How a 3D Resin Helped an Anime Figure Studio Achieve Business Upgrade

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

     2026.03.05                          NextShapes,Hight Resolution 8K Pro,3D Printing                ＜1 minute                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

 

 

A high precision 3D printing service provider based in Southern China, this studio specializes in printing anime figures and design validation models. The company was born out of a model enthusiast's pursuit of "extreme details" during the pandemic. What started as a niche hobby for personal enjoyment has now grown into a professional service point, accepting orders from domestic and international sculptors and trendy toy brands.

 

Currently, the studio focuses on rapid prototyping and small-batch production services for IP derivative product companies, independent sculptors, and industrial design teams. To meet the market's urgent demand for high precision and low cost, the team recently introduced NextShapes' Hight Resolution 8K Pro 3D resin. It integrated it with their existing LCD/DLP printer cluster, significantly improving the 3D printing success rate and surface texture for complex models.

 

We interviewed the founder of the studio, Mr. Lin, to hear how he combined his over ten years of model-making experience with his stringent material requirements, leveraging a high-performance material to unlock a whole new niche market.

 

From "Passion Project" to Professional Orders: Choosing the Right Material is Key

The studio was established in 2022, but the 3D printing story began much earlier. Like many seasoned hobbyists, Mr. Lin would buy official anime figures and think, "It would be great to modify it into a unique design myself." As LCD consumer-level printers became more accessible, he bought his first machine and started sharing his 3D printed GK (garage kit) pieces online.

 

"At first, it was purely for fun, and I used the cheapest materials. But soon, problems started to arise—broken hair strands, weapon details getting blurred, and parts breaking when washed," Mr. Lin recalled. The turning point came when he had the chance to make prototypes for a local sculptor. The sculptor praised the detailed accuracy of his 3D prints but pointed out that the surface's subtle layer lines and the brittleness of the material didn't meet the requirements for sample submission.

 

 

"That was when I realized, if I wanted to turn this hobby into a business, I couldn't cut corners on materials. We needed a 3D resin that could deliver both high precision 3D printing and ensure success rates and strength—a 'hexagonal warrior' material," Mr. Lin said.

 

Combining LCD Technology and 8K Resin to Redefine Anime Figure 3D Printing Standards

The diverse printer cluster, combined with specialized high-performance 3D resin materials, enables the studio to handle the entire process, from design validation to final product delivery.

The studio currently owns over ten LCD/DLP 3D printers of varying sizes. Before introducing NextShapes Hight Resolution 8K Pro, they often had to make painful trade-offs between "printing speed" and "detail performance." This was especially problematic when printing female character figures with intricate lace edges, flowing ribbons, and subtle facial expressions. The precision limitations of standard 3D printing materials were particularly evident.

 

"We have a sculptor we've worked with for a long time, and his biggest pet peeve is the 'soft' feeling—details getting blurred. We used to 3D print his dragon-scale armor with regular gray resin, but the edges of the scales always had a curve, and weren't sharp enough," Mr. Lin explained. "After switching to Hight Resolution 8K Pro, the first time we printed that set of scales, we inspected the cross-section under a magnifying glass. The edges were vertical and sharp. He looked at the 3D printed result and said, 'This is exactly the effect I wanted."

 

 

Thanks to the 3D resin's extremely low shrinkage rate and excellent critical exposure parameter window, it perfectly reproduces pixel details from an 8K resolution screen. Whether it's a 0.2mm thick sword hilt wrapping or eyelashes that need to be 3D printed in mid-air, everything can be formed in one go.

 

"This 3D resin has a very high tolerance, with a 3D printing success rate close to 100%. For anime models, which are full of fine supports and fragile structures, this directly determines whether we can take on complex orders."

 

 

Steam Cleaning and Red Wax Texture: The Invisible Advantages of Hight Resolution 8K Pro

In the field of 3D printed anime figures, printing is only the first step; post-processing is the true battleground for showcasing "premium quality." Standard rigid 3D resins often become sticky or gray after cleaning and secondary curing, and they can easily crack during sanding.

 

"What surprised me most about Hight Resolution 8K Pro is its 'red wax' texture," Mr. Lin shared. This 3D resin has a warm, smooth hue and fine touch similar to traditional casting wax straight after 3D printing. Thanks to its optimized formula, alcohol cleaning easily removes residual 3D resin without leaving white marks in crevices.

 

 

"Easy cleaning means less time spent cleaning the parts and, more importantly, reduces the risk of detail breakage caused by improper cleaning," Mr. Lin added. After secondary curing, the 3D printed material's hardness is excellent, and during sanding, it crumbles into powder rather than chunkily peeling off. This makes the subsequent processes of filling and spraying much smoother.

 

This seamless experience across the 3D printing, cleaning, and post-processing stages forms the core competitiveness of the studio. For anime models that demand the highest surface quality, they can skip complex polishing and go straight into the painting phase, which has earned them many orders from professional painters.

 

Replacing Traditional Processes with 8K 3D Resin in the Anime Figure Industry

Although the studio also takes on industrial design verification orders, the founder's passion has always remained in the anime and game peripheral fields. For them, creating exhibition samples for trendy toy studios or customizing limited-edition GK kits for experienced collectors is a more challenging and exciting business than mass production.

 

In traditional anime figure molding, after the prototype is made, it goes through a complicated silicone molding process (mold-making), which is not only time-consuming but also loses many details painstakingly sculpted by the original creator. This is especially problematic for complex structures with overhanging parts, where the division line between molds becomes tricky.

 

"Last month, we took an order to replicate a magical staff from a classic game. The original model had lots of tiny runes and gem slots. If we used traditional molding, these runes would have been hard to make out," Mr. Lin demonstrated with the 3D printed product. "We directly used Hight Resolution 8K Pro to 3D print 50 finished staff, then sanded and painted them for delivery. The client compared the 3D printed pieces with the traditional molded ones and said, 'The runes you 3D printed look like they were carved, while the molded ones look like they were drawn on.'"

This direct-use 3D printing method is revolutionizing the production model for small studios and independent creators. No need for expensive steel molds or waiting for mold-making processes; digital files directly turn into physical 3D printed objects.

 

 

Using Modern 3D Printing Technology to Replace Long Mold-Making Cycles

For the studio's clients, the biggest benefit of choosing 3D printing is "speed." This advantage is decisive, especially during the design validation phase.

 

"One time, a toy design client suddenly decided three days before the exhibition that the character's expression wasn't 'evil' enough. He wanted to change the face," Mr. Lin recalled. "In the past, this would have been impossible, as changing a face meant altering the silicone mold. But that night, we received the revised file and 3D printed three different angles of the head sculpture with Hight Resolution 8K Pro. The next morning, he received the models, picked the one he liked, and took it to the exhibition in the afternoon."

 

If traditional CNC machining or injection molding had been used, changing the expression would have required at least a week and a high mold modification fee. The rapid iteration ability of 3D printing gives designers unprecedented freedom in their creative process.

 

"This speed, combined with the surface quality provided by 8K Pro 3D printing, is the value we bring to the table," Mr. Lin concluded.

 

Starting Small and Using Material Upgrades to Achieve Business Leap

For Mr. Lin, NextShapes' Hight Resolution 8K Pro is more than just a bucket of 3D resin; it's a springboard for achieving a business model upgrade.

 

"When I first started my 3D printing journey, I just wanted to get something printed. Later, when taking orders, I just wanted to 3D print it 'out.' Now, it's different—we want it to be 3D printed 'well,' to look 'like it,' and to have a 'premium feel,'" Mr. Lin said. "In the past, to pursue high precision 3D printing, we tried very expensive imported 3D resins, but the cost was overwhelming; we tried cheap ones, but after-sales issues were a headache. Hight Resolution 8K Pro's position is perfect for studios like ours—it's cost-effective, with high-end performance, allowing us to guarantee profits and deliver stunning 3D printed results to clients."

 

Currently, the studio is experiencing its most stable period of growth since its establishment. They've recently moved to a larger facility and plan to expand their 3D printer cluster in the second half of the year, continuing to use NextShapes' high-performance 3D resin throughout.

 

"The relationship between 3D resin and 3D printers is like gasoline and an engine. The machine determines how fast you can go, while the material determines how far you can go without breaking down," Mr. Lin said. To meet the growing demand for customized figures and rapid prototyping, he plans to make Hight Resolution 8K Pro a standard for most of their equipment, ensuring that all 3D printed output meets "exhibition-level" standards.