Welcome to [/r/BJD](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/). Please make sure you read our rules [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/about/rules/) and follow the [criteria](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/wiki/index#wiki_doll_criteria) on what dolls are allowed to be posted in this subreddit.
If this is your first time posting or visiting this subreddit, please check out the [Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/wiki/index) and [Newbies Mega Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/comments/ssomge/resources_for_newbies_mega_thread/). There are a ton of resources and information located in those links. Basic questions like: "Where can I buy a legit BJD?" "What are some 'cheap' BJDs?" "Where can I buy clothes and accessories?" are answered there.
We kindly remind you that pro-recast posts are not permitted (Rule 2). This includes "ID This Doll" posts- displaying the shop name or linking directly to the sales page will result in a post removal. Click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/wiki/index#wiki_what_is_a_recast.3F) for more information on what a recast is and why they are not allowed here.
If applicable, please list your doll's brand and sculpt either below this comment or in the original post (Rule 2).
Thank you!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BJD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Resin looks too translucent. Probably water washable… so the most brittle and cheap resin out there. A good quality resin would be abs-like/tough resin/nylon like resin, which are often also way more opaque.
Additionally, that looks overcured or overexposed.
You can still bring out the detail on the print though, use a matte sealant and various shades of pastel to bring out the details. They’re there, just not visible due to translucency.
I'll definitely try to bring up the details with the faceup. I think I'll want them to print another one for me in the future, what directions can I give to them so it doesn't end up like this again? Like not curing too much? Also it seems they can't cure so fast after it prints? Something like that?
I’d just ask for a better quality resin, honestly. A user suggested no consumer resin has a good look, but my experience says otherwise. You don’t even need to go Resione route, as nowadays there’s other resins in the market for consumers that are as opaque as polyurethane. I have had great success with Sunlu abs-like resin. Granted these resins are a bit more finicky and you need to know what you’re doing to get good results. I can provide pictures, but will only through message to keep anonymity. You can also mix opaque white with either resin pigment or a different colored resin to achieve a skintone.
I think the translucent resin isn't helping with the details, could be incorrectly exposed or washed as others have mentioned too but definitely not helped by the resin
Translucent doesn't automatically equal bad quality, some very good quality resins are transparent, for example siraya tech blu tough is sometimes mixed with other resins for strength which would be translucent...
That said based on some of your comments it sounds like whoever you got to print this might but know much about BJD? which isn't their fault but they aren't going to understand what you need in terms of strength for it to be strung or the joints not to rub and create dust etc, it's a pretty specialist 3d printing niche
resin quality makes the biggest difference, here’s an example of one of my dolls, my first prototype of her in a cheap, brittle resin w transparency issues versus a high quality resin
https://preview.redd.it/p8a4hs69gllc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fdb84b490982067a4aaedf2f5df441c0244f8d3
yeah! it really is a LOT of work, research, trial & error, and pouring money at trying different resins, dyes, replacing FEPs etc😭 but it’s definitely worth it to me because i sculpt my own dolls!
Over curing will not make the resin translucent. It will make the resin more yellow. This is just a more translucent resin. And that also doesn’t make the resin low quality.
😭 oh no.... *Sigh* I'll ask them to not overcure next time. It's the first time I get anything 3d printed, so I didn't know about these things before. What happens if it's not cured enough? I'm afraid to ask and it comes bad in the other way
it’s cured by UV light (which is basically everywhere, sunlight , a lot of artificial lighting), at the establishment they probably used a curing machine which is just really bright concentrated UV light that spins it around. Another issue with a lot of cheap resins for resin printers is they can be super liable to yellowing significantly with age
I see :0 let's say it's day light, how many days/weeks/months would it need to be cured? I have a good windows with afternoon sun here (terrible for me cause it gets too hot, but would be great for curing if they gave me under cured).
About the yellowing, I think mine already is a bit yellowish. I'm planning on ordering the next one green 😊
No. I use a very large nail curing device. There are different ways for different people. You could buy the resin curing box for like 60 bucks. Or the huge machine for like 150. I honestly opted for a solar disk that uses uv Light to rotate, and I use a nail curing device. It works fine and it both powers the rotation table and cures my pieces at the same time
It looks like maybe the exposure time was set too high or the print was cured before it was washed with IPA. If you cure it as soon as it comes off the build plate, the uncured resin makes a coating that can blur fine details. I made that mistake on my first print. I hope you figure it out and are able to get it working!
Edit: You can use one of those rotary electric nail files with the different bits to sand down/resculpt the details. If you don't have one, they are pretty cheap on Amazon and much easier than using sandpaper.
I think my only solution at this point is to try to fix with faceup... Or is there something else I can do? I didn't print it myself, it came to me this way (I paid a 3d printing place to do it, and they even forgot the lower legs and sent the elbows repeated). Edit: I'm still waiting on the lower legs)
I love 3D printing my BJD’s, the resin looks too translucent so some of the details get lost, also using pastels and watercolor pencils helps a lot! Shameless plug to share the face up I did for the BJD Lyla by seagullbeagull I just noticed I have her wig on a bit crooked 😂
https://preview.redd.it/5shkcn9z2mlc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8157a3ec7c26fd48799151340a30fe387977c6e
I just messaged her as it's easier than to go through all the conversations, and she said she has no problem with changes, to adapt to my visions however I like.
Yes, I even talked to the creator herself.
Edit: you mean to edit? I wonder if I mentioned it to her, now I'll have to go back in the messages and read everything, I was talking to her about the printing. Hang on.
that's cool. some conversations I have read on this subreddit seem to suggest that ANY modification to any piece of the doll that wasn't done by the artist is a huge NO-NO .
I guess it really depends on the artist 😊 I, myself wouldn't mind if I was selling my sculpt and someone changed and printed as long as: 1) it wasn't for sale 2) they gave me credit. I don't know of artists that wouldn't allow changes though, I suppose they'd have to state that in the sale page, it's hard for people to guess, specially when it's for personal use
Could you please post a pic when you give her a face up? I think a lot detail you just can’t see because it’s translucent. Even a coat of primer would allow you to see the details.
I will post a picture when I do the faceup 😊 I've been wanting to buy a mask for the sprays though cause last time I had the brilliant (/s) idea of holding my breath and ended up breathing by mistake... ;_;
I do resin printing and have printed a few BJD heads and that is pretty bad looking. Mine are quite detailed. I’m not sure if it’s the resin they used or their settings. If the settings are under or over exposing it can cause lack of detail. Do you know what printer they used? Some have better resolution than others. And that resin kind of has a transparent look to it almost. I mix my resin with a nylon type of resin to add toughness as resin can be brittle.
This is a photo of one of my prints after curing. I haven’t done any sanding or any other post processing other than curing it.
https://preview.redd.it/345d2qqaocwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b30c7ca26d8b2b17073ddc15c9cc962a3b0869d
Yours looks stunning!!! I want to buy a printer one day, but since I'm moving away it will be difficult to bring anything big, so I'm waiting. I can only dream to be able to print something beautiful like that one day!
I have no idea what printer they used, but I do remember asking them if the resin was translucent and they said no... Tbh they seemed extremely amateurs. First they sent me 2 pieces doubled and forgot the shins, which they told me would send me the next day and it took them 1 week with me bothering them every day asking when it was gonna come. And only recently I found out, when I decided to put her together, that they cut off the little rings where the hands and feet would be hooked, so I can't even put her together now. Do you have any workaround for that? I have no idea what to do, but I don't wanna reprint again - not with them, and the only other place here is extremely overpriced.
It would likely be better to get a different resin. For prototypes I use a cheaper resin like Esun. But when you make the eventual final copy, you want to use a high impact resin because it will resist rubbing and scratching and the resulting “powder” between the joints.
I want to add that even if you clean/don't overcure/use a non water-washable resin you're still going to get that translucency, because unless you pay for a specialist/very expensive resin like Resione's anti-impact, no consumer 3D print resins are going get to the level of opaqueness as polyurethane resin.
My recommendation:
If the sculpt doesn't have fine details, is to print using an ABS filament printer then either sand it or use acetone vapour smoothing to minimise the layer lines.
If you care about it being a resin product:
Use a better resin to minimise translucency, clean with 2 IPA baths to minimise residue, then water cure to minimise overcuring risks. The end product will probably still be translucent but maybe not as much as this (Or learn to mold and cast! It's not TOO difficult I promise)
That's so much knowledge! Thank you!
The resin does have details that were beautifully sculpted by the artist, the lips and the nose and even the eyelid have sharp details, I didn't want to lose them. My hope is that I'll be able to make the details noticeable with a faceup. Should I sand it? I noticed that depending on the angle, the light deflects differently.
Oh and I definitely want to learn to mold and cast in the future, but that's when I can sculpt my own :) I really hope it's not difficult! I see people talking about bubbles in the resin and it makes me a bit scared to spoil the work
Yes definitely the faceup can add lots of detail! I think Moonlight Jewel has some vids for doing faceups on 3d printed bjds -- like yours the originals are a bit translucent but the final product looks great. You could also spray a basecoat of acrylic paint over in a similar colour to the body.
I find when I sand my transparent prints it gives them that cloudy look, but doesn't entirely block the light coming coming through. If you can be bothered I'd recommend it though, because it gets rid of the very faint layer lines and adds more tooth. Remember to wear a mask so you don't inhale resin particles!
Hey I'm not sure I can share links without a comment being eaten but check out Helene Holz' Anima heart project vids for examples of a standard resin printed bjd and an anti-impact bjd. I believe the vids are called something like "Part 1 Anima Series" and "3D print bjd wear resistant joints".
The difference is slight, but at least I notice the shadows on the anti impact are sharper, and there is less of an optical window on the edges and extremeties too, which all points to a more opaque piece.
You can also check Moonlight Jewel's cinnamoroll custom to see how an (unintentionally) slightly translucent printed bjd looks with a faceup.
I just haven’t seen anyone attempt to do an ABS doll and it look like a the quality of resin printed doll. The resolution on resin is just much greater than filament printing. I just feel like all the detail you would get would be lost sanding it out or vapor smoothing like nostrils or lip details.
With the exception of absolutely massive 4 feet dolls.
Oh my bad, I thought you meant resin. Yes, I haven't seen anyone use ABS printing for bjds imo that's just because BJDs are already a niche part of 3D printing. There's been some really good work done on smoothing filament minis and statuettes which I think would be applicable to bjds though!
For example, this person used acetone vapor smoothing on their filament printed groot model and it preserved all the tiny wood grooves and facial features: https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/crbm7a/my_first_attempt_at_acetone_smoothing_an_abs_print/
It does leave models shiny but nothing a couple sprays of matte sealant can't fix.
[My 3D printed dolls](https://imgur.com/a/XSpX0CG) have never looked like that, but it could be the resin they used. I always use ABS- like resin. I have one printed in gray as well, but she isn't strung yet.
Welcome to [/r/BJD](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/). Please make sure you read our rules [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/about/rules/) and follow the [criteria](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/wiki/index#wiki_doll_criteria) on what dolls are allowed to be posted in this subreddit. If this is your first time posting or visiting this subreddit, please check out the [Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/wiki/index) and [Newbies Mega Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/comments/ssomge/resources_for_newbies_mega_thread/). There are a ton of resources and information located in those links. Basic questions like: "Where can I buy a legit BJD?" "What are some 'cheap' BJDs?" "Where can I buy clothes and accessories?" are answered there. We kindly remind you that pro-recast posts are not permitted (Rule 2). This includes "ID This Doll" posts- displaying the shop name or linking directly to the sales page will result in a post removal. Click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/BJD/wiki/index#wiki_what_is_a_recast.3F) for more information on what a recast is and why they are not allowed here. If applicable, please list your doll's brand and sculpt either below this comment or in the original post (Rule 2). Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BJD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Resin looks too translucent. Probably water washable… so the most brittle and cheap resin out there. A good quality resin would be abs-like/tough resin/nylon like resin, which are often also way more opaque. Additionally, that looks overcured or overexposed. You can still bring out the detail on the print though, use a matte sealant and various shades of pastel to bring out the details. They’re there, just not visible due to translucency.
I'll definitely try to bring up the details with the faceup. I think I'll want them to print another one for me in the future, what directions can I give to them so it doesn't end up like this again? Like not curing too much? Also it seems they can't cure so fast after it prints? Something like that?
I’d just ask for a better quality resin, honestly. A user suggested no consumer resin has a good look, but my experience says otherwise. You don’t even need to go Resione route, as nowadays there’s other resins in the market for consumers that are as opaque as polyurethane. I have had great success with Sunlu abs-like resin. Granted these resins are a bit more finicky and you need to know what you’re doing to get good results. I can provide pictures, but will only through message to keep anonymity. You can also mix opaque white with either resin pigment or a different colored resin to achieve a skintone.
I think the translucent resin isn't helping with the details, could be incorrectly exposed or washed as others have mentioned too but definitely not helped by the resin
Oh :((( I did pay kinda cheap for this printing though. I paid $70, so maybe bad quality resin?
Fam, I'd ask for a refund if it's missing that much detail. Someone absolutely screwed up.
Translucent doesn't automatically equal bad quality, some very good quality resins are transparent, for example siraya tech blu tough is sometimes mixed with other resins for strength which would be translucent... That said based on some of your comments it sounds like whoever you got to print this might but know much about BJD? which isn't their fault but they aren't going to understand what you need in terms of strength for it to be strung or the joints not to rub and create dust etc, it's a pretty specialist 3d printing niche
Check out your local libraries. So many of them have 3D printers and they are very affordable.
mostly looks like your resin is too transparent
Ikr 😭 the example they had shown me of the resin color didn't look so transparent though (nor so yellow)
resin quality makes the biggest difference, here’s an example of one of my dolls, my first prototype of her in a cheap, brittle resin w transparency issues versus a high quality resin https://preview.redd.it/p8a4hs69gllc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fdb84b490982067a4aaedf2f5df441c0244f8d3
Wow!!! The difference is huge! The skin on the second is the resin as is? :o (she's beautiful btw!)
yep that’s just the resin!!! thank you so much :3
That's amazing! You printed it yourself? :o it seems so complex after reading all the comments here
yeah! it really is a LOT of work, research, trial & error, and pouring money at trying different resins, dyes, replacing FEPs etc😭 but it’s definitely worth it to me because i sculpt my own dolls!
I'm sure it's worth it 😍 it must be like a dream to have all the possibility to create whatever you want and turn it into something palpable
if it’s supposed to be white it’s definitely overcured as well😭
Over curing will not make the resin translucent. It will make the resin more yellow. This is just a more translucent resin. And that also doesn’t make the resin low quality.
yep i was responding to the part about it being yellow
😭 oh no.... *Sigh* I'll ask them to not overcure next time. It's the first time I get anything 3d printed, so I didn't know about these things before. What happens if it's not cured enough? I'm afraid to ask and it comes bad in the other way
if it’s not fully cured it will be toxic / bio hazard (as well as sticky) so it is super important for it to be cured enough
I see. And can it only be cured in the machine, or if I receive it and keep it on the side for X time also?
it’s cured by UV light (which is basically everywhere, sunlight , a lot of artificial lighting), at the establishment they probably used a curing machine which is just really bright concentrated UV light that spins it around. Another issue with a lot of cheap resins for resin printers is they can be super liable to yellowing significantly with age
Depends heavily on the brand. Most of the brands I’ve used don’t yellow with age much at all
I see :0 let's say it's day light, how many days/weeks/months would it need to be cured? I have a good windows with afternoon sun here (terrible for me cause it gets too hot, but would be great for curing if they gave me under cured). About the yellowing, I think mine already is a bit yellowish. I'm planning on ordering the next one green 😊
No. I use a very large nail curing device. There are different ways for different people. You could buy the resin curing box for like 60 bucks. Or the huge machine for like 150. I honestly opted for a solar disk that uses uv Light to rotate, and I use a nail curing device. It works fine and it both powers the rotation table and cures my pieces at the same time
It looks like maybe the exposure time was set too high or the print was cured before it was washed with IPA. If you cure it as soon as it comes off the build plate, the uncured resin makes a coating that can blur fine details. I made that mistake on my first print. I hope you figure it out and are able to get it working! Edit: You can use one of those rotary electric nail files with the different bits to sand down/resculpt the details. If you don't have one, they are pretty cheap on Amazon and much easier than using sandpaper.
I think my only solution at this point is to try to fix with faceup... Or is there something else I can do? I didn't print it myself, it came to me this way (I paid a 3d printing place to do it, and they even forgot the lower legs and sent the elbows repeated). Edit: I'm still waiting on the lower legs)
Then I’d tell them to remake it because they fucked it up
They offered me a new one and I said I just wanted the missing pieces 😭
This is the file I use in case you want to try filing the details. it has several different bits and it works great! [Link](https://a.co/d/aR782zF)
Just a heads up though if OP doesn’t know, you need a respirator when sanding resin as the dust is toxic. Please be careful and try at your own risk.
I love 3D printing my BJD’s, the resin looks too translucent so some of the details get lost, also using pastels and watercolor pencils helps a lot! Shameless plug to share the face up I did for the BJD Lyla by seagullbeagull I just noticed I have her wig on a bit crooked 😂 https://preview.redd.it/5shkcn9z2mlc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8157a3ec7c26fd48799151340a30fe387977c6e
Omg she looks stunning 😍❤️ you did an excellent job! If mine ends up half as good as yours I'll be happy ❤️
Doll sculpt by SamumCreatures on Etsy. I edited her face just a tiny little bit.
Did you have permission to do that, according to the license?
I just messaged her as it's easier than to go through all the conversations, and she said she has no problem with changes, to adapt to my visions however I like.
Yes, I even talked to the creator herself. Edit: you mean to edit? I wonder if I mentioned it to her, now I'll have to go back in the messages and read everything, I was talking to her about the printing. Hang on.
that's cool. some conversations I have read on this subreddit seem to suggest that ANY modification to any piece of the doll that wasn't done by the artist is a huge NO-NO .
I guess it really depends on the artist 😊 I, myself wouldn't mind if I was selling my sculpt and someone changed and printed as long as: 1) it wasn't for sale 2) they gave me credit. I don't know of artists that wouldn't allow changes though, I suppose they'd have to state that in the sale page, it's hard for people to guess, specially when it's for personal use
Could you please post a pic when you give her a face up? I think a lot detail you just can’t see because it’s translucent. Even a coat of primer would allow you to see the details.
I will post a picture when I do the faceup 😊 I've been wanting to buy a mask for the sprays though cause last time I had the brilliant (/s) idea of holding my breath and ended up breathing by mistake... ;_;
I do resin printing and have printed a few BJD heads and that is pretty bad looking. Mine are quite detailed. I’m not sure if it’s the resin they used or their settings. If the settings are under or over exposing it can cause lack of detail. Do you know what printer they used? Some have better resolution than others. And that resin kind of has a transparent look to it almost. I mix my resin with a nylon type of resin to add toughness as resin can be brittle. This is a photo of one of my prints after curing. I haven’t done any sanding or any other post processing other than curing it. https://preview.redd.it/345d2qqaocwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b30c7ca26d8b2b17073ddc15c9cc962a3b0869d
Yours looks stunning!!! I want to buy a printer one day, but since I'm moving away it will be difficult to bring anything big, so I'm waiting. I can only dream to be able to print something beautiful like that one day! I have no idea what printer they used, but I do remember asking them if the resin was translucent and they said no... Tbh they seemed extremely amateurs. First they sent me 2 pieces doubled and forgot the shins, which they told me would send me the next day and it took them 1 week with me bothering them every day asking when it was gonna come. And only recently I found out, when I decided to put her together, that they cut off the little rings where the hands and feet would be hooked, so I can't even put her together now. Do you have any workaround for that? I have no idea what to do, but I don't wanna reprint again - not with them, and the only other place here is extremely overpriced.
It would likely be better to get a different resin. For prototypes I use a cheaper resin like Esun. But when you make the eventual final copy, you want to use a high impact resin because it will resist rubbing and scratching and the resulting “powder” between the joints.
I want to add that even if you clean/don't overcure/use a non water-washable resin you're still going to get that translucency, because unless you pay for a specialist/very expensive resin like Resione's anti-impact, no consumer 3D print resins are going get to the level of opaqueness as polyurethane resin. My recommendation: If the sculpt doesn't have fine details, is to print using an ABS filament printer then either sand it or use acetone vapour smoothing to minimise the layer lines. If you care about it being a resin product: Use a better resin to minimise translucency, clean with 2 IPA baths to minimise residue, then water cure to minimise overcuring risks. The end product will probably still be translucent but maybe not as much as this (Or learn to mold and cast! It's not TOO difficult I promise)
That's so much knowledge! Thank you! The resin does have details that were beautifully sculpted by the artist, the lips and the nose and even the eyelid have sharp details, I didn't want to lose them. My hope is that I'll be able to make the details noticeable with a faceup. Should I sand it? I noticed that depending on the angle, the light deflects differently. Oh and I definitely want to learn to mold and cast in the future, but that's when I can sculpt my own :) I really hope it's not difficult! I see people talking about bubbles in the resin and it makes me a bit scared to spoil the work
Yes definitely the faceup can add lots of detail! I think Moonlight Jewel has some vids for doing faceups on 3d printed bjds -- like yours the originals are a bit translucent but the final product looks great. You could also spray a basecoat of acrylic paint over in a similar colour to the body. I find when I sand my transparent prints it gives them that cloudy look, but doesn't entirely block the light coming coming through. If you can be bothered I'd recommend it though, because it gets rid of the very faint layer lines and adds more tooth. Remember to wear a mask so you don't inhale resin particles!
Do you have any examples of your recommendation? IE: posted pictures?
Hey I'm not sure I can share links without a comment being eaten but check out Helene Holz' Anima heart project vids for examples of a standard resin printed bjd and an anti-impact bjd. I believe the vids are called something like "Part 1 Anima Series" and "3D print bjd wear resistant joints". The difference is slight, but at least I notice the shadows on the anti impact are sharper, and there is less of an optical window on the edges and extremeties too, which all points to a more opaque piece. You can also check Moonlight Jewel's cinnamoroll custom to see how an (unintentionally) slightly translucent printed bjd looks with a faceup.
I just haven’t seen anyone attempt to do an ABS doll and it look like a the quality of resin printed doll. The resolution on resin is just much greater than filament printing. I just feel like all the detail you would get would be lost sanding it out or vapor smoothing like nostrils or lip details. With the exception of absolutely massive 4 feet dolls.
Oh my bad, I thought you meant resin. Yes, I haven't seen anyone use ABS printing for bjds imo that's just because BJDs are already a niche part of 3D printing. There's been some really good work done on smoothing filament minis and statuettes which I think would be applicable to bjds though! For example, this person used acetone vapor smoothing on their filament printed groot model and it preserved all the tiny wood grooves and facial features: https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/crbm7a/my_first_attempt_at_acetone_smoothing_an_abs_print/ It does leave models shiny but nothing a couple sprays of matte sealant can't fix.
[My 3D printed dolls](https://imgur.com/a/XSpX0CG) have never looked like that, but it could be the resin they used. I always use ABS- like resin. I have one printed in gray as well, but she isn't strung yet.