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Resin 3D Printing Essentials: My Gear and Why I Chose It

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Resin printing is not like FDM. The learning curve is steeper, the post-processing is non-negotiable, and the smell will remind you that you’re working with chemicals. But the detail quality is in a completely different league — and once you’ve dialed it in, it’s remarkably consistent.

Here’s everything I use and why.

The Printer: Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra

The Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra is where I landed after going through earlier Mars generations. The key improvements over older models:

  • 12K mono LCD — sharper detail than most people will ever need, but you notice it on small mechanical parts and miniatures
  • Improved tilt mechanism — smoother layer separation means fewer failed prints on tricky geometries
  • Better exposure uniformity — the LCD backlight distribution on earlier printers caused artifacts toward the edges of larger prints; the Ultra is noticeably better here

The build volume is 218.88 × 123.12 × 220mm — medium-sized for resin. More than enough for most functional parts and all the miniatures you could ever want.

If you’re newer to resin printing, the Mars 5 Ultra hits a sweet spot: high-end results without the price tag of a Phrozen Sonic Mighty or Saturn 4 Ultra.

Wash & Cure: Elegoo Mercury Plus V2.0

The Elegoo Mercury Plus V2.0 is the station I’d recommend to pair with the Mars line. It handles both washing and curing in one unit, which matters more than it sounds — having two separate devices on your bench is annoying.

  • Wash mode: rotating basket in IPA, fully enclosed so you’re not losing solvent to evaporation or spreading resin everywhere
  • Cure mode: UV turntable, adequate LED coverage, built-in timer

A few things to know:

  • Use clear 91%+ IPA for washing. Denatured alcohol works but isn’t as clean. Avoid isopropyl below 91% — the water content slows cleaning and can leave residue.
  • Replace your wash IPA before it gets murky brown, not after. Dirty wash liquid deposits cured resin particles back onto your print.
  • Cure time varies significantly by resin — follow the resin manufacturer’s guidelines, not a generic number.

Functional Parts Resin: Anycubic ABS-Like Pro V2.0

Most standard resins are brittle. They look great, survive being on a shelf, and crack the moment you apply any mechanical stress. If you’re printing anything that needs to flex, snap-fit, bear a load, or survive being dropped — you need a different resin.

The Anycubic ABS-Like Pro V2.0 is what I reach for when the part needs to actually work:

  • Impact resistance meaningfully better than standard resin
  • Slight flex — it doesn’t shatter under sudden load
  • Matte finish — looks more like an injection-molded part than a glossy print
  • Prints at standard exposure settings with minor tuning; no exotic cure times needed

I use standard resin for display pieces, miniatures, and anything that doesn’t see stress. ABS-Like Pro V2.0 for brackets, enclosure parts, custom mounts, tool holders — anything functional.

For the absolute highest-strength resin prints, look into Siraya Tech Blu (for mix-in use) or AmeraLabs AMD-3 — but both require more dialing in. ABS-Like Pro V2.0 is the practical everyday choice.

Safety: The Stuff Nobody Talks About Enough

Resin is genuinely hazardous. Uncured resin is a skin sensitizer — meaning repeated exposure without protection can cause you to develop an allergy, and once you develop it, it doesn’t go away. Be serious about this.

Minimum required:

  • Nitrile gloves — not latex, not bare hands, always nitrile. Keep a box next to the printer. 50-count nitrile gloves
  • Safety glasses — UV curing light is real UV. Don’t stare at it.
  • Ventilation — at minimum, crack a window. Ideally, have airflow moving away from your face and toward a vent or window. A small exhaust fan pointed out a window is cheap insurance.
  • UV-resistant storage bags — prints waiting to be washed go in an opaque bag, not sitting on your bench where ambient UV starts curing them irregularly.

Disposal:

  • Never pour uncured resin or contaminated IPA down the drain.
  • Leave used IPA in a clear container in sunlight until the resin particles cure and sink, then filter and dispose of the solid resin in the trash. The clarified IPA can be reused a few more times.
  • Cured resin (solid) goes in the trash. Liquid resin goes nowhere except a proper hazmat collection.

Quick Reference List

ItemPurposeLink
Elegoo Mars 5 UltraPrinterAmazon
Elegoo Mercury Plus V2.0Wash & CureAmazon
Anycubic ABS-Like Pro V2.0Functional parts resinAmazon
Nitrile gloves (box of 50)SafetyAmazon

Resin printing rewards patience and process. Set up a clean workflow, respect the chemistry, and the results are genuinely impressive. The Mars 5 Ultra and a solid ABS-like resin will take you very far.