Best 3D Printer Resins You can Buy for SLA/DLP Printers

3D printers have fallen in price since first hitting the market. Now, tons of budget 3D printers make adoption much easier. When selecting a 3D printer, you'll have two main choices: resin-based 3D printers or filament 3D printers. Generally, filament printers or FDM printers feature slightly lower price tags. However, resin printing affords higher quality. For resin 3D printing, you'll want to select a quality resin. Check out the best 3D printer resin you can buy!

Top Liquid Resins You can Buy - What to Look for in SLA/DLP 3D Printer Resin

Purchasing SLA/DLP resins, like printer filament, comes with a few different considerations. Primarily, there's bottle size and resin color. What color you want and how much resin you require are important to keep in mind. However, you'll also want to contemplate post-processing, smell, cost, and print quality. While the majority of 3D printing resin requires a bath in isopropyl alcohol, water washable resins are increasingly common. 

3D printer resin considerations:

• Price
• Quantity (bottle size)
• Color
• Odor
• Post-processing
• Water washable vs. isopropyl alcohol washable
• Curing speed
• Print quality
• Toughness
• Printer compatibility
• UV wavelength compatibility

1. Elegoo Water Washable 3D Printer Rapid Resin - The Best 3D Printer Resin Money can Buy

The Elegoo Mars hit the market as the best resin 3D printer available. And the Elegoo Mars Pro ushered in a few small yet substantial incremental improvements which posited it as yet again the top liquid 3D printer. Accordingly, Elegoo's water washable 3D printer rapid resin is the greatest 3D printer resin you can find. 

While most resin prints require an isopropyl alcohol bath for post-processing, Elegoo's water washable LCD UV-curing resin only needs a dunk in water. Not having to swirl your prints around in IPA after printing reduces the mess associated with resin 3D printing. Plus, it utilizes a photopolymer resin that's engineered to minimize both printing time as well as volume shrinkage while curing. As such, Elegoo water washable liquid 3D printer resin generates high-quality prints that retain a smooth finish. Overall, if you're looking for a less messy resin, water washable resin is the way to go. 

Available colors: Grey

Sizes: 500ML, 1L

Pros:

• Water washable
• High-quality color
• 405nm rapid resin
• High precision, low shrinkage
• Compatible with most LCD/DLP printers
• Low odor

Cons:

• Pricey
• Thin prints may be brittle and easy to break
• Limited colors

2. Anycubic 3D Printer Resin - Best Plant-based Resin for SLA/DLP Printers

Despite its excellent quality, resin printing is pretty nasty. It's smelly, messy, and most resin is extremely toxic. There's a reason most resin printing requires gloves and a mask. Anycubic makes its incredible Photon resin printer, and its plant-based 3D printer resin is a must-buy for eco-friendly, low odor, safe 3D printing. Available in a variety of sizes and colors it's safe and low odor. Created using soybean oil, Anycubic plant-based 3D printer resin is free of BPA, VOCs, and other harmful chemicals. 

Moreover, you'll appreciate its quick curing and exposure time. With its 355nm-405nm UV light, there's compatibility with a smattering of 3D printers, from the Anycubic Photon and Elegoo Mars to Zortrax Inkspire and Monoprice MP Mini. Prints emerge durable and flexible. Post-processing might be a bit different. You'll still need to use an isopropyl alcohol bath. Supports may be slightly harder to remove than traditional resin though. Particularly for those sensitive to SLA/DLP 3D printer resin scents, Anycubuc's plant-based odor-free resin is the best choice. 

Available colors: Clear, Green, Orange, Translucent Green, Yellow

Sizes: 500ML, 1L

Pros:

• Affordable
• Lots of colors
• Multiple sizes
• Low odor
• Plant-based 3D printer resin: made of soybeans
• Eco-friendly
• No VOCs, BPA, or harmful chemicals
• Fast curing time and exposure time
• Compatible with 355nm-405nm UV light exposure
• Flexible, durable prints
• Compatible with most LCD/DLP printers

Cons:

• Slightly different post-processing

3. eSUN General Purpose Standard Photopolymer Resin - Best All-around SLA Resin

Available in a variety of colors including clear, grass green, sky blue, yellow, and white, eSUN general purpose standard photopolymer resin is tailored to LCD/LED SLA resin 3D printers. Compatible with the industry standard 405nm wavelength, it's a nearly universal resin that simply gets the job done. Low odor and non-toxic, there's superb hardness and little to no shrinkage. Additionally, the eSUN resin is great for everything from miniature models to larger prints. Unfortunately, some discoloration of prints may occasionally occur, particularly with clear resin and white. Further, prints might remain a little soft or rubbery feeling. Still, as its name suggests, eSUN's standard photopolymer resin is an excellent general purpose liquid resin 3D printing choice. 

Available colors: Clear, Grass Green, Yellow, Sky Blue, White

Sizes: 500ML

Pros:

• Low-odor
• Non-toxic
• Hard, low shrinkage
• General-purpose resin, great for prints of all sizes and shapes
• Compatible with most LCD/DLP printers
• 405nm wavelength light compatibility

Cons:

• Some discoloration with prints
• Occasionally soft or rubbery prints

4. Siraya Tech Blu - Best Strong SLA/DLP 3D Printer Resin

Most DLP/SLA resin is tough enough for the average user. However, for strong prints, Siraya Tech Blu offers the toughest 3D printer resin you can print with. Where Blu excels is at generating usable parts. If you need to print replacement items for around your house. Although it's made for LCD printers Blu works for DLP printers as well. Post-processing, from washing to curing, is easy enough. Whereas most standard and even premium resins focus on quality, Siraya Tech's tough resin is impact resistant. Prints come out looking gorgeous and are far more resilient than the average resin. As is to be expected, this resin is a little pricey. However, for strong prints, this is hands-down the top resin for the job. 

 Available colors: Blue, Clear

Size: 1L

Pros:

• Strong
• Excellent for making usable parts
• Great resolution
• Easy post-processing
• Compatible with most LCD/DLP printers

Cons:

• Pricey
• Limited colors/sizes

5. Elegoo ABS-Like 3D Printer Rapid Resin - Best Budget DLP/LCD 3D Printer Resin

Just as Elegoo manufacturers arguably the best budget liquid resin 3D printer on the market, so too does its ABS-like 3D printer resin truly excel. In fact, it's probably the most affordable 3D resin you can purchase. This was the first resin I ever bought, and I've used it multiple times. You'll find Elegoo's ABS-like liquid 3D printer resin in tons of colors, from blue and red to grey and green, as well as 500ML and 1L bottles. It's precise, features little to no shrinkage, and cures fast. Models are strong and colors vivid. But the most compelling quality is price. Clocking in at under $30 USD for a 500ML bottle of resin, this is an ultra-affordable 3D printer resin that simply works. 

Available colors: Clear Blue, Clear Red, Grey, White, Beige, Black, Blue, Clear Green, Maroon, Translucent, Yellow

Size: 500ML, 1L

Pros:

• Affordable
• Easy post-processing
• Bright colors
• High-quality
• Strong prints
• Low shrinkage, high-precision
• Compatible with most LCD/DLP printers

Cons: 

• Somewhat brittle prints

6. eSUN Water Washable Resin - A Great Water Washable Resin for LCD/DLP SLA Liquid Resin Printers

Water washable 3D printer resin is a hot trend in 3D printing. Like its general purpose resin, eSUN's water washable resin for LCD 3D printers is a superb choice. Resulting prints are hard with a 76D toughness. Shrinkage is minimal, precision high, and surfaces smooth. There's little to no odor, and you can buy this water washable eco-friendly resin in gray, black, beige, and white. Overall, this is an excellent liquid resin for eco-friendly prints that won't break the bank.

Available colors: Grey, White, Beige, Black

Size: 500ML

Pros:

• Low shrinkage, high-precision
• Strong prints
• Eco-friendly
• Low odor
• High-quality
• Water washable
• Compatible with most LCD/DLP printers

Cons:

• Pricey

7. Siraya Tech Fast ABS-Like Resin - Best Quick Printing Liquid Resin

While Siraya Tech's strong resin is perfect for usable objects, its appropriately-named fast resin is an awesome everyday resin. Indeed, this fast printing resin sports an impressive 6-8 second exposure time, with 40-45 second first layer exposure time. These savings over most resin exposure times add up, and you'll end up with prints that finish rather quickly while not compromising quality. As resin goes, the smell isn't obnoxious, and prints come out smooth as well as detailed. 

Available colors: Green, Grey, White

Size: 1L

Pros: 

• Very fast printing
• Strong prints
• High-quality
• Low odor
• Smooth finish
• Compatible with most LCD/DLP printers

Cons: 

• Not eco-friendly
• Limited colors/sizes
• Not water washable

8. Anycubic 3D SLA UV-Curing 3D Printer Resin - Best Colors and Size Options

For tons of color and size choices, Anycubic's 3D printer SLA UV-curing resin is a best pick. You can select 1L and 500ML bottles in an array of colors, from clear and black to blue, red, green, and grey. The entire printing process, from set up to post-processing, is easy and simple, colors remain vivid, and you have tons of size and color options. As such, this is a reasonably-priced resin that works with virtually any printer on the market. 

Available colors: Clear, Aqua Blue, Black, Green, Grey, Maroon, Orange, Beige, White

Sizes: 500ML, 1L

Pros: 

• Easy to use
• Tons of color options
• Multiple sizes
• Compatible with most LCD/DLP printers
• High-precision, low shrinkage
• Quick curing
• Affordable

Cons:

• Somewhat smelly
• Slightly brittle

The Best 3D Printer Resin You can Buy - Final Thoughts

Overall, there are loads of 3D printer liquid resins on the market. You'll want to select a 3D printer resin that fits your needs. For most purposes, almost any resin will do, and color is a main feature. However, for household applications, you'll want a stronger resin like the Siraya Tech Blu. If price is a limiting factor, Elegoo's ABS-like resin and Anycubic's 3D printer ABS-like resin are both affordably-priced. For washable resin, Elegoo and eSUN offer spectacular choices. Ultimately, no matter what your 3D printing requirements, there's a resin to fulfill your needs. 

Your turn: Which 3D printing resins do you suggest?