Let us talk about the thing we are all actually here for: amazing miniatures. Finding the files and setting up the slicer is the boring part of getting started, but you only have to do it once, and doing it right from the beginning saves a lot of frustration later.
Which slicer to use
A slicer takes your 3D model file and converts it into the layer-by-layer instructions your printer reads. Without a slicer, there is nothing to print.
The slicer to start with is Lychee Free. It is well designed, actively developed, and the free tier does everything a beginner needs. The paid tier adds features that are useful once you know what you are doing, but you will not miss them at the start.
Two other slicers come up a lot: Chitubox and Prusa Slicer. Neither is recommended here. Chitubox has a paid tier that feels like a trap for new users, and the free version has been behind Lychee for a while. Prusa Slicer is excellent for FDM printing, but it is not designed around resin miniatures and the workflow does not fit.
Download Lychee Free from the official Lychee Slicer website. Install it, open it, and set your printer model. That is it for now. The next course section covers setting up your actual printer profile and dialling in settings. At this stage you just need the slicer installed and ready.
Learn to print before learning to add your own supports
Every new resin printer user eventually wants to learn manual support placement. It is a real skill and it matters. But learning it during your first few prints is the wrong time.
Pre-supported files exist so you do not have to think about supports while you are still learning to calibrate your printer, manage your resin, and run the post-processing workflow without making a mess. Trying to learn three things at once means learning none of them properly.
Print pre-supported files for the first month or two. Get comfortable with the machine. Then, once a print is a predictable outcome rather than a surprise, start experimenting with supports.
Free files: what they are good for
Thingiverse and Printables are the main platforms for free files. Both have large libraries. The problem is that most of the miniature content on both platforms was uploaded with FDM printing in mind, which means the models are not pre-supported for resin and were not designed for the detail level a resin printer can produce.
Free files can be useful for large terrain pieces, bases, accessories, and functional items where detail is not the priority. For character miniatures and anything you want to look good on a painting desk, free files are usually the wrong choice for a beginner because adding supports yourself requires experience you are still building.
MyMiniFactory: the industry standard for premium miniature files
MyMiniFactory is where most of the serious miniature design studios publish their work. The platform is designed around resin printing, the files are pre-supported, and the quality bar is generally much higher than free platforms.
There are three ways to get files from MyMiniFactory.
Individual purchase. Pay a one-time price for a specific set. Good if you want a single model or a set you know you will use. Prices vary widely but the quality-to-price ratio is usually fair for professional-grade sculpts.
Tribes. A Tribe is a monthly subscription to a specific designer. Most Tribes cost around $10 per month, and most designers release a new set of files every month as part of the subscription. The first time you subscribe to a Tribe you usually get a welcome pack of past releases on top of the current month. This is the cheapest way to build a library from a designer whose work you already know you like.
Frontiers. Frontiers is MyMiniFactory’s crowdfunding model. A designer proposes a large set of files, backers pledge to fund it, and if the campaign hits its goal the files are produced and delivered. Unlike traditional crowdfunding platforms where backers wait months for physical fulfilment, Frontiers delivers digital files as soon as each stage is complete. You get the files immediately, not after a manufacturing and shipping cycle.
Patreon is also worth knowing about. Some designers run their subscriptions through Patreon rather than MyMiniFactory Tribes. The content is comparable; the platform is just different. Files are usually delivered via a link in a post or a direct download from a connected file host.
The FOMO trap
Monthly subscriptions are easy to accumulate. A new Tribe opens, the preview renders look incredible, and it feels like a mistake not to subscribe. Then the files arrive, you realise the aesthetic does not match anything you are actually painting, and you have thirty sets of files you will never print.
The fix is simple: wait until a Tribe’s release matches something you are actively working on. Subscribe for that month, download the files, then cancel before the next billing cycle if the theme is moving away from your project. Most Tribe subscriptions have no lock-in.
Frontiers campaigns deserve the same scrutiny. A massive set of files for a setting you have no attachment to is not a good deal at any price. Back campaigns for things you would actually paint.
What to look for in pre-supported files
Quality varies even within premium platforms. A few things to check before buying:
Consistent sculpt style. If you are buying a warband or a set of monsters, the models should look like they belong together. Inconsistent scale or style within a set is a sign the files were rushed.
Removable supports. Good pre-supported files use supports that break away cleanly without leaving visible marks on the surface. Look at the creator’s previews and community photos. If finished models in the photos have obvious support scars on prominent surfaces, the support work is not up to standard.
Game-ready scale and basing. Miniatures for tabletop games should be scaled to fit standard bases. Most creators specify the scale they design for. Check it matches your game system before buying.
Fantasy dominates the market. If you are looking for fantasy content, the selection is enormous. Sci-fi content exists but leans toward Warhammer 40,000 adjacent aesthetics. Historical miniatures are underserved. If your project is outside the fantasy mainstream, search carefully before committing to a Tribe.
The first thing to print
Once your slicer is installed and you have a file you want to try, do not print it yet. The next section of the course covers levelling your printer, calibrating your settings, and running the first test prints in the right order. Printing before calibration is the most common mistake new resin printer owners make, and it is the reason so many people think resin printing is unreliable.
Get through the calibration lessons first. Then load your first real miniature with confidence that your settings are dialled in.
For more on what makes a great first print once calibration is done, the article What to Print on a New Resin Printer covers the indie creator ecosystem and what to actually print first in more depth.
