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Resin types: standard, tough, water-washable, flexible and more

Resin printing5 min readUpdated: 10/2026

are explained briefly when you hover over or tap them.

Resin is not just resin. As with filament, there is a cheap standard material for getting started and specialist resins for functional parts, jewellery casting or flexible parts. On hobby machines they all cure with light at around 405 nm. Check anyway whether your printer supports the resin, as some manufacturers state wider ranges.

The main types

TypePropertiesTypical forPrice per kg (approx.)
Standardcheap, easy to print, but brittle and not very heat-resistantfigurines, display models, prototypes€16 to €25
Water-washablecleaned with water instead of isopropyl alcoholgetting started without IPA€20 to €45
ABS-like, toughmore impact-resistant and durable, slightly harder to printfunctional parts, bracketsaround €50 (example: Phrozen Water-Washable Tough)
Plant-basedpart of the raw materials from renewable sources, often less smellas standardaround €27
Flexiblerubbery, bendablegrips, seals, wearablesaround €90 (example: Liqcreate Premium Flex)
Engineering, high-temperaturedimensionally stable under heatengineering, mould making€50 to €195
Castable resinburns out almost without residue in investment castingjewellery, dental, small metal partsfrom about €110

Prices from the shops of Elegoo, 3DJAKE, MediaMarkt and Formlabs, as of 12 October 2026, rounded, excluding shipping. Professional resins for cartridge systems cost considerably more.

A few figures for context: according to the data sheet, Elegoo Standard Resin has a tensile strength of about 34 MPa and an elongation at break of around 9 %. Formlabs Castable Wax Resin contains 20 % wax and leaves 0.0 to 0.1 % ash when burned out.

Two common misconceptions

Water-washable does not mean harmless. The safety data sheet for Anycubic Water-Wash Resin+ even warns of serious eye damage. You need gloves and safety glasses just the same, and the rinse water must not go down the drain. More on this under Safety in resin printing.

Plant-based does not mean biodegradable. The resin manufacturer Siraya itself writes that most plant-based resins are not yet fully biodegradable. According to its data sheet, a plant-based resin from Photocentric is classified as very toxic to aquatic organisms. Elegoo advertises its Plant-Based Resin as “biodegradable”, but we have not found independent evidence for this.

Storage

Resin belongs in a dark place, well sealed and not too warm. The manufacturers’ information differs:

  • Formlabs: 10 to 25 °C, protected from sunlight, for longer periods not in the vat but in a light-tight container
  • Elegoo: according to the data sheet best at 25 to 30 °C, shelf life 2 years, do not freeze
  • Anycubic: room temperature, protected from light and heat, shelf life 1.5 years

Shake the bottle well before printing and stir the resin in the vat, as pigments settle.

Temperature when printing

Cold resin becomes viscous. The consequences are supports tearing off, poor adhesion and failed prints. The manufacturers recommend:

ManufacturerRecommendation
Phrozenideally 24 to 30 °C; below 20 °C prints start to fail; between 18 and 24 °C increase the exposure by 20 %
Elegoo25 to 35 °C, below 20 °C failed prints are likely
Anycubic (Standard Resin V2)18 to 35 °C, preheating possible, but not above 60 °C
Formlabsprinters heat the resin to about 35 °C

As a rule of thumb: at least 20 °C, ideally about 25 to 30 °C, and always follow the information for your resin. Printers with vat or chamber heating help in winter and in cold rooms. You can see which machines offer this in the overview of resin printers.

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