How Heat Affects Resin 3D Printing and Custom Figure Painting

When summer arrives, many people think that the heat only affects people. However, for those of us who work making and painting resin figures by hand, high temperatures also completely change the way we work.

Although we try to maintain stable production deadlines throughout the year, the reality is that each season presents its own challenges. Today we want to show you what happens behind the workshop when the thermometer starts to rise.

3D printing also feels the heat

Our figures begin their life through 3D printing in resin. This material is very sensitive to ambient temperature.

When it's very hot, the resin becomes more fluid, which can slightly alter the printing behavior. In some cases, this forces us to readjust parameters, modify exposure times, or even repeat pieces that haven't come out with the quality we're looking for.

Each print can last several hours, so any small change in environmental conditions can make the difference between a perfect piece and one that has to be manufactured again.

Washing and curing require more attention

Once the piece is printed, it must be properly cleaned and cured to achieve maximum strength.

During washing, we use isopropyl alcohol to remove uncured resin residue. In summer, due to high temperatures, the alcohol evaporates much faster, so it loses effectiveness sooner and needs to be renewed more frequently to maintain optimal cleaning of the pieces.

In addition, heat can accelerate some phases of the process, but it also increases the risk of deformation if curing times and conditions are not properly controlled. That's why we carefully check each figure before proceeding with assembly.

Assembly changes with the heat

Many of our figures are made up of numerous pieces that we assemble manually.

Adhesives can behave differently when it's very hot, drying faster or needing different times to achieve a perfect bond. This forces us to work with greater precision and, at times, adapt the order of assembly.

Painting in summer is a challenge

One of the most delicate phases is painting.

Acrylic paints dry much faster when the temperature is high. This may seem like an advantage, but in reality, it makes techniques like gradients, smooth transitions, and color blending difficult, as the time to work on each layer is much shorter.

Additionally, heat can cause paint to thicken faster on the palette, requiring new mixes to be prepared more frequently.

Each figure requires dozens of layers of paint, shadows, highlights, and small details, so maintaining consistent quality requires a lot of patience and continuous adaptation of the technique.

Varnishes also need suitable conditions

The final finish protects the figure and enhances all the details.

Applying varnish at excessively high temperatures can affect how it spreads or dries, so we carefully choose the time of day to perform this step to achieve a uniform finish.

What about shipping?

Heat also influences logistics.

Although the resin used in our figures is resistant, we prevent the pieces from being exposed for long periods to extreme temperatures. That's why we carefully pack each order so that it arrives in the best possible condition.

Quality is always the priority

Although summer makes some processes more demanding, our commitment remains the same: to deliver figures with the highest level of detail and finish.

Behind each piece are many hours of printing, preparation, assembly, painting, and review. Adapting our work to the conditions of each season is part of the artisanal process and is one of the reasons why each figure receives the attention it deserves.

Thank you for trusting our work and for appreciating all the effort behind each custom creation. Every figure that leaves our workshop is made with the same goal: that you receive a unique piece that you can enjoy for many years.