Tiny Maker, a palm-sized 3D printer from Hong Kong, that the makers claim could be your next best party trick. Launched as a Kickstarter by three mechanical engineers, the Tiny Maker is just 100 x 115 x 155 mm and weighs 600 grams.

Small and hopefully functional, the makers claim that this is a working 3D printer that only needs 5W of power to operate. Even a power bank is sufficient to power this mini printer, making it a truly mobile product. There’s even a neat carrying case that you can buy as an add-on.

With a build volume of 30 x 40 x 60 mm, the prints will not be huge, and with 320 x 240 pixels, we doubt they will look great either. However, this is the best attempt we have seen at making a portable resin printer. Early backers will also get a portable wash and cure station and a cute carry bag. We aren’t sure if the cure station also fits into the tiny bag.

While this is portable, we wonder if it is the best idea to print with something as messy as resin that emits toxic fumes at a social gathering. It just seems like a bad idea. The possible silver lining is that the Tiny Maker crew claims they will make the printer open source, which could be great for people who want to experiment and learn more about the printers themselves.

However, Kickstarter claims are best taken with a pinch of salt. We would remind our readers about ONO, a previous attempt at making a portable resin printer that ended up going bust despite being fully funded.

Deliveries Next Year

The team claims they have spent over two years designing, prototyping, testing, and optimizing TinyMaker. On the Kickstarter page, you can see their prototyping process, which has undergone several different stages. Currently, they have completed the testing of injection molds and fixtures. And ordered the first batch of parts from suppliers. High-precision CNC machines will produce all the metal parts used in the printer.

The printer isn’t costly. Early backers can pledge for one for $99, with the bag and the washing and curing station included.

Delivery is estimated to be February 2023, but we would always advise our readers that Kickstarter projects provide no guarantees — if you pledge, be aware that you might not receive the product or it might not be as described.

If you are looking for a low-cost resin printer, check out our Early Black Friday Deals page. The printers there aren’t tiny and cute, but they are real, and you can buy them now.