The Benefits of Using Pre-Supported Minis
[Shrugging] Of Course We’d Be the Ones to Mention Them
“It’s Not a Rebuttal!”, Says the Rebuttall
Ok, it does sound a bit like we’re just posting this to justify our decision of offering pre-supported minis. We do, however, understand why some people would rather do it themselves. Also, the reasoning behind our processes likely won’t be the same as you, at home, anxious to churn out some of the best minis out there. We hope that by the end of this short post you get the confidence for choosing the path that makes you the most comfortable.
Why We Do What We Do
Our miniatures are carefully modeled to look as amazing and realistic as possible. That entails an unimaginable number of spikes, pouches, bolts, gizmos, knives, pelts, drippings, beams, currents, and crystals for every bundle that is released. If you multiply all these details and the tens of thousands of our customers that are improving their RPG campaigns, you easily could get a million thingamajigs being printed by the month.
Even for an expert, that’s no easy task (hello, printing department!), yet we must keep in mind that there are always players who have just dipped their toes into the 3D printing universe. Or, as it may happen, see their 3D printer more like a tool than the entry point of a hobby that involves modeling, tinkering, and, let’s face it, a bit of frustration. Even erring on the side of caution, it’s tough to ensure a 100% success rate, still we tune our supports for something as close to a plug-and-play experience to a complete novice as possible.
Why You May Do What You Do
With the previous section in mind, can it be asserted with complete confidence that our pre-supports are the absolute best method to print our minis? Well, no. We know that some of these are excessive, over-engineered and take more time in post-processing. They are planned to be the best and easiest option for most people, but nothing beats the fine-tuning for each individual printer/resin combination. It’s completely understandable if you wish to achieve better efficiency and are willing to spend some time (and possible failed prints) to get a cleaner final product.
Dooby Dooby Doo-Ba (Closing Thoughts)
Pre-supported or not, what your RPG table will see is the end result. If you’re just getting into this hobby, we’d recommend using the solutions we provide for each model. As you get comfortable, experimenting with support materials might provide a good learning experience which will be also useful for other tasks on your 3D printer. In any case, if you’re worried about those little blemishes that are left after removing the support material, here’s an article that could help you with that. Have fun!
Loot Studios can help you print highly detailed minis, statues and props. Choose your favorite bundle from our previous releases or sign up for Fantasy or Sci-Fi to receive a new bundle every month. You can also check out some tips at our YouTube Channel.
