Resin vs solid metal side by side
| Property | Resin (3D printed) | Solid metal (cast) |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Any sculpted shape: a person, a product, a logo. Painted in your colors, or metal-plated in gold, silver, chrome or bronze colors. | Polished or brushed metal: classic cups, figures and plates. |
| Weight and feel | Light on its own; a weighted base makes it feel solid in the hand. | Heavy and cool to the touch. The weight is part of the appeal. |
| Detail possible | Fine detail from high-detail resin printing: faces, text and exact product shapes. | Fine detail and sharp edges when cast, but a new shape needs its own model and mold. |
| Durability | Rigid and made for display indoors; a hard drop can chip it. Plating is a presentation finish. | The toughest option. Some alloys, such as zinc, can corrode outdoors or in humid rooms. |
| Minimum quantity | None. One trophy is fine. | Catalog designs: any quantity. A custom cast design pays for a model and a mold first, so small runs cost more per piece. |
| Typical price | $250–$750 painted (8–12 in.); $750–$2,000+ plated, gold or large; plus a one-time $350 3D modeling fee for most projects. | Varies widely by metal, size and design. Custom casting adds model and mold costs before the first piece. |
| Typical lead time | 4–6 weeks standard, 6–8 weeks plated. Rush is possible; the making itself takes at least 3 days after design approval. | Catalog pieces depend on stock. A custom cast design adds model and mold making before casting. |
| Best for | Company awards, league and fantasy trophies, mascots and logos, one-offs and matched sets. | Traditional cups, heirloom pieces and big runs of one design. |
Which should you choose?
Choose resin when
- The trophy should be a shape of its own: your mascot, product, logo or a league inside joke.
- You need one trophy, or a set where each one carries a different name.
- You want your brand colors, or a gold or chrome look without the weight and cost of solid metal.
- Your date is weeks away, not months.
Choose solid metal when
- You want a traditional cup or a design from a catalog.
- The weight of solid metal is the point, or the trophy will be handed down for decades.
- You need a large run of one design and can wait for a mold.
What PrintAWorld makes
We sculpt custom trophies in 3D, print them in resin, sand them, then paint them by hand or plate them in a metal finish, and mount them on a base with engraved names. Plating gives the trophy a metal surface; it doesn’t make it solid metal. Trophies start at $250 each with no minimum order.
We ship to all 50 states. Next-day shipping to any state is available and runs about $100–$200 for most trophies, paid by the buyer.
Custom trophies · Metal plating · How much a custom trophy costs
Common questions
Is a resin trophy cheaper than a metal trophy?
For a custom design, usually. A resin trophy is printed straight from the 3D model, while a custom cast metal trophy needs a model and a mold before the first piece. At PrintAWorld, painted resin trophies 8–12 inches tall cost $250–$750, and plated, gold or large ones $750–$2,000+, plus a one-time $350 modeling fee for most projects.
Is a gold trophy made of gold?
Not ours. A gold PrintAWorld trophy is resin with metal plating in a gold color. It has a metal surface, but it isn’t solid metal underneath. Not every shape plates well, so we check each design before quoting it.
Do resin trophies break easily?
Resin is rigid, so a hard fall onto a hard floor can chip or crack it, the way it would a ceramic piece. On a shelf or a desk it lasts for years. We sand, prime and paint or plate every trophy, and pack it to ship.
Which is heavier, resin or metal?
Metal, by a lot. Resin is light, which is why we put a weighted base under trophies that should feel substantial when the winner lifts them.
How long does a custom resin trophy take?
Standard turnaround is 4–6 weeks, and 6–8 weeks for plated or complex pieces. Rush is possible: once the design is approved, a trophy takes at least 3 days to make (a day to print, a day to paint), and rush carries a premium quoted per project. We ship to all 50 states. Next-day shipping to any state is available and runs about $100–$200 for most trophies, paid by the buyer.
Can a resin trophy look like metal?
Yes. Metal plating gives it a metal surface in gold, silver, chrome or bronze colors, and metallic paint is a lighter-budget option. Plating looks and feels like metal on the surface; the core stays resin.