Let's Talk About 3D Printing Warhammer

Let's talk about 3D printing Warhammer — meaning tabletop miniatures games. Warhammer 40,000 is the most popular game and model range, followed by Warhammer: Age of Sigmar. Both are designed and published by Games Workshop.

Copyright and IP: what you can and can't print

Games Workshop owns the intellectual property, setting, rules, and models for Warhammer. Selling a 3D-printed model as a "Warhammer" model is a copyright violation. Making an exact replica of a Games Workshop model is also a copyright violation.

What you can do: print proxy miniatures. When playing with friends or at a local store, you use different models that you have printed yourself — "Space Soldiers" instead of "Space Marines," for example. The community of independent designers creating miniatures for tabletop games is enormous. Many hobbyists find models they prefer over official ones. There are also games with open licensing and community-supported model libraries.

FDM or resin for miniatures?

FDM printers (filament-based) are generally better for larger terrain pieces and structures. They are faster and the material cost is lower, but layer lines are visible at standard miniature scale.

Resin printers (SLA/MSLA) deliver significantly finer detail resolution and are the choice for most miniatures hobbyists who want print quality comparable to injection-molded plastic. The tradeoff is that resin printing involves chemical fumes that require active ventilation and protective equipment.

Safety for miniatures printing

If you are printing miniatures with resin, the fumes are a real hazard. Resin releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) throughout the entire process — during printing, when you open the lid, during IPA washing, and during UV curing. These compounds include acrylates that can cause permanent chemical sensitization with repeated exposure.

Ventilation is required. Connect your printer's exhaust to a duct that vents outdoors. Wear gloves and a respirator with organic vapor cartridges whenever you handle wet resin or uncured prints. Do not stay in the room while the printer is running.

For ELEGOO resin printer owners: 3D Venting builds ventilation systems designed to connect to your printer's exhaust port and vent fumes outdoors. No DIY required.