Reply To: Plastic is the future!

[limburger 22468xp 1]

@Wolfie65 I’ve heard that claim too.
I suspect that resin moulds don’t wear out as fast as metal, so they are more likely to have all the details as production increases?
I’m sure experts will know more about this.

As for painting issues with 3D prints … I’d say that is a design issue.
Keep in mind that 3D printing has lowered the barrier to getting miniatures made considerably, so the designers may not have developed the skills required to understand what is needed to make it easy to paint.

And consider that you essentially skip the mould design process which is a skill in itself. Maybe all the features required for making a good mould also make the figure easier to paint ?

(never mind that designers that do metal / resin minis tend to have decades of experience … so unless they transition to 3D printing that is a skill/experience gap that isn’t easy to compensate for by new creators)

tl;dr;

I doubt it is the materials, but a combination of skill and experience that isn’t as easy to acquire unless you have to paint the minis you produce yourself.