Custom Figurine Vocabulary: A Plain-English Glossary
Custom figurine listings use words that describe design, production and display.
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Custom figurine listings use words that describe design, production and display. Understanding the differences helps you ask clearer questions without needing to learn every technical detail of sculpture manufacturing.
Design and approval terms
Reference: A photograph or other source used to explain identity, clothing, pose or an accessory. Label its role.
Brief: The organized description of what you want, including references, priorities and scope.
Proof: A preview offered for review. Ask what kind of preview it is and what its approval establishes.
Stylized: An interpretation that deliberately changes or simplifies proportions and features.
Likeness: How the character represents the intended person or animal within that chosen style.
Production terms
Master: An original form used as the basis for reproduction, such as mold making.
Mold: A shaped cavity used to produce a casting.
Casting: Forming material in a mold according to the specific process.
Resin printing: A printing process using a specified resin system, followed by required processing.
Support: A temporary printing structure or, in another context, a physical feature supporting a finished pose. Ask which meaning applies.
Post-curing: A further material-processing stage under specified conditions; not a universal recipe shared by all resins.
Hand-finished: A broad description that should be clarified: it may refer to surface work, painting, assembly or another manual stage.
Product and display terms
Base: The platform supporting the figure. Its dimensions may differ from the object's maximum footprint.
Bobblehead: A figure with a head designed to move through a mechanism. A large head alone does not prove movement.
Scene: A composition that can include backgrounds, furniture and additional accessories beyond standard figures.
Footprint: The width and depth needed for the display, including anything that projects beyond the base.
Use the terms to clarify scope
Rather than asking for “a realistic handmade 3D figure,” identify the appearance, production information and included elements you need explained. Our process description guide connects these terms in a typical order conversation.
At VoxelPals, standard figures and additional scene work are separate scope decisions. Clear vocabulary helps turn an appealing idea into an order that both sides can describe consistently.
