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Warhammer 40K is an expensive hobby. At $60-$85 per box of ten infantry models, assembling a 2,000-point list from retail is a serious financial commitment. Resin 3D printing changes that math considerably. A $30 bottle of resin and a few hours of print time produces the same volume of plastic as a $60 GW kit — and if you find the right STL files, at comparable or better detail quality.

The catch is that 40K has specific printing demands that not every resin printer handles equally. This guide is specifically about which printers work for 40K miniatures, what to look for, and what to avoid.

For the full process from printer setup through painting — see the complete beginner’s guide to resin printing. For choosing the right resin once you have a printer, the best resin for miniatures guide covers the main options.

What 40K Printing Actually Requires

Warhammer 40K presents a different challenge set than DnD. Where DnD demands scale range (tiny familiars to huge dragons), 40K demands something else. For DnD-specific printer recommendations that prioritize that range over batch production, see the best resin printer for DnD miniatures guide.

1. Consistent detail at 28-32mm heroic scale Modern 40K is in heroic 32mm. The muscles, armor trim, purity seals, and iconography on a Space Marine are tiny and densely packed. You need a printer that resolves that detail consistently across a full plate — not just in the center, not just on one printer in ten.

2. Batch production efficiency An infantry squad is ten models. A full troop choice is twenty to thirty models. You’re not printing one-offs; you’re printing armies. A small build plate that fits four infantry figures becomes tedious fast. Plate size matters for 40K in a way it doesn’t for a solo DnD player printing their character.

3. Thin feature durability 40K infantry have bolter barrels 1-1.5mm in diameter and antenna that extend 5-8mm above the model. These thin features stress both your resin and your support strategy. ABS-like resin is essentially mandatory for 40K models intended for play — standard resin snaps at the bolter barrel on the first drop.

4. Legal considerations GW actively monitors the STL space. Direct-print proxies for tournament play exist in a grey zone. For personal use at home games, most players don’t encounter issues. Use “inspired by” STL creators (Sci-fi Frontline, Makers Anvil, PrintMyMinis) rather than direct-copy files. The best STL sites guide has more on where to find quality 40K-compatible files.

The Recommendations

Best Overall: Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra

For 40K specifically, the Saturn 4 Ultra earns the top recommendation through a combination of plate size and resolution that no other printer at this price point matches.

The 218 × 123mm build plate fits 10-14 28mm infantry in a single print, which means a full tactical squad in one pass. That’s not a small thing when you’re staring down a 2,000-point list. The 16K mono LCD at 18µm XY resolution produces Space Marine armor trim, battle damage detail, and tactical markings that hold up to close inspection and paint — the fine channels around armor plates that make the difference between a miniature that looks good and one that looks great.

I print on the Saturn, and the thing that impressed me most when I moved from a smaller machine was how consistent the detail is across the full plate. Edge of the plate versus center: same result. That consistency matters when you’re printing an army.

The price is real — $400-$450 — but amortized over an army’s worth of resin, it’s not the barrier it seems.

Specs that matter for 40K:

Best for: Players building full 40K armies. The plate size is the argument — you need it for batch production.

Best Mid-Range: Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra

The Mars 5 Ultra produces 40K miniatures at 12K resolution (22µm XY) — which is genuinely excellent for 28-32mm heroic scale. A painted Space Marine off this printer is indistinguishable from a GW original at normal game viewing distance.

The limitation is plate size: 153 × 77mm fits 6-8 infantry at once. That’s workable but slow for army building. A ten-model squad requires two print runs plus a short third run for the overflow. Over a full army, that adds up.

If you’re painting one kill team (10-12 models) or a small Combat Patrol force and don’t plan to expand beyond that, the Mars 5 Ultra is the right choice. The resolution is there. The cost savings over the Saturn 4 Ultra ($150-$200 less) is real. The trade-off is time, not quality.

Specs that matter for 40K:

Best for: Kill team players, small army projects, players who prefer quality-over-volume.

Best Budget Entry: Anycubic Photon Mono 10K

The Photon Mono 10K sits in a different category than the old 4K recommendation. At ~$199 it’s not a throwaway entry point — it’s a real printer that produces real results. The 34µm XY resolution at 10K handles purity seals, armor trim, and bolter barrel detail better than 4K machines do. For basic infantry, it’s genuinely sufficient. For ornate elite models, it starts to show limits against the Mars 5 Ultra’s 12K output, but the gap is narrower than you’d expect from the spec sheet.

Where you feel the constraint is batch production. At 149 × 83mm, you’re printing 4—6 infantry at a time. A ten-man tactical squad takes two runs. Over a full 2,000-point list, that time adds up. If army-scale batch printing is the goal, the M7 Pro or Saturn 4 Ultra are the better answer. If you’re building a small kill team or a Combat Patrol force and want a capable printer without the Saturn’s price tag, the 10K earns its slot here.

The 4K generation had another problem beyond resolution: it no longer has a standalone US Amazon listing. The 10K does. That’s not nothing when you’re trying to return a defective unit or compare prices in a few months.

Specs that matter for 40K:

Best for: Kill team builds, small Combat Patrol projects, first-time printers who want real resolution without stepping up to the Saturn tier.

Large-Format Option: Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro

The M7 Pro occupies an interesting position for 40K: it offers large-format printing (196 × 122mm build plate) at a price point ($250-$300) below the Saturn 4 Ultra. For 40K players, that plate size matters — it’s close enough to the Saturn’s footprint that you can run 9-12 infantry per print.

The trade-off is print speed and surface consistency on large flat areas. Vehicle hulls, large bases, and terrain pieces show slightly more variance than the Saturn in extended print runs. For infantry-heavy armies, this is a non-issue. For players who also print vehicles (Land Raiders, Rhinos, big Tyranid monsters), the Saturn’s advantage becomes more relevant.

At the price, the M7 Pro is a strong value pick for 40K infantry-first builds.

Comparison Table

PrinterXY ResolutionBuild VolumeInfantry Per RunApprox. Price
Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra18µm218 × 123mm10-14$400-$450
Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro28µm196 × 122mm9-12$250-$300
Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra22µm153 × 77mm6-8$200-$250
Anycubic Photon Mono 10K34µm149 × 83mm4-6~$199

The Per-Mini Cost Argument

The core financial argument for printing 40K deserves actual numbers. A Space Marine Combat Patrol box (Intercessors + Assault Intercessors + Impulsor) retails at roughly $130 for ~30 models. That’s $4.33 per model.

A bottle of ABS-like resin (500ml, ~$20-$25 from Siraya Tech or Elegoo) contains enough material for approximately 80-100 28mm infantry models, depending on model complexity. That’s $0.22-$0.30 per model. Add consumables (FEP film, IPA for washing, electricity) and you’re at roughly $0.35-$0.45 per printed model.

At 40 models per army, the math is stark. GW retail: ~$175. Printed equivalent: $14-$18 in resin. The printer pays for itself in the first two armies and generates savings on every project after that.

The quality of STL files varies. GW’s original sculpts are exceptional. The best 40K-compatible STL creators (Makers Anvil, Sci-fi Frontline, Lord of the Print for Chaos) produce models competitive with GW quality at high-resolution printers. The budget tier STL files show under paint. Use a reputable creator and a 12K or better printer and the quality argument holds up.

Resin Selection for 40K

This deserves a section because the wrong resin makes 40K printing painful.

Standard resin is not appropriate for 40K tabletop models. A 2mm-diameter bolter barrel in standard resin snaps from a moderate drop. A thin antenna in standard resin breaks during support removal, before it ever sees the table.

Use ABS-like resin. The top options:

For display-quality named characters and centerpiece models, standard or water-washable resin may be acceptable (they don’t travel to game nights). For everything going on a tabletop and into a carry case, ABS-like.

More detail on the resin comparison in the best resin for 3D printing miniatures guide.

Support and Slicing Notes for 40K

40K infantry in heroic scale have specific support challenges:

Bolter barrels — These extend horizontally from the body and taper. They almost always need a manual support at the tip. Auto-supports miss them routinely. Check every gun barrel before sending to print.

Pauldrons (shoulder pads) — Large flat undersurfaces facing down. Susceptible to suction failure on the peel. Add anti-suction holes to the raft; some slicers do this automatically. If you’re seeing delamination on pauldrons, increase the light-off delay in your print settings.

Thin ornamental details — Purity seals, icons, scrollwork. At 18-22µm these print cleanly without supports in most orientations. At 35µm, very fine scroll detail may show layer artifacts on certain angles — rotate the model 5-10 degrees to change how the layers bisect those surfaces.

The Lychee slicer guide for miniatures covers slice settings specific to infantry models.

Where to Get 40K-Compatible STL Files

Some of the best legal sources for 40K-inspired miniatures:

The best STL sites for miniatures has the full breakdown with subscription cost comparisons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is printing 40K models legal? For personal home use, printing proxy models is generally tolerated by GW and the community. Using printed models in official GW tournaments is against tournament rules. Using them at your local game store or in home games is the norm. Don’t use direct copies of GW IP; use “inspired by” creators.

Do I need to prime resin 40K minis? Yes. Primer is not optional for resin. The primer layer gives paint something to adhere to — without it, paint will peel. For resin miniatures specifically, either a brush-on primer (Vallejo Surface Primer is the standard) or a rattle can primer (Chaos Black or a Tamiya fine surface primer) are the go-to options. See the primer comparison guide for the full breakdown.

What’s the best scale for printing 40K minis? Standard 40K is 28mm heroic scale. Most STL files designed for 40K print at that scale correctly at 100% size. Occasionally a file is designed for a different scale and needs to be resized — check the file’s description. When in doubt, print a single model at 100%, verify the base size matches standard 40K basing (32mm for infantry), and adjust from there.

How long does it take to print a ten-man squad? On a Saturn 4 Ultra printing at 150mm/h with a 60mm model height and proper orientation: approximately 1.5-2 hours per batch. A ten-man squad at that rate is one to two prints — call it 2-4 hours of actual print time. Curing and cleanup add another 30-45 minutes. Total time from files to washed and ready-to-prime: 3-5 hours for a full squad.