<p>No, at least not at a consumer level. The layering created by the printing process would create imperfections, and clear resin frequently yellows if not cured properly and then protected form strong UV light. Resins that do not yellow tend to have a blue cast to them.</p>
<p>You would be better off using a commercial grade casting resin and a pressure chamber to remove bubbles. Even then it would be inferior to silicates for even basic lenses.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-25T18:54:36.157Z
2022-05-25T18:54:36.157Z
Aaargh Zombies
<h1>Clear Resin isn't clear everywhere</h1>
<p>Any light-curing resin has a specific bandwidth to which it is totally opaque just to be able to cure. This is typically a blue color, but at this and adjacent wavelength, the lens will not allow light to pass through it, no matter if you can manage to get imperfections down.</p>
<h1>Resins change color</h1>
<p>Then there is the problem of resins changing coloration. Most cast resins become yellow, and some go blue, but in either case, they do absorb some spectrum to appear as this color.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-26T21:22:23.733Z
This is informative but not necessarily a problem; sometimes you want to filter. Thanks.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-26T21:24:05.200Z
While the lens might work in a larger spectrum - depending on the resin you take, you always will have the printer light color as a bandgap. Which might be a problem, because you usually print with blue-ish light
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-27T14:46:57.040Z
Yes, it's application-specific.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-26T19:36:09.380Z
2022-05-26T19:36:09.380Z
Trish
<p>Are there SLA printable resins that can be printed with optical clarity and whose index of refraction make them potentially useful for optical applications? I would assume the surface may need polishing, and that's okay - I'm just asking whether the materials and process are otherwise suitable.</p>

<print-material><resin><sla>
Is there printable optical-grade resin?
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
# Is there printable optical-grade resin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-05-25)

Are there SLA printable resins that can be printed with optical clarity and whose index of refraction make them potentially useful for optical applications? I would assume the surface may need polishing, and that's okay - I'm just asking whether the materials and process are otherwise suitable.

**Tags:** print-material, resin, sla

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-05-25. Score: 2

No, at least not at a consumer level. The layering created by the printing process would create imperfections, and clear resin frequently yellows if not cured properly and then protected form strong UV light. Resins that do not yellow tend to have a blue cast to them.

You would be better off using a commercial grade casting resin and a pressure chamber to remove bubbles. Even then it would be inferior to silicates for even basic lenses.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2022-05-26. Score: 0

# Clear Resin isn't clear everywhere

Any light-curing resin has a specific bandwidth to which it is totally opaque just to be able to cure. This is typically a blue color, but at this and adjacent wavelength, the lens will not allow light to pass through it, no matter if you can manage to get imperfections down.

# Resins change color

Then there is the problem of resins changing coloration. Most cast resins become yellow, and some go blue, but in either case, they do absorb some spectrum to appear as this color.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This is informative but not necessarily a problem; sometimes you want to filter. Thanks.  
> **username_2**: While the lens might work in a larger spectrum - depending on the resin you take, you always will have the printer light color as a bandgap. Which might be a problem, because you usually print with blue-ish light  
> **username_0**: Yes, it's application-specific.  

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