How to Print Resin Miniatures for Board Games: Gloomhaven, Frosthaven, and Beyond
Upgrade your board game minis with resin prints: scaling, batch printing a full cast on a Saturn plate, durable resins, and fast paint for table play.
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Board game miniatures have a problem. The plastic that ships with most dungeon crawlers is serviceable enough to tell you where a figure is on the board, but it does not do much else. Gloomhaven’s monsters are identifiable lumps of grey plastic. Frosthaven’s figures have detail that disappears in the mold. Some games still ship cardboard standees for their entire creature roster. None of this is what you imagined when you backed the Kickstarter.
Resin printing fixes it. The same MSLA printer that tabletop hobbyists use to produce Warhammer infantry can print an entire board game’s creature roster at a level of detail the original manufacturer could never hit at that price point. This is not a wargaming-community thing. It is a board gamer thing. You already own the game. You just want the minis to match the art on the cards.
This guide covers the board-game-specific workflow: how scaling works, how to batch a full monster set on a single plate, which resin survives game nights, and how to paint figures that get handled constantly rather than displayed. If you are new to resin printing entirely, start with the beginner printing guide and come back here. This guide assumes you have run a plate or two already. And before anything else, read the resin printing safety guide. Resin is a skin sensitizer and the PPE requirements do not change because the end goal is a game night rather than a painting competition.
What You Actually Need
You do not need a specialized setup for board game printing. An Elegoo Saturn or similar Saturn-class MSLA printer, a standard ABS-like resin, and Chitubox or Lychee for slicing is everything. The Saturn’s build volume (192mm x 120mm x 200mm) is particularly good for this workflow because you can batch 8 to 12 standard infantry figures on a single plate run.
If you do not have a printer yet, the best budget resin printer guide covers what to look for and which entry-level machines are worth the money. For most board game printing, you do not need a premium resin printer. You need a machine that produces consistent results at 28mm scale.
Resin choice matters more for board game use than for display printing. More on that below under durability.
Sourcing STLs: The Legal Landscape
Board game publishers vary wildly in how they handle fan-created STL upgrades. Most have tolerated the community without formal comment. A small number have issued takedowns. As of 2026, the safest approach is to source “compatible with” or “inspired by” files from community designers who sculpted their own original interpretations rather than scanning or copying the publisher’s actual models.
Printables, MyMiniFactory Tribes, and Cults3D all have active board game upgrade communities. Search for the game title alongside “compatible” or “upgrade” and you will find files for most popular titles. Gloomhaven, Frosthaven, Nemesis, Massive Darkness, Everdell, Spirit Island, and many others have dedicated community designers who post free or low-cost upgrade packs.
The best STL sites guide covers where to find these and what the quality differences look like across platforms. For most board game titles, a good search there will surface what you need in under five minutes.
One practical note: check that STL files include a pre-supported version. Many community designers include both raw and pre-supported files. Pre-supported saves you an hour of manual support work per figure and usually reflects the designer’s tested orientation for MSLA printers.
Scaling to Match Your Components
This is the step most first-timers skip and then regret.
Board games use a variety of scales, and “28mm” is a loose category. Gloomhaven’s human characters are closer to 30mm at the eye line. Frosthaven skews slightly larger. Some games use 32mm heroic scale. Boss figures are deliberately oversized relative to infantry. A figure that drops into a game at the wrong scale will look fine in isolation and obviously wrong next to the original pieces.
Before printing anything, measure an existing figure from the game. Use calipers if you have them; a ruler is fine for a rough check. Then import your STL into the slicer, open the scale controls, and adjust height until it matches.
Reference scale table for common board game figure categories:
| Figure Type | Typical Height (feet to eye) | Base Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| Standard human hero/enemy | 28-30mm | 25mm |
| Large enemy (ogre, troll class) | 38-45mm | 40mm |
| Boss/huge enemy | 55-80mm | 50-60mm |
| Scenery tokens/doors | Match game component: measure first |
Base diameter matters as much as height. Custom prints on the wrong base size will not fit card sleeves, punch-board organizers, or inserts designed around the stock components. If a figure ships on a 25mm base, print yours on a 25mm base. Most STL community files for board game upgrades are already sized correctly, but verify against your actual game components before committing a full plate run.
Batching: The Board Game Advantage
This is where board game printing is actually more efficient than hobby miniature printing.
A typical wargamer prints individual hero characters at 32mm scale: one model, a dedicated plate, precise manual supports. A board game printer is doing the opposite: 10 identical goblin archers, a set of 8 cultists, 6 doors and barricades. Batch printing is the natural mode and the Saturn plate handles it well.
On the Elegoo Saturn, I can fit 10 to 12 standard 28mm enemy figures per plate run when they are oriented correctly. That is enough to print an entire monster faction in a single session. Enemies, standee replacements, and maybe a boss figure in a second run.
The orientation that works best for batch infantry plates: tilt each figure at 40 to 45 degrees off vertical, facing the build plate, with the base angled toward the bottom. This distributes the suction force across more layers as the print lifts off the FEP, reducing the risk of catastrophic peel failure on a full plate. It also positions the detail surfaces away from direct FEP contact, which improves sharpness on faces, clothing folds, and weapon edges.
Group figures by similar size when batching. A plate mixing 28mm infantry with 45mm large enemies will require compromise exposure settings. Running infantry as one plate and large figures as another lets you dial settings for each group.
One thing batch printing exposes quickly: support failures propagate. A single figure on a plate that fails mid-print is a small loss. A badly supported batch plate that starts separating at layer 200 can take three other figures with it. Spend the extra time in the slicer checking every figure’s support before running. Use the preview to scroll through layers and look for unsupported overhangs, especially on thin features like weapon hafts and bent limbs.
Resin Choice for Board Game Durability
Standard MSLA resin is not the right call for board game minis. The problem is handling.
Display miniatures sit on a shelf or in a case. They get handled occasionally and carefully. Board game miniatures get grabbed by eight-year-olds at the end of a long night. They get dropped. They get packed and unpacked from game bags. They tip over when someone knocks the table. At these stress levels, standard resin snaps at thin points (weapon tips, capes, extended arms) and you end up reprinting figures after a handful of game sessions.
ABS-like resin flexes rather than fracturing. The trade-off is slightly lower detail retention at very fine scales, but at 28mm for board game pieces, the difference is not visible. What is visible is that an ABS-like figure survives being dropped off the table without losing its sword.
The best resin for miniatures roundup covers specific products and how they compare on durability, flexibility, and surface quality. For board game use specifically, ABS-like or blended “tough” resin formulations are the right starting point. Not standard grey or clear.
Painting for Play, Not Display
Board game miniatures need a paint approach that matches how they will actually be used.
The goal is not Golden Demon. The goal is table-ready figures that look better than grey plastic and survive game nights. That means fast coverage, solid durability, and enough differentiation to identify figure types across the table.
Contrast paints and speedpaints are the right tool. Apply over a white or grey primer, and a single coat of contrast paint produces shaded, highlighted color that reads clearly from arm’s length. For a monster faction of 10 identical figures, you can get from primed to table-ready in a single afternoon: basecoat all 10, contrast all 10, pick out 2 to 3 highlight details on all 10, call it done.
A few targeted details go a long way. Eyes, weapon edges, and belt pouches differentiate a figure without requiring the time investment of a fully layered paint job. For enemy figures especially, visual clarity matters more than artistic finish.
Varnish is not optional for board game minis. Two coats of matte varnish (light spray passes from 12 inches, dry between coats) protects the paint at handling points, reduces the shiny resin surface, and adds a small amount of texture grip that makes figures easier to pick up. Skip the varnish and you will be touching up paint after a month of regular play.
For more detail on the contrast paint approach and priming for resin specifically, see the painting printed miniatures guide.
Storage That Fits the Game Box
Printing better minis creates a new problem: the original cardboard insert was not designed for them.
Most board game inserts use recessed compartments sized for the stock plastic. Custom resin prints on 25mm or 30mm bases may be taller or wider than the stock figures, particularly if you printed boss figures that are larger than the original. The insert slots may not close with the lid on.
The cleanest solution is a custom-printed insert tray. Many community STL packs for board game upgrades include a matching insert tray in the same download. Measure your box interior and print the tray at the right size. If no matching tray is included, Printables has insert tray generators for common game box dimensions.
Foam insert systems are the other option. KFoam and Folded Space both produce pre-cut foam inserts for popular board game titles, sized for custom miniatures. These are worth checking before you commit to printing a full custom tray set.
For long-term storage and transport, especially if the game travels to a friend’s house or a game cafe, a padded carry case with foam inserts or a custom-printed tray with individual figure wells will keep your minis safe between sessions.
The Full Workflow: Steps Recap
Here is the sequence from file to table:
- Source STL files. Find ‘compatible with’ community files on Printables or MyMiniFactory. Check for pre-supported versions.
- Measure and scale. Use a caliper or ruler on your existing game pieces. Match height and base diameter.
- Choose ABS-like resin. Not standard resin. Handles repeated game-night use without snapping at thin features.
- Batch your plate. Use a 40-45 degree tilt, group by similar size, verify support coverage in the slicer preview before printing.
- Wash and cure. Standard protocol: IPA wash, rinse, air dry, UV cure. Clip supports with flush cutters. Sand nubs with 400-grit.
- Hollow large models before printing. For boss figures and large enemies that use significant resin volume, hollowing saves material. See the hollowing guide for the workflow.
- Prime with rattle can grey or black.
- Contrast paint to table-ready. One contrast layer plus two or three targeted highlights per figure.
- Varnish twice. Two matte spray passes. Wait for dry between coats.
- Store in a custom insert or foam tray that fits your game box.
That is the complete workflow from STL file to figures sitting in the game box, ready for the next session.