HERO FORGE
3D Printed Miniature Material, Care, and Painting Guide
Thank you for using Hero Forge, the internet’s home for customizing and 3D printing tabletop miniatures and statuettes. The age of bespoke, made-to-order
products is just beginning, and we’re thrilled to be bringing that revolution to the tabletop.
We’ve written this guide in an effort to briefly cover the features of our materials, offer tips for how to get the most out of your mini, and provide advice for the
painting process. Read on for a summary of the material properties and a ‘care and painting’ guide. We have shared our experiences and impressions about the
materials, but note that Hero Forge does not give any warranty about the models and does not guarantee that the model will be fit for any particular purposes.
Cheers,
CARING FOR YOUR 3D PRINTED MINI
Upon Receiving Your Miniature
Our miniatures will arrive with an order number printed on the bottom of the model’s base or, in the cases where a plastic model is
printed without a base, on a tab attached to the bottom of your model’s foot. This “tag number” is included to ensure that all prints are
easily sorted into their correct shipments. Tabs may be removed or broken off. Removing the tab can be easily accomplished with a
wire cutter, scalpel, or carefully twisting it off. Generally, detailed plastic prints will snap off cleanly, while Durable Plastic is more
flexible and may need to be twisted several times.
Miniatures should be gently cleaned with warm water and dish soap, or a degreasing cleaner, before painting. Our painters have
found that they often prefer to use a toothbrush for this process, allowing the bristles to reach into recessed areas like the
underside of skirts or areas between the arms. This will allow paint to better adhere to the surface of the miniature, and clean
away any leftover residue from the manufacturing process.
Caring for Your Mini
At present, 3D printed plastics tend to be lighter and less durable than injection molded plastics, and should be handled with care.
Though they can be used for gentle tabletop play, throwing 3D printed miniatures into a dice bag for transportation is not advisable.
Long, thin features like swords or staffs are the most subject to potential breakages, but do note that our Detailed Plastic material
tends to break by snapping cleanly rather than shattering, so it is often possible to make repairs with glue.
What Material is right for you?
Each of our materials have strengths and weaknesses. Read on for more in-depth information, but to
summarize: our Durable Plastic is more flexible and durable than our Detailed Plastic, but can be bent or broken
if treated roughly. Our Detailed Plastic can be slightly brittle, especially for long, thin features like swords. If
dropped onto tile from high up, for example, it may break. As such, we recommend Durable Plastic for those
who want to be a little more carefree with their handling during play, and detail for those who want high quality
display pieces or don’t mind handling their print more gently. Out steel material is our strongest option, and it
can easily be thrown in a dice bag for transportation. Its rough, pitted surface makes it less suitable for painting.
Bronze is both very detailed, very strong, and smooth, making it ideal for tabletop gameplay, painting, or display.
Production Process Artifacts
All production methods have their own quirks. The traditional injection mold technique used for most
miniatures can have artifacts like flash lines or air bubbles. 3D printing, though it afford many advantages
over the injection molding process, is subject to some manufacturing artifacts as well. See the individual
material descriptions for in-depth information about each material’s properties, and any potential production
artifacts they may be subject to.
Photo of painted Hero Forge miniature courtesy of Invictus Art Studio
OUR MATERIALS – Strong Plastic
Minis start at
$14.99
Strong Plastic at a Glance:
Durability:
Detail:
Paintability:
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(Ultimate Tensile Strength: 48MPa)
(± 0.15 mm, then ± 0.15 % of longest axis)
(very porous, sandpapery surface)
Material Description
Our Strong Plastic miniatures arrive an opaque white color with a light sandpapery texture. They are made of a light, nylon-based plastic which is a bit more
flexible and stronger than our detailed plastic. This material is porous, making it more difficult to paint with a brush. Compared to our Detailed Plastic, details
will be softer, and fine features like facial detail will be indistinct at 30mm scale. This material becomes more durable at larger scale, making larger statuettes
more rugged, while smaller miniatures may be less durable. 2x and 4x scale statuettes are printed in this material and undergo an additional “polishing” process
to smooth out surface roughness. These minis are printed using the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process, a 3D printing technique where models are built up
from layers of nylon powder which are hardened layer by layer. Once the print is finished, it is pulled from the surrounding layer of unhardened nylon powder.
Production Process Artifacts
Strong Plastic is built from very thin layers of nylon powder which are hardened layer by layer. This can sometimes result in a faint “stair stepping” pattern and
can warp or obscure very small details. Some small details, such as lips or nose, may be slightly warped or indistinct at 30mm scale.
OUR MATERIALS – Ultra Detail Plastic
Minis start at
$24.99
Ultra Detail Plastic at a Glance:
Durability: ●○○○○
Detail:
●●●●●
Paintability: ●●●●○
(Ultimate Tensile Strength: 26.2 MPa)
(± 0.1mm - .02mm)
(slightly porous, textured surface)
Material Description
Our Ultra Detail Plastic arrives a slightly translucent, like frosted glass. The material is subject to variations in clarity and tint. It is very light and somewhat
brittle, but captures very fine detail like bold facial expressions, even at 30mm scale. This material is ideal for users who want a high level of fidelity to their 3D
design, or have created smaller character or chosen equipment with subtler detail. Less durable that our Strong Plastic, but smoother in texture and with sharper
details. It is more suitable for painting and for high-quality display pieces. It should be handled gently during tabletop play. These minis are made using the
MultiJet Modeling (MJM) process, a 3D printing process where miniatures are pulled from a pool of liquid acrylic plastic which is hardened, layer by layer, with a
UV light. A secondary, wax-like support material that allow for overhanging parts or recessed detail. Once completed, the support material is cleaned away.
Production Process Artifacts
Ultra detail plastic miniatures may have patches with a more frosted texture from where the print was in contact with its support material. This can range from
being primarily an aesthetic variation which becomes indistinct once sprayed with primer or painted, or it some a rougher texture that obscures some details.
OUR MATERIALS – Steel
Minis start at
$34.99
Steel at a Glance:
Durability: ●●●●●
Detail:
●●○○○
Paintability: ●●○○○
(Ultimate Tensile Strength: 682 MPa)
(± 5% of any dimension and one layer thickness of 0.1mm)
(non-porous, rough, pitted surface)
Material Description
Our Steel material is a brownish color with a rough, pitted surface. It is heavy and durable, though it has a rough, pitted texture which may obscure some detail. It
is water-tight, so, so it does not “drink” paint as some porous plastics do. This material is ideal for users who want the ability to throw their mini into a dice bag for
transportation, or simply want a mini that will stand the test of time. These minis are created using special 3D printers that bind layers of steel powder together with
adhesive. The finished model then goes through a bronze infusion process which replaces the adhesive with metal, resulting in a fully metal product. The material
is 3D printed from 420 stainless steel, and is then infused with bronze to finish the print, resulting in approximately 60% steel and 40% bronze composition.
Production Process Artifacts
Steel miniatures may require the addition, and removal of, support structures during the bronze infusion process. This sometimes results in small marks where
support wires had been introduced and then clipped away before polishing. The bronze infiltration varies from print to print, resulting in some variety in coloration,
ranging from very dark brown to a lighter brownish gold. Models with large overhangs may require support structures to be printable, unlike our other materials.
OUR MATERIALS – Bronze
Minis start at
$99.99
Bronze at a Glance:
Durability: ●●●●●
Detail:
●●●●●
Paintability: ●●●●○
(Ultimate Tensile Strength between 420-700 MPa)
(± 0.125 mm)
(smooth, non-porous surface)
Material Description
Our bronze material is a rich polished copper color. It very heavy and the hand-polishing process leaves them with superior smoothness and sheen. Our bronze
material captures very fine detail which can include things like bold facial expressions, even at 30mm scale. Polished bronze goes through a multi-step polishing to
give it its smooth, glossy finish. This material is ideal for users who want the maximum level of fidelity to their 3D design, strength and durability, and a beautiful,
long-lasting model. These minis are made using the lost wax method, where a wax mold is 3D printed to create a cast in plaster. Molten bronze is poured into the
cast, and the cast is broken away. This bronze is made up of 10% tin and 90% copper. Once it has cooled, the model is polished until it has a smooth, bright
luster. This polishing process uses a combination of machine and hand polishing to provide its smooth finish.
Production Process Artifacts
Our bronze miniatures are created using the lost wax method. This may result in interior or recessed detail having slightly lower fidelity than exterior detail.
Additionally, the polishing process, though it results in fantastic smoothness and a superior finish, can sometimes dull some finer details, like facial expression, or
not reach deeply recessed surfaces, like the underside of capes or skirts.
PAINTING YOUR 3D PRINTED MINI
How to Paint Your Figure
This tutorial is intended for adults, and that painters should always take full precautions to ensure they
work in a well-ventilated area, and have a safe, clear, and clean work space.
Before you begin painting, be sure to gently clean your miniature with warm water and dish soap or a
degreasing cleaner. This will remove any dust, dirt, or residue left over from the manufacturing process. Allow
it to dry. Then you can apply a light layer of miniature paint primer (the very same kind one would use on any
other miniatures) to help additional layers of paint to adhere to your model. We have used both spray primer and
thinned brush-on primer to great effect. Other users have reported that a light layer of acrylic varnish, or a gesso
dip also serves well as pre-painting preparation. This can help smooth out the frosted or porous texture, though it
may result in a slight loss of detail. Allowing your figure to dry and then applying a second layer of primer or paint can
improve smoothness and color depth, but this can fill in finer, most subtle details.
Normal acrylic miniature paints from all popular brands work well on our figures. Feel free to try multiple layers of paint,
or thinning your paint with water to find what works for you. Note that 3D prints tend to be more textured and a less
smooth than injection molded plastics. As a result, techniques like ink washes tend to be less effective.
Also note that Hero Forge prints are not subject to the limitations to pose and posture that an injection molded mini might
be, allowing for more natural, human poses, and more realistically shaped clothes. We believe this provides a level of
realism that has been lacking in miniatures for some time! Take note, though, that this can make some areas
difficult to reach with a brush, like the underside of skirts and capes or other recessed areas. Plan accordingly as
you design your miniature in 3D.
Summary of Tips:
 Gently clean your mini with warm water and dish soap and allow it to dry before
painting.
 Prime your mini before painting. Regular mini primer works well. “Leveling”
primer or “filler” primer will provide smoother results, though at the cost of losing
some finer detail. A coat of acrylic varnish also works great as primer on “strong
plastic” to seal the porous texture.
 Regular acrylic model paints or miniature paints work great: try watering them
down for finer coats.
 Accidental breakages on plastic minis can often be repaired with super glue It
takes longer than usual to cure, but results in a strong bond, even more durable
than before the break.
 A layer of acrylic varnish on the finished, painted mini can reinforce it.
 Finishing “ink washes” can have variable results, given the slightly rougher
texture on some materials.
Photo of painted Hero Forge miniature courtesy of Invictus Art Studio