Dental Resin Post-Processing: Wash, Cure and Finish Right

A print is half-done when the build finishes. Post-processing is where a printable part becomes a usable one.

The three stages

1. Wash: 2 × 3 min in IPA (or the resin's solvent), not 10 min — over-wash leaches the surface and weakens it.
2. Cure: 405 nm, 20–30 min, all surfaces lit. One-sided curing leaves a tacky inside.
3. Finish: remove supports flush; a proud support nub is a pressure point.

Mistakes that ruin parts

• Sunlight curing — uneven, yellows the resin.
• Reusing dirty IPA — leaves a hazy film.
• Skipping the post-cure — monomer leaches, tissue reacts.

Match the cycle to our resin data sheets for repeatable results.

Wash, then cure — in that order

Wash before curing; curing first locks monomer to the surface and the IPA cannot reach it. Two short washes (2 min each) beat one long one.

Cure right

• Cure at 405 nm, 6–10 min, 40–60 °C; cold cure leaves tack.
• Rotate the part mid-cure for even flux.
• Measure shore on a sample; below spec means under-cure.