“Painted” is a slippery word for miniatures. It can mean a fully coloured figure that arrives ready to drop on the table, a museum-grade display piece with blended shadows and highlights, or a bare grey model you are expected to paint yourself. Those are wildly different products at wildly different prices, and confusing them is how people end up disappointed. This guide sorts out the finish tiers – what each one actually gives you, how they compare in look and cost, and which is right for how you play.
The three levels of “painted”
Set aside the marketing words and there are really three tiers of finish for a custom mini:
| Tier | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Full-colour (tabletop-ready) | A figure that arrives fully coloured, straight to the table, no brush needed | Players who want their character usable now, at the friendliest price |
| Hand-finished | The colour work reviewed and finished by an artist for a sharper, display-grade look | A character you want to look good on the shelf as well as play |
| Collector / hand-painted | Traditional artist hand-painting with shading and highlights on a fine-detail figure | A showpiece where the painting itself is the point |
The jump between them is real. A tabletop-ready figure reads great at arm’s length across a game table. A collector-grade hand-paint job is meant to be examined up close, and it costs more because a person spends real hours on each one.
How 3DCentral’s finishes map to those tiers
Here is the honest version of what is available today. 3DCentral prints in full colour, which changes the usual math – you do not start from a bare grey model and have to paint it, because the colour is in the print.
- Studio – full-colour, tabletop-ready. A full-colour print that arrives coloured and ready to use. It is the budget-friendly tier and the budget-friendly pick, ideal when you want the character on the table without picking up a brush.
- Signature – hand-finished. The sculpt is routed to the best engine and then hand-finished by our artists for a crisper, display-grade result. This is the standard step up when you want it to look great on a shelf, not just function in play.
- Atelier – hand-painted resin (coming soon). A traditional hand-painted resin tier for a true collector piece is on the way, not yet available. If that is what you are after, it is worth knowing it is coming rather than assuming the current tiers include full artist hand-painting.
Because the colour is printed in, even the entry tier arrives looking finished – a genuine difference from buying a bare model that then needs paint, primer, and an evening of your time.
What each tier costs
Finish and size together set the price. These are 3DCentral’s current published prices in Canadian dollars, so you can see how the tabletop-ready tier (Studio) compares with the hand-finished tier (Signature) across sizes:
| Size | Studio (full-colour) | Signature (hand-finished) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 cm – tabletop mini | $37 | $49 |
| 6 cm – best fit | $67 | $89 |
| 8 cm – display | $97 | $129 |
| 10 cm – centrepiece | $127 | $169 |
| 13-15 cm – hero | $179 | $239 |
The hand-finished upgrade is a modest step at tabletop size and a larger one on big display pieces, where there is far more surface for an artist to work on. If you are still deciding what size to order, our figurine size guide pairs each size with how you will actually use it.
Which tier should you choose?
Answer honestly how the mini will spend its life:
- Mostly on the game table? The full-colour tabletop-ready tier (Studio) is the sensible pick. It reads well in play and keeps the price down.
- On the shelf and on the table? The hand-finished tier (Signature) gives you the crisper look for display while still being playable.
- A true display centrepiece? Go larger in size for the detail, and watch for the hand-painted collector tier as it becomes available.
- You paint your own? Then you may not need a finish upgrade at all – though note that full-colour prints arrive coloured rather than bare, so painting over one is a different job than priming a grey model.
Matching the finish across a party
If several players are ordering minis for the same table, it is worth deciding together whether you want a consistent look. A party where everyone chose the full-colour tabletop tier reads as a matched set on the map; a mix where one player upgrades a lead character to the hand-finished tier can make that character stand out, which some groups like on purpose. There is no rule here, but it helps to talk about it before ordering rather than ending up with an accidental mismatch. The same logic applies to size: a party kept at a single tabletop scale looks uniform, while a deliberately larger hero reads as the main character. Decide the effect you want as a group, then let each player pick their tier and size within it.
If you do want to paint it yourself
Plenty of hobbyists enjoy the painting as much as the playing. If that is you, the general advice holds regardless of where the mini came from: prime it first so paint grips, thin your paints so detail is not lost, build up in layers rather than one thick coat, and seal it at the end to protect the work. A full-colour print can also serve as a helpful colour guide underneath your own work. The point of the finish tiers is simply that you do not have to paint if you would rather just play.
Ready to pick your finish?
Decide how the mini will be used, choose the tier that matches, and pick a size. You can see how the finishes and sizes fit together on our tabletop gaming hub, then choose your options and order on the custom D&D miniature service.
FAQ
Does a custom mini come already painted?
At 3DCentral it comes in full colour, so it arrives coloured and ready for the table without you painting it. That is different from many bare grey models that need priming and painting before use.
What is the difference between full-colour and hand-finished?
Full-colour (the Studio tier) is a coloured print ready to play, at the friendliest price. Hand-finished (the Signature tier) has an artist finish the piece for a crisper, display-grade look. Both are usable in play; the hand-finished tier simply looks sharper up close.
Can I get a fully hand-painted collector miniature?
A traditional hand-painted resin collector tier (Atelier) is coming soon and is not yet available. The current tiers are full-colour (Studio) and hand-finished (Signature). If a full hand-paint job is your goal, it is on the way.
How much more does the hand-finished tier cost?
At tabletop size it is a small step – for example $37 for full-colour versus $49 hand-finished at 4 cm. The gap grows on larger display pieces, where there is more surface for the artist to work on.
Should I just paint it myself?
If you enjoy painting, you can – though a full-colour print arrives coloured rather than bare, so it is a different starting point than a grey model. If you would rather play than paint, the full-colour tier means you do not have to.
Which tier is best for regular D&D play?
The full-colour tabletop-ready tier. It reads well across a game table, survives handling, and keeps the cost down – and it is the most affordable way to get there. If you want the extra hand-finishing most customers choose, Signature is the tier the studio itself marks as “most chosen.”
