Anycubic Photon Mono 4 Ultra and Mono 4: same 17 µm screen, two budgets

Anycubic sells the same 10K panel in two chassis. The Photon Mono 4 Ultra is $344, pairs a COB source with a Fresnel lens, adds failed-print, resin-residue, resin-level and film-lifespan monitoring, and reaches 120 mm/h at 0.1 mm with High Speed Resin 2.0 (80 mm/h on standard resin). The 3DJake listing adds 153.4 x 87 x 165 mm, a 0.02 to 0.15 mm layer range, at least 3500 µW/cm² and USB, Wi-Fi and LAN. No tilt mechanism is listed, so the speed rides on the resin, not the peel. Pick it over the Mars for Ethernet, the extra 9 mm of Y, or a printer that pauses itself when a part detaches.

The plain Photon Mono 4 is the budget answer: the same 17 µm panel and volume for $252 ($240 on sale when checked in October 2026), with 4-point manual leveling, USB only and 50 mm/h on standard resin. Detail per pixel is identical. You give up speed and convenience, not the miniature.

Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S: 22 µm and USB only

The Sonic Mini 8K S is listed at $270 on Phrozen’s store: 7.1-inch 8K panel, 22 µm, 165 x 72 x 170 mm, 0.01 to 0.30 mm layers, 80 mm/h, manual leveling, USB only. On 9 October 2026 Phrozen showed it as backordered with a mid-December ETA. It may suit an existing collection of Phrozen resin profiles; compare the Mono 4 if footprint and pixel size are the priority.

Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K: for squads, terrain and busts

For ten figures a plate or a 200 mm bust, the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K is the pick: 10-inch 16K panel, 14 x 19 µm, 211.68 x 118.37 x 220 mm, 0.02 mm Z accuracy, 150 mm/h, USB and Wi-Fi. Elegoo launched it in January 2025 at $519.99 with the Mars-style tilt release, a tank heater that holds resin at 30 °C and a camera for failure detection; its US store listed it at $499 on sale against a $649.99 list price in October 2026. The heater matters: cold resin is the usual reason a winter print lets go of the plate, as our guide to resin prints not sticking to the build plate explains.

Creality’s HALOT-MAGE S is the non-Elegoo option, 10.1-inch 14K at 223 x 126 x 230 mm with USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but its pixels are 16.8 x 24.8 µm. That 24.8 µm axis is coarser than every 7-inch machine here: a volume buy, not a detail buy.

Mini 3D printer for miniatures: resin or FDM?

For 28mm miniatures, pick a small resin printer over a mini FDM printer: the detail is finer, and the mini FDM is not necessarily smaller. Bambu Lab’s A1 mini prints a 180 mm cube through a 0.4 mm nozzle, but its frame measures 347 x 315 x 365 mm, against 230 x 235 mm for the Photon Mono 4.

The detail gap is arithmetic: a 0.4 mm nozzle is roughly 18 to 24 times the width of a 17 to 22 µm resin pixel. A mini FDM printer suits terrain, bases and storage trays, where layer lines matter less and nothing needs washing or curing; our resin vs FDM guide weighs that trade.

Settings to start with, and how to check them

Start at 0.05 mm layers with the vendor profile for your resin, then run the test in our exposure calibration guide before trusting it. Siraya Tech, whose Fast resin is a common miniature choice, publishes per-printer profiles for Elegoo, Anycubic and Phrozen, recommends the Medium support preset for small prints and Heavy for large ones, wants resin above 20 °C, and specifies a 1 to 2 minute post-cure at 395 to 405 nm. Our wash and cure guide covers the solvent and timing.

To verify, print one figure at 0.05 mm and inspect the face, the weapon edge and the thinnest strap. Blurred eye sockets or bloated straps can indicate over-exposure; a strap that snapped at the support can indicate under-exposure or a peel problem. If you also run FDM, the layer height guide for FDM miniatures covers that process, and our resin vs FDM decision guide helps decide which process suits a part.

Who should buy which

• Single figures and small squads, minimum fuss: Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra, tilt vat and auto-leveling at 18 µm.
• Same size with Ethernet and self-pausing failure detection: Anycubic Photon Mono 4 Ultra at 17 µm.
• Tightest budget without giving up resolution, and the smallest sharp printer: Anycubic Photon Mono 4, $240 on sale, manual leveling.
• Smallest base and lowest price, accepting 35 µm pixels: Elegoo Mars 5, $179 on sale.
• Already invested in Phrozen resins and profiles: Sonic Mini 8K S, if it is in stock (Phrozen listed it as backordered, ETA mid-December, on 9 October 2026).
• Batches, terrain, busts: Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K. Skip the HALOT-MAGE S for detail work because of its 24.8 µm axis.

Related across the network

• Resin Types Compared: Which Anycubic Resin to Print With — anycubicguide.com
• Photon File Validator Is Archived: Use UVtools Instead — anycubicguide.com
• Best Filament for Beginners: What to Buy First — 3dfilamentguide.com

FAQ

Is a small resin printer good enough for miniatures?

Yes. For 28 to 75 mm figures a 7-inch printer gives up no XY detail: the Photon Mono 4’s 17 µm pixels are finer than the coarser 19 µm axis of the 10-inch Saturn 4 Ultra 16K. A small printer limits batch size instead, to roughly four to eight supported 28mm figures per plate.

What is the smallest resin 3D printer worth buying?

Of the printers compared here, the Mars 5 has the smallest base (230 x 230 mm) and the Photon Mono 2 the lowest height (390 mm), but both use 4K panels and the Mono 2 was sold out in October 2026. The 17 µm Photon Mono 4, at 230 x 235 x 391 mm, is the smallest sharp pick.

How much does a small resin 3D printer cost?

In October 2026 the small printers here ranged from $179 to $344 on their makers’ US stores: Elegoo Mars 5 $179 on sale, Photon Mono 4 $240 on sale, Mars 5 Ultra $269 on sale, Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S $270 (backordered) and Photon Mono 4 Ultra $344. Budget extra for resin, wash solvent, gloves and curing.

Do you need a big resin printer for 28mm miniatures?

No. Every compact printer here has at least 150 mm of Z height, far more than a 28mm figure needs even tilted on supports. A larger machine such as the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K, with a 211.68 x 118.37 mm plate, pays off for batches above six to eight figures, terrain pieces and busts, not for finer detail.