Marketed under many different names, ABS-like “tough resins” boast a high level of impact resistance. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is a plastic commonly used in toy manufacturing, personal protective equipment such as hard hats and helmets, and other uses where the object will be put through stress.

Brand: iFun is one of the few resin makers that list Elegoo by name as being compatible with their product.

Pricing: ~$60 (€53) for 1 kg

Colors available: White, grey, blue, purple, green, and more

iFun Tough Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

eSun Hard-Tough Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

A major advantage of 3D printing is its ease and speed in prototyping, and castable resin is a prime example.

For example, jewelers can print a model, use it to form a cement mold, and burn away the resin in a furnace, allowing the liquid metal to be poured into its place. A single 3D printed ring or brooch in this castable resin can form the mold for dozens in gold, silver, or other metals.

Brand: One of the best-known castable resins is Powercast’s Burn.

Pricing: ~$100 (€90) for 250 grams or $300 (€270) for 1 kg

Colors available: Limited, though not relevant for the final product

Anycubic Casting Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

One of the fastest-growing areas of commercial 3D printing is happening in your mouth. In the last decade, dental professionals have increasingly used resin printing to create everything from dental models to custom teeth-whitener trays. As with anything you want to put in your body, consult a professional before trying to make your own dentures.

Brand: Asiga has a range of specialty dental-applicable resins.

Pricing: ~$300 (€270) for 1 kg

Colors available: Depends on the usage; off-white for dentures, clear for trays, light pink for molds

Asiga Resins

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

Anycubic Dental Non-castable UV Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

Sometimes, you need to be a little flexible. FDM printers use thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a rubber-like material found on drop-proof mobile phone cases. TPU-like resin, often going under the line name “Flex”, can be similarly used for items where high elasticity and vibration absorption is needed, such as race car vehicle wheels.

Brand: Druckwege in Germany has developed a flexible resin specifically for UV printers.

Pricing: ~$90 (€80) for 500 grams

Colors available: Several (though Druckwedge only produces in black)

DruckWege Type D Flex Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

Whether you’re making safety reflectors for your night-time runs or spooky figurines for your tabletop roleplaying game, glow-in-the-dark effects are cool. FDM printers often have a hard time dealing with the additives to make the filament glow, wrecking tubing and hot ends. Lucky for you, your Elegoo Mars (and resin printers in general) can create armies of ghosts, ghouls, and goblins with no problems.

Brand: Liqcreate’s Hazard Glow works across multiple types of resin printers, including, of course, the Elegoo Mars

Pricing: ~$55 (€50) for 250 grams

Colors available: Limited (as it has to glow in the dark)

Liqcreate's Hazard Glow Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

The attributes that make 3D printing a superior method of testing ideas – small batch creation, no supply lines, and little extra infrastructure needed – make it a poor choice for mass manufacturing. High-temperature resins seek to bridge the gap, as they withstand temperatures suitable for use in traditional manufacturing methods, such as injection molds.

Brand: Sparkmaker’s LCD-H boasts the ability to withstand temperatures up to 320 °C, making it usable for most consumer-grade plastics, and even some metals.

Pricing: ~$90 (€80) for 500 grams

Colors available: Grey, clear, white, beige, light yellow, and black

The Elegoo Mars can’t print with metal, nor can any other LCD resin printer. But that doesn’t mean your printed objects can’t look like they’re made of metal. Metallic resins mimic the appearance of various types of metals, including gold, silver, brass, steel, and iron.

Brand: Dragon Resin’s Metalshine is a small line of metallic resins that includes dark grey metal, brass, and darkened brass.

Pricing: ~$33 (€30) for 500 grams or $60 (€53) for 1 kg

Colors available: Limited (just three options)

Using soybeans and similar plants as the setting agents for the resin, rather than traditional sources, makes this goop environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and best of all, non-toxic while printing. You’ll want to try out new methods of printing and experimenting with supports with this type of resin. If it fails, it can go into the compost rather than the landfill.

Brand: At the time of writing, Anycubic is the only commercially-available source for this resin.

Pricing: ~$50 (€44) for 500 ml or $70 (€62) for 1 L

Colors available: White, orange, violet, grey, pink, green, blue, black, clear, and more

Anycubic Plant-Based Resins

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

Resin that cures quickly has multiple benefits beyond a quick turnaround. The shortened time frame prevents shrinking and deformation of parts still soft from the bath. Use this resin if precision is needed, such as when making tools or components.

Brand: Sainsmart’s Rapid resin is a great choice.

Pricing: ~$70 (€62) for 1 L

Colors available: White, orange, grey, pink, green, black, clear, and more

SainSmart Rapid Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

True transparency is tricky with resin. Most transparent resins that claim to stay clear are for other kinds of printers, since UV light is integral to both the curing and yellowing processes.

Brand: ApplyLabWork’s MLSA Modeling Clear resin claims it has “minimum” degradation and, with the proper post-processing, can become clear.

Pricing: ~$82 (€74) for 1 L

Colors available: Limited (clear only)

Applylabwork Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

Anycubic Translucent UV Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

White is one of the most popular colors to print with, yet it’s one of the hardest for resin makers to get right. Often the milk-white of the resin will turn into old ivory or worse: an aged yellow color familiar to anyone who had video game systems in the early 1990s.

Brand: Fun to Do’s Snow White is a good one, but always check the reviews before you purchase.

Pricing: ~$70 (€62)

Colors available: Limited (white only)

Fun To Do Snow White Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

Resin printing is messy, as you’re dealing with chemicals that irritate the skin, eyes, and sinuses, smell awful, and can be dangerous. This type of resin seeks to address at least some of that by post-processing in water, rather than 90% rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits.

Brand: Elegoo has a range of water-washable resins in a variety of colors

Pricing: ~$35 (€31)

Colors available: White, yellow, grey, red, green, blue, beige, black, and more

Elegoo Water-Washable Resin

Commissions Earned Check price at

 

and 

There’s an almost endless variety of resins to experiment with and explore, but not all of them work with the Elegoo Mars or Mars Pro printers.

Here are a few tips to help you find more options:

• Look for compatibility with similar working models, like the AnyCubic Photon.
• Check for keywords like LCD UV or DUP (direct UV printing), another name for LCD printers.
• Try to find the words “405 nanometer” in the description (this is the wavelength that the LCD screen works at to cure the resin).

Keep your eyes open and don’t be afraid to try something new!