Sofia Martinez
Hero Forge's plastic miniatures come pre-primed in a matte gray primer, which serves as a suitable base coat for light and dark colour schemes. The Premium Plastic option is the most paint-friendly material, offering the highest physical detail and fidelity to the original design. It does not come primed, allowing the painter to choose their own undercoat. The basic plastic option may have some layer line texture, which can be addressed with a filler primer. Hero Forge's plastic is very paint adherent, and the company offers a range of Painting Academy videos with tips and techniques for achieving the best results.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Primer | Hero Forge plastic miniatures come pre-primed in a matte gray primer. |
| Filler primer is recommended to level off 3D print lines. | |
| Vallejo's brush-on black primer is also used by some. | |
| Paint | Paint is designed to stick to the surface and is not easily removed. |
| Hero Forge recommends thinning paints and working in thin, layered coats. | |
| A 1:3 or 1:5 paint-to-water ratio is suggested for beginners. | |
| Ink washes can accentuate detail. | |
| Premium Plastic | Offers the highest physical detail and fidelity to the original design. |
| Produced using an SLA printing process at 35-50 micron layer thickness. | |
| Nearly indistinguishable under a layer of paint or primer. | |
| Does not come primed, allowing the painter to choose a suitable undercoat. | |
| Bronze | Produced using a "lost wax method" and polished to a jewelry shine. |
| Includes extremely fine detail. | |
| Paint adheres differently to the smooth metal surface. |
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What You'll Learn
- Hero Forge's plastic miniatures come pre-primed in a matte gray primer
- Premium Plastic is the most paint-friendly material offered by Hero Forge
- The plastic is very adherent to paint
- A filler primer can be used to level off 3D print lines
- Hero Forge recommends thinning paints and working in thin, layered coats
Hero Forge's plastic miniatures come pre-primed in a matte gray primer
Hero Forge's plastic miniatures come pre-primed in a matte grey primer, which is a suitable base coat for both light and dark colour schemes. This means that the miniatures are paintable straight out of the box. However, some users have reported that the cheaper plastic miniatures from Hero Forge come pre-primed, while the more expensive premium plastic miniatures do not.
Techniques like ink washes, as described in Episode 1 of the Hero Forge Painting Academy, work very well on the matte grey primer. However, this may slightly accentuate any layer line stepping texture present on the surface. The premium plastic material from Hero Forge offers the highest physical detail and fidelity to your original design. These miniatures are produced using an SLA printing process at 35-50 micron layer thickness, which is double the "z-axis" resolution of the basic plastic option.
While some "layer line" texture may be visible on the surface of the model, this is typically very subtle and nearly indistinguishable under a layer of paint or primer. Premium plastic is designed to be the most paint-friendly material offered by Hero Forge. It does not come primed, allowing the painter to choose a suitable colour undercoat for their intended colour scheme.
Some users have reported that the sealant used on the colour plastic miniature is not designed to serve as a primer or base coat. As a result, additional layers of paint applied directly to the colour plastic models may require more coats to achieve the desired effects. Therefore, it is recommended to experiment with a small area of the model first to consider the effect of these washes.
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Premium Plastic is the most paint-friendly material offered by Hero Forge
While some "layer line" texture may be visible on the surface of the model, this is typically very subtle and nearly indistinguishable under a layer of paint or primer. Premium Plastic does not come primed, allowing the painter to choose a suitable color undercoat for their intended color scheme.
Some users have recommended using filler primer for Premium Plastic miniatures, as it will level off the 3D print lines. Multiple layers can almost completely erase them if you are patient and careful with your application. You will have to be a little heavier than is preferred for normal priming so you can get enough paint on the model that it will flow and fill properly.
Hero Forge's Premium Plastic models are used for all of their Painting Academy videos, which offer tips and techniques for painters of all skill levels.
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The plastic is very adherent to paint
Hero Forge's plastic miniatures are designed to be paint adherent. The plastic used is very adherent to paint, and users have reported that they have never had trouble with paint adherence without a primer. The Premium Plastic material is the company's most paint-friendly material, offering the highest physical detail and fidelity to the original design. The Premium Plastic miniatures are produced using an SLA printing process at a 35-50 micron layer thickness, which is double the "z-axis" resolution of the basic Plastic option.
While the Premium Plastic option does not come primed, the basic Plastic option comes pre-primed in a matte gray primer, which serves as a suitable base coat for both light and dark color schemes. The basic Plastic option is paintable right out of the box. However, the Premium Plastic option allows the painter to choose a suitable color undercoat for their intended color scheme.
For those who are new to painting, Hero Forge recommends thinning paints and working with thin, layered coats from the beginning. This is because harsh chemicals used to strip paint can also degrade the underlying plastic material. Additionally, techniques like ink washes can be used to accentuate detail, although they may slightly accentuate any layer line stepping texture present on the surface.
For the Hero Forge Premium Plastic miniatures, a filler primer is recommended as it will level off the 3D print lines. Multiple layers can almost completely erase them if applied patiently and carefully. However, this will cost you very fine details as well.
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A filler primer can be used to level off 3D print lines
Hero Forge's premium plastic miniatures are very adherent to paint. However, to level off 3D print lines, a filler primer can be used. Filler primer is available in rattle cans and is a very thick, sandable primer. It is a good way to hide small layer lines and allow for sanding. It is important to note that the primer choice may not matter much, and the detail of the model may carry more weight.
To achieve a smooth finish on 3D-printed parts, multiple layers of filler primer may be applied, followed by wet sanding with fine-grit sandpaper. This process can be repeated until the desired smoothness is achieved. It is important to allow the primer to dry completely between coats, and to follow the safety instructions on the product label.
When using filler primer, it is recommended to use a heavier application than normal priming to ensure enough paint is on the model for it to flow and fill properly. This may result in the loss of very fine details, but these details may be unprintable anyway. It is also important to note that even coverage can be tricky to achieve, and multiple coats may be required.
Filler primer can be a great way to improve the finish of 3D-printed parts, but it is important to be patient and careful with the application process.
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Hero Forge recommends thinning paints and working in thin, layered coats
Hero Forge's plastic miniatures come pre-primed in a matte grey primer, which serves as a suitable base coat for both light and dark colour schemes. The Premium Plastic option, however, does not come primed, allowing the painter to choose their desired colour undercoat. Hero Forge recommends that painters experiment with different techniques and levels of paint dilution to find what suits their style.
For those new to thinning paints and layering, Hero Forge recommends a 1:3 or 1:5 paint-to-water ratio, as outlined in Episode 2 of the Hero Forge Painting Academy. It is important to note that harsh chemicals used to strip paint can degrade the underlying plastic material, so thinning paints and working in thin, layered coats from the beginning is advised. This approach allows for better control and the ability to build up colours gradually, ensuring the paint adheres well to the plastic surface.
The Premium Plastic material offers the highest physical detail and fidelity to the original design, produced with an SLA printing process at 35-50 micron layer thickness. This results in a very subtle "layer line" texture that is typically unnoticeable under paint or primer. The Premium Plastic option is designed to be the most paint-friendly material offered by Hero Forge, accommodating a wide range of painting techniques.
Additionally, the sealant used on the Color Plastic miniature is not intended to serve as a primer or base coat. As a result, applying additional layers of paint directly to the pre-primed plastic may require extra coats to achieve the desired effects. Painters can experiment with techniques like ink washes, as described in Episode 1 of the Hero Forge Painting Academy, to accentuate the details of their miniatures.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the plastic miniatures come pre-primed in a matte gray primer. This acts as a suitable base coat for both light and dark color schemes and can be painted right out of the box.
No, the paint is designed to stick to the surface it is applied to and is not easily removed. However, if you want to remove some or all previous coats of paint to begin fresh, try a different color scheme, or correct a mistake, you may use a primer.
A filler primer is recommended as it will level off the 3D print lines. Multiple layers can almost completely erase them if you are patient and careful with your application.
If you do not have experience with layering or thinning paints, it is recommended to review episode 2 of the Hero Forge® Painting Academy, which recommends a 1:3 or 1:5 paint-to-water ratio. Different techniques will require different levels of dilution, so be sure to experiment to find what suits your style.
While some "layer line" texture may be visible on the surface of the model, this is typically very subtle and nearly indistinguishable under a layer of paint or primer.
