Should I use standard resin or water-washable resin?

Water-washable resin removes the need for an alcohol bath, which suits spaces where alcohol is inconvenient; standard resin is often less brittle and offers more grades. Both are irritants when uncured, and water used to wash resin must be handled as the maker describes, not poured away.

The two resin families print in the same machines and differ most after the print is finished.

Standard resins

Washed in isopropyl alcohol or a cleaner their maker names. Available in many grades: tough, flexible, high-detail, castable. Often less brittle than water-washable equivalents. Alcohol is flammable and needs ventilation and safe storage.

Water-washable resins

Washed in water, which removes the alcohol and its smell. Often more brittle, with fewer specialist grades. Parts must dry fully before curing, or they may crack later.

What stays the same with both resins

Uncured resin is an irritant in both cases: gloves and ventilation apply, as the safety data sheet says. Wash water or alcohol contains resin and must be treated as the maker describes, commonly by curing the liquid and filtering the solids before disposal.

Choosing

If alcohol handling is the obstacle, water-washable resin removes it. If toughness or a specific grade matters, standard resins offer more choice. Exposure settings for each resin and printer come from the resin maker.