How to Make the Best 3D Printed Action Figures Yourself with a 3D Printer
How often have you wanted to see the most iconic video game characters, villains & heroes from DC Comics, figures from your favorite movies and anime displayed on your shelf? When stores either don’t offer what you want or the prices on collectible pieces are outrageous, you can make the best 3D printed action figures yourself! All you need is some patience, an affordable desktop 3D printer (resin or filament), top STL files, paints, sometimes LEDs, and a great desire to build something impressive, jaw-dropping, and very special.
Learn more about the process of making 3D printed video game characters, anime figures, movie dioramas, and Comics legends; where to find STL files; and how to bring a character 3D model from the screen into the real world.
Best 3D Printed Action Figures
3D printing has become the most popular way to create one-of-a-kind physical objects from a digital design through additive manufacturing. The process might sound complicated, but it is rather simple. Once you get a 3D printer and download top STL files of Comics, movie, anime, or video game 3D models, your machine will lay down thin layers of melted material (mainly plastic or resin because the most affordable 3D printers are either FDM/FFF that use filament or DLP/SLA that use resin), fusing the layers, and building your figure layer by layer following the “directions” from the STLs.
You can find a 3D model marketplace such as Gambody that offers premium files that let you make highly detailed, amazingly accurate, and exclusive 3D printed action figures. Knowing where to find STL files is the first step. Reading your printer instructions, assembling, connecting, and testing your filament or resin machine is the second step. Breathing life into your project is the third step.
3D Printing Game Models
After you get acquainted with your desktop 3D printer and make your first model (most hobbyists start with a free #3DBenchy model that helps to test and calibrate the machine), you can buy 3D print files of the most iconic video game characters or figures from your favorite DC Comics, Marvel, anime cartoons, movies, etc.
Every model usually has a description of all the parts you must print to assemble it, an assembly guide, 3D printer settings, and tips on orientating each part on your printer bed for the best outcome.
Many 3D models of video game characters as well as Comics, cartoon, and movie heroes and villains are created with some parts being manually hollowed out to help you save resin or filament. A lot of robots and humanoid creatures come with articulated joints and special interlocking mechanisms, which allow you to assemble them without glue (although many enthusiasts still prefer glue). Dioramas and complex projects might have tunnels for LED wiring to let you introduce lights into your project.
3D printing game models might take a long time, especially if the figure comes with many parts or you decide to upscale the 3D print files to a life-size. Additive manufacturing might require days, weeks, or even months to complete your project, but the result is totally worth it!
How to Make Premium 3D Print Models
After you finish 3D printing video game models or all parts of your favorite character from a movie, TV series, anime, cartoon, or Comics franchise, the time comes to complete your masterpiece.
There are many steps to create the best 3D printed action figures you’ll be proud of:
- You’ll have to remove the supports (if the model used any);
- You’ll need to smooth the surfaces of each part using sandpaper with different grits (from 200 to 600, the higher the number the smoother the final result);
- You might have to “repair” the holes in your model with putty or another filler;
- It’s essential to prime the models before you start painting them;
- It’s great to have an image reference to your character to paint it close to the original looks (you can use acrylic paints and a brush or airbrush);
- Sometimes, it is best to paint parts separately before assembling them, but sometimes, it’s necessary to paint the assembled model;
- You might have to apply many coats of paint to achieve your desired result (the painted parts can be masked using tape to avoid painting on top of them);
- If you wish to introduce LED lights to any parts of your model, it might be essential to add LEDs before you assemble and paint.
The main secret of creating premium 3D print models is trying, testing, and learning from other hobbyists. You’ll become a pro once you get the taste of making anything you want with resin or plastic, it’s just a matter of time!
Find highly detailed 3D print model download links on Gambody and begin your fantastic journey into the wonderful world of 3D printing that allows you to breathe life into the most iconic characters from your beloved films, cartoons, and video games.