# Formlabs resins harmful to breathe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Materials\ **Created:** [January 18, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441 "2017-01-18T17:07:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sashabruml](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@sashabruml](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/sashabruml)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/1 "2017-01-18T17:07:59Z")
I have a very small flat so keep my formlabs in my bedroom. I store and wash with the IPA outside but am a bit worried that the resin fumes could be bad for my health as I sleep in the room. I have used clear, white and castable for months without too much thought but the flexible smells very strongly. How toxic are the resins fumes? Is is ok to be sleeping in a unventilated room with the machine whilst it is running? ---
**Author:** ![Frew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c0e974/32.png) [@Frew](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Frew)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/2 "2017-01-19T15:45:59Z")
We have SDS forms listed for each of our materials [towards the bottom of this page](https://formlabs.com/materials/standard/). Skin contact is the biggest concern but we do recommend using the printer in a well ventilated area. ---
**Author:** ![Zachary\_Brackin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4da419/32.png) [@Zachary\_Brackin](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Zachary_Brackin)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/3 "2017-01-19T16:37:34Z")
You should be fine while the printer is running, but if you aren’t going to use the printer a while it’s probably best to take the tray with the resin out and put the black lid on it and store it in the box it came in. ---
**Author:** ![nrbelk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/47e85d/32.png) [@nrbelk](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/nrbelk)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/4 "2017-01-19T17:28:17Z")
What about once its printed/cured? ---
**Author:** ![Walter\_Gillespie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/35a633/32.png) [@Walter\_Gillespie](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Walter_Gillespie)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/5 "2017-01-19T19:04:59Z")
No different than any other resin plastic items you might have in your home. ---
**Author:** ![BenFrantzDale](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/benfrantzdale/32/6064_2.png) [@BenFrantzDale](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/BenFrantzDale)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/6 "2017-01-20T01:11:19Z")
Why do you say that? ---
**Author:** ![Zachary\_Brackin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4da419/32.png) [@Zachary\_Brackin](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Zachary_Brackin)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/7 "2017-01-20T16:33:04Z")
I’m not sure what you mean If fumes from the resin is a concern, then it makes sense to put the lid over the resin and store it away ---
**Author:** ![FormBeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FormBeast](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/FormBeast)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 9:56pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/8 "2021-04-17T21:56:56Z")
I was wondering if anyone has found a solution to covering the resin tank whilst in the printer? Preferably with the wiper still installed? I usually wrap clingfilm over it, though it’s not much of a seal like the lid of the tank. However even without the wiper the lid of the tank doesn’t fit when the tank is in the printer. ---
**Author:** ![rcameronstahl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/rcameronstahl/32/17259_2.png) [@rcameronstahl](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/rcameronstahl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 5:21pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/9 "2021-04-22T17:21:33Z")
I also work out of a small flat (we call it an apartment in the US), and my solution was to create an enclosure for the printer. I got some opaque, corrugated plastic board and hot glued it together. I never smell resin when the printer is not running, but this keeps the fumes even more contained. It also keeps light off of the resin tank when not in use. When the printer is doing a long print, the fumes do start to become noticeable, so what I did was cut a hole in the back of the enclosure and run a bit of hardware store ducting to my kitchen stove extractor. Worked great! I never smell resin anymore; I just set this up when I’m printing and it easily collapses for storage. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/6/f/6f0eb2212effb22625f4a3a3ff4c51dc7f6211e1.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Cohen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/randy_cohen/32/1500_2.png) [@Randy\_Cohen](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Randy_Cohen)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/10 "2021-04-22T18:48:18Z")
Those of us with spouses and/or significant others would be unlikely to get away with this solution… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Konstantin\_Dani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Konstantin\_Dani](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Konstantin_Dani)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/11 "2021-04-22T20:59:40Z")
I print with Clear, Grey, and Grey Pro, Grey Pro being the worst smell-wise. I small window fan blowing outside resolved the issue because my printers are installed not far from the window. ---
**Author:** ![RyanAx365](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@RyanAx365](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/RyanAx365)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:07pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/12 "2021-07-29T18:07:01Z")
Question… Is Formlabs material liquid resin or liquid plastic? I am asked all the time. I read that resins typically have organic origins and plastics come from synthetic. I just want to be accurate. Liquid resin sounds less hazardous than liquid plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Cohen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/randy_cohen/32/1500_2.png) [@Randy\_Cohen](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Randy_Cohen)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:16pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/13 "2021-07-29T18:16:02Z")
It is a “photopolymer resin”. The resin “photo-chemically” solidifies upon exposure to UV light. Liquid plastic is already in its “cured” state, it’s just below its melting point. ---
**Author:** ![Marshall\_Banana](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/marshall_banana/32/13856_2.png) [@Marshall\_Banana](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Marshall_Banana)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 10:24am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/14 "2021-07-30T10:24:42Z")
Nice installation, reminds me of Brazil: ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Cohen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/randy_cohen/32/1500_2.png) [@Randy\_Cohen](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Randy_Cohen)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 12:34am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-resins-harmful-to-breathe/11441/15 "2021-07-31T00:34:05Z")
I know what you’re talking about without watching the video.