Fans have noticed 3D print lines on GW’s Warhammer Forge World models they buy, but they’re not errors; they actually 3D print every one of their Warhammer models.
You’ve probably seen them, the faint ridges running across a new Forge World Warhammer mini straight out of the box. At first glance, it looks like a printing hiccup or a mold issue.
But here’s the twist: Games Workshop meant for them to be there. Every single Warhammer model from Forge World is 3D printed before it hits the production line, and those lines are the fingerprints of the process.
Here’s how it all works.
Why GW Forge World Models Have 3d Print Lines On Them
Originally published in October 2023, updated on November 2nd, 2025, by Rob Baer with the latest.
Hobbyists have asked for a long time why new Warhammer model pics seem to have 3D-printing lines on them.
Worse yet, Forge World models actually have 3D-print lines on them, leading some hobbyists to think that GW is 3D-printing them rather than casting them in resin.
Some have even asked me where I got my Adeptus Custodes files, since my Forge World models have visible print lines. Naturally, people assumed they had to be printed; however, the truth is, they are straight from Forge World!
Here’s a great meme from Facebook that made us laugh while explaining the whole process and the situation we just described from everyone’s favorite fighting father and son:
Games Workshop Does 3D Print Every Warhammer Model
The “secret is” Games Workshop does 3D print all of their models, and they have STL files for every Warhammer model produced from the early 2010s to now.
They use these files not only to make master molds but also to paint their product shots on tight deadlines for marketing material. In fact, since about 2014, every painted model for box art and their webstore has been 3D-printed, as we explain further here.
For many, this wonky-looking 3D-printed Taurox Prime was the first plastic production model spotted with 3D print lines when it was released in 2014.
In fact, up until just a few years ago, this exact model was still the product image on GW’s site when you went to purchase this kit, even!
Warhammer’s 3D Printing & Mold Making
The following is a brief rundown of how we’re pretty sure GW makes its Forge World models now (with less Orange County Choppers meme).
First, GW’s designers create a model using 3D software; then they make a master model by printing it on a 3D printer. Once that comes out the way they want, they make a silicone master mold from the 3D-printed model and pour the resin into it.
Then, when they have a good cast, they make additional production molds from that master model to produce the kits they ship to customers.
They essentially make a copy of a copy of a copy, which does make a model with print lines if they were pronounced on the master mold, as in the case of the Horus Heresy Exodus model above.
Forge World even has a canned message they use to reply with when customers contact them about these visible lines on models:
Having checked over the images I can confirm this is the current standard of the model, the lines you see are leftover printing lines from production that are picked up with fresh molds. These can be smoothed over with a little super glue or filed down with a fine-grade hobby file or sandpaper.
3d Print Lines in Plastic Warhammer Models
Painted Knight on display at Warhammer World
This also brings up the same issue that some have noticed in product shots for Games Workshop’s plastic kits, too. These kits are produced using injection molding from digital files is an entirely different process altogether.
When you get a plastic model kit from Games Workshop, there will be no 3D Print lines on it.
However, in all their painted model images and marketing materials, GW uses painted 3D-printed models to keep up with their frenetic release schedule.
The Knight above can be seen in this Warhammer Community image from April 21, 2022:
With the time their ‘Eavy Metal team spends painting new models, they need the extra lead time 3d printing provides to completely assemble and paint models before it’s time to start designing the models’ packaging and marketing them to customers.
Final Thoughts From Us On GW 3d Printing Warhammer Models
There you have it; GW doesn’t 3D-print the Forge World models they send to customers, but they do use 3D models for thier masters, which produces those mold lines you can see!
Now you know why you sometimes see lines on those Forge World models and on the painted plastic ones in GW’s marketing images for new products.
What do you think about 3d print lines now on Forge World Warhammer models and resin kits, and the painted plastic models from Games Workshop?
Which begs the question: why don’t they sand the lines off of the master model before they make the mold? At those prices they can pay someone for an hour of work making the models clean.
This.