RPG miniatures · 2026
3D printed 28 mm RPG miniatures
How much does it cost to 3D print miniatures for your RPG group?
A 28–32 mm RPG miniature printed in resin costs between €8 and €23, depending on size, style and how much work it takes; a batch of 10 comes to about €57, roughly €5.73 each, excluding VAT and shipping. The biggest saving is ordering for the whole campaign at once: the party, the enemies and the monsters in one project. Fabrishare is a maker network: post your STL files for free and get quotes with price and lead time within 24–48 hours.
What size is each miniature on the grid?
Most tabletop RPGs are played on a grid of 1-inch (25 mm) squares, and a creature's size decides how many squares its base takes up. These are the D&D 5th edition sizes, which many other games use too:
| Size | Base | Examples | How it's printed | Ballpark price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small and Medium | 25 mm (1 square) | Your character, humans, dwarves, goblins | Resin, in one piece | €8–€23 |
| Large | 50 mm (2 × 2) | Ogres, horses, bears, mounts | Resin, sometimes in 2 or 3 parts | Depends on height and volume |
| Huge | 75 mm (3 × 3) | Giants, young dragons | Resin, almost always in parts | Depends on height and volume |
| Gargantuan | 100 mm or more (4 × 4) | Ancient dragons, colossi | Resin in parts, or FDM if very big | Ask for a quote |
In resin, height is what moves the price most: the printer takes the same time for one 30 mm figure as for ten on the same build plate, but a 15 cm dragon keeps the machine busy for hours on its own. That's why we don't give a figure for large creatures: each maker works it out from the file.
What gets ordered for an RPG campaign
Miniatures and figures made up 28 of the 110 requests registered on Fabrishare between May and October 2026, and one of them was exactly this: a batch of around 20 miniatures for RPG sessions.
Your character
Your character's figure, from an STL bought from a sculptor or designed in an online builder such as HeroForge. It's the one everyone looks at: ask for fine detail and a 25 mm base.
The whole party
The four to six characters at the table in one project. Together they cost less than one by one, and they arrive at the same time to debut in the same session.
Villains and monsters
The campaign's final boss, the dragon or the giant. These are the big pieces: printed in parts and assembled.
Hordes of enemies
Six skeletons, ten goblins, a band of brigands. Identical or near-identical figures, which is where the price per piece drops most.
Scenery and dungeon tiles
Doors, pillars, chests and dungeon tiles. Big pieces usually go in FDM: cheaper and they stand up to play.
Everything printed for tabletopBusts of your characters
When the campaign ends, some players order a bust of their character for the shelf, larger and to paint at leisure.
3D printed bustsA dice tower for the table
Dice towers and trays, GM screens and initiative markers, with your campaign's name if you like.
Dice towers and RPG accessories
How much do RPG miniatures cost, single or in batches?
Prices for the complete job, excluding VAT and shipping. The single miniature is the range the network's makers charge; the batch comes from the Fabrishare calculator. Each maker sets the final price after seeing the files.
| Part | Technology | Range | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 mm miniature | Resin | €8 – €23 | — |
| Batch of 10 × 28 mm miniatures | Resin | €34 – €92 | €57 |
Order for the campaign, not the session. In resin, many figures fit on the same build plate and print time is set by height, not by how many there are: ten miniatures take almost as long as one. That's why a batch of 10 works out at about €5.73 a figure, against €8–€23 for a single one.
If you know what's coming in the next few chapters, put the characters, enemies and monsters for the whole arc into one project. And if it's for a session with a date, order two weeks ahead: a maker who can slot your batch into a gap in their queue gives a better price than one who has to rush.
28 mm or 32 mm miniatures?
It's the most common question when ordering RPG miniatures, and it matters most if you'll mix them with figures you already own.
What each scale means
Scale is measured, roughly, from the feet to the eyes of a human figure. 28 mm is the classic RPG scale; 32 mm, known as «heroic», has taller, chunkier figures, with hands, weapons and heads slightly exaggerated so they read well on the table. Many sculptors now work at 32 mm.
Both use the same 25 mm base and sit happily in the same game. The difference shows when you put them side by side: a human at 32 mm looks a head taller than one at 28.
Rescaling without ruining the base
An STL can be printed at any scale: taking a figure from 32 to 28 mm means shrinking it to about 88%. But if the base is attached to the figure, it shrinks too and no longer fills exactly one square.
If the file has a separate base, ask for only the figure to be rescaled. If it's attached, say so in the project: the maker can split it off or put the figure on a new 25 mm base.
What to say in the project
Three details avoid almost every misunderstanding:
- The scale you want for each figure (28 or 32 mm), or a reference: «the same size as my plastic miniatures».
- How many copies of each file: one character, six identical skeletons, one dragon.
- Whether the files are pre-supported. Many files sold for RPGs already have supports in place, which saves the maker work.
Bases, primer and paint
Almost everyone orders RPG miniatures unpainted, because painting them is part of the hobby. The easiest option is to ask for them with supports removed and cleaned up, and if you want to start painting the same day, primed in grey, which shows the detail well.
For figures that will be handled at the table, the resin matters: a tough or ABS-like resin survives drops that break standard resin. We explain it in detail in the miniatures guide. What you can ask for, from least to most:
- Printed only, with supports still on.
- Supports removed, washed and cured.
- Primed, ready to paint.
- Hand-painted: some makers paint, and quote it separately.
Your miniature's file and its licence
Most RPG miniatures that get printed come from independent sculptors who sell their STLs individually or by monthly subscription, on Patreon for example. Almost all sell under a personal-use licence and, separately, a «merchant» tier for people who print and sell. Before ordering, check whether yours allows someone else to print them for you.
What never gets printed are copies of manufacturers' miniatures, neither recasts nor scans, even for your own game. If you don't have a file for your character, a maker can model it from a description or a sketch; the design is charged separately.
Do you play RPGs and own a resin printer?
Plenty of makers started out printing their own group's miniatures. If you already do it well, Fabrishare sends you other players' projects with the files, the scale and the quantity, and you decide which ones to send an offer for and at what price. Joining and sending offers is free.
How to order your campaign's miniatures
- 1Post your project for free with the STL files (or a link), the scale and how many copies of each figure you want.
- 2Makers in the network with resin printers send you quotes with price and lead time within 24–48 hours.
- 3Compare, choose, and the maker prints them and posts them to you.
RPG miniatures: frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to print my RPG group's miniatures?
Each 28–32 mm resin miniature costs between €8 and €23, depending on size, style and how much work it takes. A party of five characters, as a guide, comes to between €40 and €115; a batch of 10 figures, about €57. Excluding VAT and shipping. Ordering them all in the same project brings the price of each one down.
What base size does each creature need?
On a grid of 1-inch squares: 25 mm for Small and Medium creatures (your character), 50 mm for Large, 75 mm for Huge and 100 mm or more for Gargantuan. These are the D&D 5th edition sizes, which many other games follow.
Should I order my miniatures at 28 or 32 mm?
If you'll mix them with figures you already have, at the same scale as those. If you're starting from scratch, at the sculptor's scale: many design at 32 mm. Going from 32 to 28 mm means shrinking to about 88%; ask for the base to stay at 25 mm.
Can I print a character I designed in HeroForge or another online builder?
Yes, with conditions. According to its help pages, HeroForge lets someone else print it if you buy the file yourself and hand it over: the maker may only print copies for you and must delete the file afterwards. With other builders, check their terms before posting the project. Give the scale and say whether you want the base it comes with or a 25 mm one.
Can large monsters like a dragon be printed?
Yes. Huge and Gargantuan creatures are printed in parts in resin and assembled; very large ones can go in FDM, which is cheaper. Their price depends mainly on height, so each maker works it out from the file.
Will they survive being played with?
If they're printed in a tough or ABS-like resin, yes: they survive normal drops. Standard resin is brittle and a figure that falls off the table can break. Say in the project that they're for play.
Can they be sent painted?
Yes. In the project, under Finish, tick painting: the maker, or a painter they work with, quotes it separately from the printing, depending on the level (tabletop or display). The miniature painting page covers the levels, lead times and reference prices.
How long do they take to arrive?
Quotes arrive within 24–48 hours and each one gives its print and delivery time. If you need them for a particular session, order two weeks ahead: it's cheaper and you're not cutting it fine.
Is it worth buying my own resin printer?
For a handful of figures, no: a basic resin setup costs about €376 in the first year (printer, wash and cure station, resin, isopropyl alcohol and an FEP film), against €40–€115 to order five miniatures. It pays off if you'll print a lot and fancy learning.
What if I don't have a file for my character?
You can buy a similar figure from an independent sculptor or have one modelled from a description or a sketch. Modelling is quoted separately from printing: describe it in the project.