If you've worked with resin before, you already know how much the little details matter. Resin isn't hard - measure, mix, pour & spread - but a little prep and some smart habits can help you avoid common issues and get better results, every time.
We've gathered our most dependable, tried-and-true resin tips to help you get more consistent, professional-looking results in 2026 - and feel confident every step of the way!
1. Work in a Warm Environment
Temperature matters. Resin prefers warm and dry temperatures, so for best results, keep your workspace between 75-85°F (24-30°C) for the first 24 hours. Cooler temperatures can lead to thick resin, micro bubbles, and curing issues.
💡 How to Cure Resin in Cold Temperatures
2. Make Sure Your Artwork is Clean & Dry
Dust, dirt, wax, or oils can cause surface imperfections or bare spots where the resin won't adhere. Make sure all materials - including paint, sealers, and adhesives - are completely dry. Acrylic pour paintings should dry 3 weeks before resin is applied. Trapped moisture can cause cloudiness or adhesion problems.
3. Prep A Clean, Dust-Free Workspace
Dust is one of resin's biggest enemies. Try misting the air lightly with a spray bottle of water to pull dust down, covering the floor with plastic, and turning off fans and AC before you pour. Every bit of preparation helps.
💡 Tips to Keep Dust Out of Resin Art
4. Seal Porous Surfaces First
Wood, paper, or fabric can soak up resin and release air, causing dark spots and bubbles in your finished piece. Depending on your artwork, seal with a clear drying brush-on or spray sealant.
💡 Should I Seal My Artwork Before I Resin?
5. Work on a Sturdy Surface
Resin is heavy, so your substrate needs to be sturdy. Work on solid surfaces like wood panels, metal, glass, ceramic tile, and stone. For stretched canvas, reinforce the back with a piece of cardboard cut to size first. This will help prevent it from sagging under the weight of the resin.
💡 What's the Best Surface to Use with Resin?
6. Use Plastic Tools
Plastic tools make clean up simple! Wipe them while wet with isopropyl alcohol and paper towel, or let the resin to cure and peel it off the next day. For mixing cups, use polypropylene plastic - you can remove resin in one satisfying, piece. Finally, protect your workspace with vinyl, silicone mats or a slab of HDPE plastic.
💡 10 Ways to Reduce Waste When Working With Resin
7. Tape Your Edges
Tape the sides and underside of your artwork with painter's tape to catch drips and keep edges clean. This step saves sanding later and gives you a more polished, pro-looking result. Remove the tape before the 24 hour mark while the resin is still soft - waiting too long can cause the tape to bond to the resin.
💡 How to Deal With Epoxy Resin Drips
8. Measure Resin Accurately
When it comes to resin, correct ratios are critical. Weighing and measuring by volume are not the same; for example, ArtResin is measured 1:1 by volume but 100:84 parts resin to hardener by weight. Always follow the label directions precisely to ensure proper curing and hardness.
Never add more hardener thinking you'll end up with a harder cure. It just doesn't work, and you may end up with a sticky mess.
💡 A Beginner's Guide to Mixing Resin
9. Scrape While Mixing, Not Pouring
Use a flat-edged stir stick to scrape the cup's sides and bottom as you stir. This ensures a complete blend.
As tempting as it is scrape every last drop when pouring, don't. There's almost always some unmixed resin the sides, and scraping it out can contaminate your mixture and cause sticky spots. If you don't want to waste, scrape the resin into a fresh cup, stir for another couple of minutes, and then pour.
💡 The Top 10 Resin Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
10. Warm Resin Bottles Before Mixing
Place tightly capped bottles in a warm (not hot) water bath for 10-15 minutes. Warm resin flows better and releases bubbles more easily. This tip is especially important for those in colder climates.
💡 How to Give Resin a Warm Water Bath
11. Mix Gently but Thoroughly
Avoid aggressive mixing - doing so creates a whipped, frothy mixture full of micro bubbles. Instead, a slow, steady stir blends the resin while keeping bubbles to a minimum.
💡 Tips to Prevent Resin Bubbles
12. Torching: Less is More
Heat removes bubbles, but too much can burn the resin, cause wrinkles, ripples, dimples or yellowing. Keep the flame moving and use it sparingly - flame torches work better than heat guns for bubbles, while heat guns are better for silicone molds or fluid art.
💡 What Happens if I Over Torch Resin?
13. Give Bubbles Time to Rise
If your 40 minute working time allows, let the resin sit for about 5-10 minutes after pouring and spreading. This gives bubbles time to rise naturally, making them easier to remove with the torch.
You can let the resin sit briefly in the cup before pouring, but avoid letting large volumes sit too long. Resin can heat up very quickly in the cup - especially in warm temperatures - and in some cases can even flash cure. It's best to portion the resin into smaller cups first.
14. Work with Good Lighting
Bright natural light or strong LED lighting helps you spot bubbles, dust and debris after spreading and torching.
15. Keep Clean Up Supplies Nearby
Have paper towels, wipes, and isopropyl alcohol within arm's reach. Planning ahead makes accidental drips or spills far less stressful.
💡 How to Clean up Epoxy Resin
16. Cover Your Work While Curing
Protect curing resin with a clean cardboard box or plastic container. For larger pieces, prop a board or piece of corrugated plastic on four paint cans to create a simple tent. Check your work every 10-15 minutes with a light source for the first hour. If you spot any dust or bubbles, use a toothpick to remove them before the resin sets.
💡 Tips to Keep Dust Out of Your Resin Art
17. Allow Proper Cure Time
Most resin is touch-dry in ~24 hours and fully cured in 72 hours. Artwork may be hung on the wall after 24 hours, but functional pieces should not be used until fully cured. It's important to note that resin is food safe only after it has fully cured.
💡 What's the Cure Time of Epoxy Resin?
18. Sand or Layer for Perfect Coats
To fix imperfections, sand cured resin until the flaw is fully removed. Don't forget to sand the rest of the surface so the new resin layer has something to grab onto.
To simply add an additional layer, cured resin must be sanded. Resin won't bond properly to a smooth, cured surface without some tooth.
Alternatively, you can apply an additional coat after about 3-5 hours, while the first layer is still tacky. In this case, sanding isn't needed - the two layers will cure together and bond as one.
💡 How to Sand Epoxy Resin
19. Fix Sticky Resin With a Fresh Coat
Sticky resin often comes from under mixing, incorrect mix ratios, or cold temperatures. Move the piece to a warmer spot for a day. If this doesn't fix the issue, remove any traces of liquid resin and apply a properly measured and mixed coat over top.
💡 How to Fix Sticky Resin
20. Always Test First
We always recommend testing new techniques, colorants, additives, and surfaces before committing to a final piece. It's the easiest way to avoid surprises and know exactly what to expect.
21. Use Colorants Sparingly
Too much colorant can prevent resin from curing properly. Add no more than 6% of the total volume of resin and hardener. If you use a pigment based colorant, you will need far less than this.
Add the colorant gradually, adding more as required. Test the color as you go by using your stir stick to pull a little resin up the side of the mixing cup. Be careful with water based colorants, such as acrylic paint. Water and resin react and can create a thick, gloppy mixture.
💡 How to Color Clear Epoxy Resin
22. Keep Small Projects Ready For Leftover Resin
Keep silicone molds close by to create bookmarks, key rings, coasters or other small projects with excess resin.
A bin for cured scraps is handy to keep on hand. Repurpose scraps as filler in deeper pours or as decorative embellishments in mixed media projects.
💡 Stop Wasting Your Resin
23. Shape Resin Mid-Cure
There's a short window, around 12-16 hours, when resin is dry to the touch but still flexible. This is the perfect time to shape it!
Thin coasters with scalloped edges work beautifully shaped into trinket dishes. Just place your flexible coaster into a plastic bowl and leave it to fully cure.
💡 Resin Trinket Dish Tutorial
24. Don't Panic Over Yellowed Hardener
After 6 months opened (or 12 months unopened) you may notice your bottle of hardener yellowing from oxygen exposure. Don't throw it out! The resin and hardener will lighten significantly once mixed and will still cure perfectly. Use it with colorants or over dark surfaces, like wood, and you’ll never know it was yellow.
💡 What Can You Do With Yellowed Hardener?
25. Patience & Positivity = Secret Weapons
As our good friend, artist Jane Monteith says: "Be in a good mood! This sounds silly, but when you’re feeling positive the entire process runs more smoothly. When you're put under pressure to finish your art piece/s, you tend to rush more, which can lead to frustration and unwanted results."
💡 Resin Tips with Jane Monteith
26. Remember - We're Here to Help!
From our blogs, FAQs, and videos to our friendly customer service team, our goal is to help you feel confident and get great results - every time.
💡 Contact Us
We hope you found these tips helpful! With good prep, patience, and a few best practices, you'll get more consistent, professional results every time. And if something doesn't go perfectly - don't stress. It happens to all of us, and we're always here to help.
Want even more artist-approved tips? Check out our blog Professional Artists Share Their Favorite Resin Tips to see the techniques our artists reach for again and again in their own studios.
And don't miss our Top 10 Blogs of 2025, packed with troubleshooting, tips, and how-to's to keep you creating with confidence all year long!
Here's to your best resin results yet in 2026! 🎉
ArtResin: The Original Epoxy for Resin Art.
