Standard resin
Fine detail and a smooth surface for figurines, miniatures, models and display pieces.
Resin 3D printing service · Fine detail, smooth surfaces
SLA 3D Printing Service
PrintAWorld is an SLA 3D printing service in New York for detailed resin prototypes, figurines, miniatures, architectural models and presentation parts. We print in standard, Somos, clear, tough, castable and high-temperature resins on Formlabs and large-format SLA printers. Most jobs take 3–10 business days, and simple parts can be ready in as little as 2. There’s no setup fee, 3D printing starts around $30, and we ship to all 50 states.
Brands we’ve worked with
Stereolithography
What is SLA 3D printing?
SLA (stereolithography) cures liquid resin with ultraviolet light, one thin layer at a time. It gives the finest detail and smoothest surface of the common 3D printing processes, which is why it’s used for figurines, jewelry patterns, presentation prototypes and architectural models.
Every SLA part is washed and cured after printing, and the supports are removed. We check your file first, pick the resin for what the part has to do, and can sand, paint or plate it so it’s ready to show.
The facts
Our SLA 3D printing service at a glance
- Studios
- Glendale, Queens and Brooklyn, New York. Visits and pickup by appointment.
- Delivery
- Shipping to all 50 states (next-day shipping available), courier delivery in NYC, or pickup by appointment
- Production
- In-house, in our New York studios
- Printers
- Formlabs Form 2 and Form 3, a UnionTech Lite600HD and our own PrintAWorld SLA-Pro 600
- Largest size
- Large-format SLA has a 600 × 600 mm (23.6 × 23.6 in) build platform; bigger parts are printed in sections
- Resins
- Very high-detail resins: standard, Somos, Somos WaterClear (clear), tough, castable (wax-filled) and high-temperature
- Order size
- One part to production runs
- Setup fee
- None for 3D printing
- Price
- 3D printing from about $30; resin parts quoted by size, resin and finish
- Turnaround
- Usually 3–10 business days; as fast as 2 days, depending on complexity
- Finishing
- Support removal, washing and curing; sanding, priming, painting or metal plating when quoted
- Files
- STL, OBJ, STEP, STP or 3DM. No file? Photos or a sketch.
- No file?
- 3D modeling from $250; 3D scanning from $250
Selected work
01 / THE WORKSLA resin 3D prints from our studio.
Anatomical horse model
Fine ribs and joints in white resin, straight from the printer.
Somos resin building model
Thin facade grids printed in Somos resin.
Clear resin crab
Printed in clear resin to show every joint of the shell.
Resin miniatures
Tabletop miniatures printed in resin, ready for paint.
Clear face mask
Printed in Somos WaterClear resin for a see-through part.
High-temperature resin
A dragon head in high-temperature resin, held to a flame.
Materials
02 / THE RESINWhich SLA resins can you choose?
Somos resin
An industrial resin with crisp detail and a clean finish, for presentation prototypes and architectural models.
Somos WaterClear
Clear, colorless parts that look like acrylic: lenses, light covers and see-through models.
Tough resin
For prototypes that get handled, snapped together or tested, where standard resin would be too brittle.
Castable resin
A wax-filled resin for casting patterns, such as jewelry. Check compatibility with your casting house.
High-temperature resin
For parts that sit near heat, such as molds and fixtures. Tell us the temperature it has to take.
Need nylon, ABS or metal instead? See our 3D printing materials guide.
Ready to show
Can SLA prints be painted or plated?
Yes, and resin is the best base for it. Its smooth surface takes primer and paint cleanly, and it’s what we print before metal plating for chrome, gold or bronze looks.
Finishing is quoted with the print: sanding and priming, painting in one color, brand colors or full color, or plating.
SLA vs FDM
03 / THE PROCESSSLA vs FDM: which 3D printing process fits your part?
| SLA resin | FDM plastic | |
|---|---|---|
| Detail | Finest detail and sharp edges | Good; layer lines show on small features |
| Surface | Smooth, ready to sand and paint | Visible layers unless sanded |
| Strength | Rigid; tough resins for handled parts | Tough plastics for working parts |
| Size | Up to a 600 × 600 mm platform, larger in sections | Large parts and big runs on our print farm |
| Best for | Figurines, jewelry patterns, presentation models, clear parts | Brackets, enclosures, fixtures, production runs |
Not sure? Tell us what the part is for and we’ll pick the process. Big pieces go to large-format 3D printing; solid steel parts to metal 3D printing.
Is it a fit?
04 / THE FITIs SLA resin 3D printing right for your project?
PrintAWorld is a good fit for
- Presentation prototypes and product samples
- Figurines, miniatures, busts and collectibles
- Architectural models with fine detail
- Clear parts, casting patterns and heat-resistant fixtures
- Runs of the same resin part, with no setup fee
- Parts that will be painted or plated
Another service may suit you better for
- Load-bearing or outdoor parts: FDM plastic or stainless steel usually suits them better, and we print both.
- The cheapest possible resin print: hobbyists and marketplaces compete on price.
- Hobby prints and parts you plan to resell: a professional studio costs more, so a marketplace or a hobbyist will usually be cheaper.
Budgeting your print
05 / THE PRICEHow much does SLA 3D printing cost?
3D printing starts around$30
For a simple print from a file that’s ready to print.
What a project can include
Simple print from your fileFrom about $30
Resin parts by size and resinQuoted per project
Sanding, painting, platingQuoted per project
3D modeling, if there’s no fileFrom $250
Setup feeNone
Turnaround3–10 business days; as fast as 2
Shipping, next-day availableQuoted to your ZIP
Part volume, resin, height on the build platform, quantity and finishing set the price. Your written quote confirms it.
Want the details? How much 3D printing costs compares printing at home with online services and studios.
Get my quote
Send your file and we’ll reply with a price. No payment to ask.
From file to part
06 / THE PROCESSHow our SLA 3D printing service works
Send your file
Open the quote planner, upload your 3D file or photos and tell us the size, quantity, finish and deadline. Files up to 500 MB each are fine.
Get a written quote
A person checks the file and replies with a price, a process and a schedule. If the file needs repair or modeling, the quote says so.
Print, wash and cure
We print in our New York studios, wash off uncured resin, post-cure the part and remove supports.
Finishing, if you want it
Sanding, priming, painting or metal plating, only when it’s in your quote.
Ship or pick up
We ship to all 50 states, next-day if you need it, send it by courier in NYC, or you pick up by appointment at the studio named in your quote.
From client emails
What 3D printing clients wrote to us.
Our clients rarely leave online reviews, so these are from the emails they sent us after their projects, quoted as written.
“Working against very tight deadlines you absolutely excelled & the bottles you produced were amazing. … Our Client was so impressed with the results that they’re shipping one of the bottles back to the UK to have pride of place in the Reception of their main office!!”
“Beautiful Work! Thank you Vince and Team! You have a client for life!”
“Your work and quotes continue to blow away the competition and I want to work with you.”
3D printing services
Other ways we 3D print
Big buildsLarge-format 3D printingSculptures, props and models printed in sections, 6 feet and more.
In colorFull-color 3D printingFigurines, mascots and models in full color, painted or printed in color.
Stainless steelMetal 3D printingSolid stainless-steel parts printed by selective laser melting.
Finished piecesCustom 3D printingSanded, painted or plated prints for displays, props and gifts.
Reference3D printing materialsResins, plastics, nylon and stainless steel, and what each is for.
Before you order
What do people ask about SLA 3D printing?
What is SLA 3D printing?
Stereolithography (SLA) is a 3D printing process that cures liquid photopolymer resin layer by layer with ultraviolet light. It gives fine detail and a smooth surface, so it suits figurines, presentation prototypes, jewelry patterns and architectural models.
How much does SLA 3D printing cost?
3D printing at PrintAWorld starts around $30 for a simple print from a ready file. Resin parts are quoted by size, resin, quantity and finishing, and there’s no setup fee. 3D modeling starts at $250 if you don’t have a file.
Which SLA printers do you use?
Formlabs Form 2 and Form 3 machines, a UnionTech Lite600HD large-format printer and our own PrintAWorld SLA-Pro 600. The quote names the printer and resin that suit your part.
Are SLA prints strong?
Standard resin is rigid and can be brittle if it’s bent or dropped. Tough resin handles snapping and testing better. For load-bearing or outdoor parts, FDM plastic or stainless steel is usually a better choice; tell us how the part is used and we’ll recommend one.
How big can an SLA print be?
Our large-format SLA printers have a 600 × 600 mm (23.6 × 23.6 in) build platform. Bigger pieces are printed in sections and joined, which is how we make sculptures and props of 6 feet and more.
How long does SLA printing take?
Most SLA jobs take 3–10 business days, and simple parts can be ready in as little as 2 days. Print time is only part of it: parts are washed, cured, cleaned up and finished too, so complexity, quantity and finishing set the date. Same-day isn’t standard. In New York we can deliver by courier, and your written quote confirms the date.
Can you print clear parts with SLA?
Yes, in Somos WaterClear, a clear, colorless resin that looks like acrylic. It suits lenses, light covers and see-through models. Clarity depends on the shape and the finish, so tell us how clear it needs to be.
Do you only offer SLA 3D printing?
No. We also print on an in-house FDM print farm, print large-format pieces in sections and print solid stainless steel. If another process suits your part better, the quote says so.
Talk to the studioSend us your file.
Send us your file.
We’ll send a price.
Send the file, the size, the quantity and what the part is for. We’ll suggest a resin and reply with a price and a schedule.
Get my 3D printing quotePrefer email? Write to contact@prtwd.com.
What to send
- Your 3D file (STL, OBJ, STEP, STP or 3DM), or photos and a sketch
- Finished size, or the scale to print at
- How many you need
- Resin or finish, if you know it
- What the part is for: show, handling, fit, heat, casting
- Your delivery ZIP code and deadline
Service details reviewed by PrintAWorld ·