Medium resin printers are ideal for those that need that bit of extra printing volume. These printers function exactly the same as the smaller ones and they have a similar level of reliability.
The three prominent medium resin printer series are the Elegoo Saturn, Anycubic Photon Mono X, and Phrozen Mighty. The Elegoo Saturn and Anycubic Mono X provide good value for those getting into resin printing.
We recommend going with a Saturn S or Mono X2 to save money.
The extra resolution of the next generation printers are certainly nice but not absolutely necessary, especially if you are on a budget or are painting your prints.
Yes, the amount of variants is getting out of hand.
Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra
$450
($10 Off)
Resolution: 0.019mm (X) 0.024mm (Y)
10" 12k Screen
Print Volume: 219mm (L) 123mm (W) 250mm (H)
Elegoo Saturn 3
$350
Resolution: 0.019mm (X) 0.024mm (Y)
10" 12k Screen
Print Volume: 219mm (L) 123mm (W) 250mm (H)
Anycubic Mono M5
$350
($25 Off)
Resolution: 0.019mm (X) 0.024mm (Y)
10.1" 12K Screen
Print Volume: 218mm (L) 123mm (W) 200mm (H)
Elegoo Saturn 2
$300
($10 Off)
Resolution: 0.028mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
10" 8k Screen
Print Volume: 219mm (L) 123mm (W) 250mm (H)
Saturn S vs Saturn 2
Anycubic Mono X 6K
$300
Resolution: 0.034mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
9.25" 6K Screen ($145)
Print Volume: 197mm (L) 122mm (W) 245mm (H)
Mono X 6K Highlights
Elegoo Saturn 8K
$300
Resolution: 0.028mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
10" 8k Screen
Print Volume: 219mm (L) 123mm (W) 210mm (H)
Elegoo Saturn S
$230
(phasing out)
Resolution: 0.048mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
9.1" 4k Screen
Print Volume: 196mm (L) 122mm (W) 210mm (H)
Saturn S vs Saturn
Anycubic Mono X2
$220
(phasing out)
Resolution: 0.048mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
9.1" 4k Screen
Print Volume: 196mm (L) 122mm (W) 200mm (H)
Elegoo Saturn
$300
(phased out)
Resolution: 0.05mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
8.9" 4k Screen ($80-120)
Print Volume: 192mm (L) 120mm (W) 200mm (H)
Saturn vs Mono X
Anycubic Mono X
$300
(phased out)
Resolution: 0.05mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
8.9" 4k Screen ($110-150)
Print Volume: 192mm (L) 120mm (W) 245mm (H)
Saturn vs Mono X
Anycubic M3 Premium
$640
(phased out)
Resolution: 0.028mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
10.1" 8k Screen
Print Volume: 219mm (L) 123mm (W) 250mm (H)
Photon M3 Series
Anycubic M3 Plus
$430
(phased out)
Resolution: 0.034mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
9.25" 6K Screen ($145)
Print Volume: 197mm (L) 122mm (W) 245mm (H)
Photon M3 Series
Saturn (4K) and Mono X (4K)
- The Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn have the same XY resolution, 0.05 mm. The more expensive variants have a higher resolution.
- Both printers have aluminum vats by default.
- Antialiasing works on both printers and can be verified through UVTools.
- The companies have a comparable level of customer service, and it is difficult to escape spotty service until you exit the budget realm (Formlabs, Prusa etc). Thus, if you can order the printer on amazon, you will have the amazon delivery speed plus the return policy in the event something goes wrong.
Anycubic Mono X (4K)
- The Photon Mono X sports an extra 45 mm in build height over the Saturn. The Saturn 2 has a height similar to the Mono X.
- You can adjust the UV power on the printer itself; the default is 80% but may arrive at 55-100%.
- The light intensity of the Mono X is 1.78 mW/cm2 at only 50% UV power.
- Newer printers should be shipping with a screen protector, and it typically will not be installed by default.
- The Mono X can print Anycubic's RERF file, which prints 8 exposure times in one go. They are labeled 1 through 8 and step up in increments of 0.4 seconds from 0.8 to 3.6 seconds.
- There have been a couple incidents of slightly warped build plates being shipped with new printers (≈0.5 mm gaps), but these reports have largely stopped. Anycubic is shipping out replacement build plates upon request; although, they may take a hot minute to ship across seas. The plate can also be sanded down.
Photo credits: Anycubic
Elegoo Saturn (4K)
- Elegoo often has cheaper replacement parts compared to Anycubic.
- The Saturn's LCD screen has a pre-installed tempered glass protector - the original Mono X only has the polarizer film.
- The light intensity of the Saturn is 2.07 mW/cm2.
- Elegoo runs Chitu boards, so firmware updates can lock you out of using slicers other than Chitubox. This has been partially resolved since Lychee has reached an agreement with Chitu, and the Chitu board printers have been added.
Photo credits: Elegoo
Final Thoughts
As you can tell, there are not too many differences between these printers since they largely consist of the same components under the hood. Your purchase decision will rely on the small feature differences, build volume, resolution, and price.
If we needed to purchase more medium resin printers, the Saturn S would be our choice due to the replacement screens being slightly cheaper than those of the Mono X2. The Saturn S also has an additional 10 mm of build height over the X2.
Resin Printer Setup Example
Beyond the printer, you will need to budget for resin and additional supplies. Ideally, the printer will be outside the residence (ie: garage/shed/balcony) but it can be indoors in a separate room if vented out a window.
A grow tent is an affordable enclosure that can both assist in venting the printer and helping to keep the resin warm during winter. Small heaters and a temperature controller can be used to keep the resin at its recommended level.
Photo credits: 4D Filtration
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