Impression procedures are an integral part of patients' prosthetic supply. Since the accuracy of prosthetic work relies on the precision of the working model, it is important to understand the factors that influence the success of the impression procedure. Impression materials possess different properties such as accuracy, elasticity, dimensional stability, hydrophilicity, and others. They are divided into elastic and non-elastic impression materials. Currently, elastic materials dominate the market and are further categorized into hydrocolloids and synthetic elastomers. The most commonly used hydrocolloid material is alginate, while polyvinylsiloxanes and polyethers stand out among synthetic elastomers. Each of these types of impression materials exhibits certain advantages and disadvantages, but their indications cover almost all clinical situations. The modern era has introduced a new way of registering intraoral conditions using intraoral scanners in dental medicine. By capturing a large number of overlapping images, intraoral scanners create a three-dimensional reproduction of the scanned region through software processing. Despite their speed, convenience, and precision, the high cost presents a barrier to their wider application. In general, polyvinylsiloxanes and polyethers are considered materials of choice for fabricating high-precision working models, while alginates are used in situations where high precision is not imperative. However, through digital analysis of the dimensional and surface properties of these three material groups, the reduced value of alginates compared to polyvinylsiloxanes and polyethers has not been proven. Therefore, although further research is still needed, the usability of alginates for making working models is being questioned.