3D Printing or Casting?

No, a 3d printed doll (there are differences in the resin used for it) is definitely not better than a casted one and I would never buy a printed doll. But if you're planning to create the doll just for yourself, it is a good option. It makes no sense to cast just one piece and most casters accepts orders for at least 5 pieces, because it is a complicated and time consuming process to make a mold and to cast a doll. Making adjustments is also much easier and faster with a program than in traditional sculpting. And you will have to make adjustments!
The first thing you should do is to find out, which program works best for you. I will take a while, so don't buy the printer first. The 3d printing hobby is developing so fast atm, that the companies announce new printers every year, even every few months. The printer you buy now, might loose a lot of its value till you actually have something to print and it might happen, that you think then: "I could have gotten something better for the money". The same applies to resins. I really recommend to learn using the programs first. Once you have your model, you will have to learn adding the supports in the slicer (chitubox, lychee, etc...), because the auto function rarely works well. This is the time, when you have to decide, which printer to buy. If you are not planning to print big objects, don't buy a big printer. Maybe you think, I will buy a bigger one like the Saturn and can do anything with it but it doesn't work like that. You need a lot of resin in the tank, even if you want to print just an adjusted hand. Working with a resin printer is a bit messy and very time consuming, when it comes to cleaning. You can clean the tank and the building plate of a smaller printer much faster. You should also consider the space a bigger printer and bigger washing/curing machines need. You will also need some time to find the best exposure and curing times for your prints.
But after going through all of this, you will be very proud of you. I wish you all the best with this adventure!

 

I don't think it's a matter of one being better than the other--they both have pros and cons, and learning curves. They require different (although related) sets of skills as well. So I think it's best to research both techniques and see what feels like it will best meet your needs.

Like was already said, 3D printing is great if you just want to make dolls for yourself because you can easily just print off one without the time investment of traditional resin casting. That can allow you more flexibility, and it's nice if you want to do something off the wall to please nobody but yourself. Even if you were just printing off prototypes to cast traditionally later, that advantage is not to be dismissed!

But on the other hand, 3D printed resin can be more brittle than traditionally cast resin, etc etc (lots of other stuff already stated!). So they're both good, but in different ways. I agree that you should look into learning to model first, and do a lot of research into production methods in the meantime!

 

I have an Elegoo Saturn. I find it very useful for printing out props and one-off things and the size is much more convenient than the Elegoo Mars when it comes to 1/3 and 70cm size doll items. There is a bit of a learning curve to setting up prints, but there's a learning curve to any new medium you do so I don't really count it as the worst thing and TBH I find resin printers way easier to tune than FDM printers. I only use FDM for very large prints because I usually take longer to troubleshoot when the FDM makes the spaghetti than when the resin printer makes the pancake.

Casting resin is sturdier, but there is a larger upfront cost for setting up the silicone molds and the machines for removing air bubbles and etc. So it's better if you know you want at least 5-10 copies of an item all at once.

You can make a silicone mold from a 3D printed part, so if you find that you prefer sculpting on the computer over clay, using the 3D printer for prototyping is a valid way to go. So you have a 3D printed part to play around with for a while without worrying about destroying your master sculpt and it's easier to be like "I need this smaller/larger" rather than resculpting clay. Also 3D programs have a symmetry button lol

There are many people who sell 3D printed dolls these days, so while it would be off-topic for DOA's cast resin dolls, there are certainly people who enjoy them.

Due to printing resin being UV-cured, it is more prone to yellowing and going brittle, but the main problem color is clear transparent resin and sometimes white. Some brands it's like pee yellow if you overcure it. With other colors it is not very noticeable and I should know as someone who has left unpainted printed tabletop minis on my painting desk in a room that gets decent sun for over a year. I print faster than I can paint. lol

And the brittleness is a much larger issue for tabletop minis since they have toothpick thin polearms and such. For my BJD-scale prints, I have not had as much issue with accidental breakage. Some brands also make resin variations that are tougher if you want the extra peace of mind.

 

I am also looking into getting the same printer, but for me it will probably be next year. As it’s already been mentioned, I think the 3D printer is good for making prototypes to send off and be professionally cast. I haven’t seen a 3d resin printed doll in person, but from what I’ve seen online, it’s totally possible to make a finished doll for yourself this way. I don’t think it’s logical for creating a 3d print run of dolls however since these things can take hours upon hours to print.

Also, If you haven’t tried out Blender yet, I would go ahead and get yourself comfortable with that program first.

 

This is a great thread. Thank you for all the ideas and info. I too have a project of three "1/3rd" scaled dolls that I can't find anyone already existing that really "feels" like the characters, so I've been sketching things out and designing them myself.

 

HI! casting is just a part of the process, all toys are made by casting even the most commercial ones. No one sells a toy that is just the sculpt (or the print), or a toy that is cast but not polished. If you want something that feels complete you need to make the full process.
Actually, the process for a high-quality toy is:

1. sculpting
2. casting
3. cleaning

but a "modern" way that allows reaching a higher quality is

1. 3d sculpt
2. printing
3. cleaning
4. casting
5. cleaning

a printed model won't wave the resin quality of a casted doll, but hand sculpted bjd hardly has the details of one printed on resin.

something to take into count.

• If you had never sculpted before: traditional media such as clay could be easier to use but harder to achieve a high quality. On the other hand, with 3d printing, you can start with a 3d model made by someone else.
• All resins are extremely toxic, A lot of people in youtube work without safety equipment but I had been working with resins for some time (I'm a plastic artist), and believe me, intoxication its not fun!! GET A GAS MASK, GLOVES, AND GLASSES AND OPEN YOUR WINDOWS AND WORK EARLY TO ALLOW THE GASES TO ESCAPE FROM YOUR HOUSE.
• Take into count that the process of personalizing 3d prints requires a strong computer to run 3d programs such as blender or ZBrush.
• If you want a high-quality doll use polyurethane resin for the final cast.

There are two non-toxic ways to make a toy.

1. make it with clay or porcelain and don't cast it (again, resins are toxic)
2. make the 3d model and send it to print and cast into a Chinese company (on Alibaba you can find this kind of company).