What MSLA resin printer should you buy? Well, if you are just getting started then the spectrum of resin budget printers can be broken up into three categories. These categories are small, medium, and high-resolution. All of these printers will be monochrome (mono) printers since the screens last longer, the exposure time per layer is lower, and the screens use less energy. While large printers are a thing, it is not recommend to start with one.
Small resin printers
Small resin printers are nice since they are fairly cheap (≈$200) and have a large userbase if you need help. The two main printers to go for are the Elegoo Mars 2 and the Anycubic Photon Mono. Both of these printers are super reliable and there is no wrong answer between the two. The only potential downside on the Photon Mono is that it uses a pre-assembled FEP; this can either be super convenient or annoying if you want to use your own FEP. You can solve this by purchasing a Sovol vat after your FEP sheet needs to be replaced, which can take a while.
The Photon Mono SE and Mars 2 Pro are alternatives to the printers mentioned, but they do not provide an improvement to print quality for the price (bang for buck). The Mono SE has slightly less build volume, but it is 'better' built and has a hinged lid. The Mars 2 Pro comes with slightly more build height and a metal vat, but the plastic one that comes with the regular Mars 2 generally does not cause any issues. It also advertises carbon filtration, which is just a 13.6 g brick of compressed carbon deep inside the printer, and replacing it requires taking the entire printer apart. Instead, for free you can download our P Mini air cleaner which holds up to 50 g of coconut shell activated carbon.
It is recommended to stay away from random brands since their printers can bring a whole host of problems that will cost more to fix then what you initially managed to save. Creality printers are one known brand to stay away from if at all possible since their resin printers are known to have overexposure and voltage problems. This is not saying that all of their printers carry this defect, but enough do that it is worthwhile to mention it.
Small MSLA Printers
Anycubic Mono
$190
(phasing out)
Resolution: 0.051mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
6" 2k Screen ($40-70)
Print Volume: 130mm (L) 80mm (W) 165mm (H)
Photon Mono vs Mars 2
Elegoo Mars 2
$120
(phasing out)
Resolution: 0.05mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
6.1" 2k Screen ($50)
Print Volume: 129mm (L) 80mm (W) 150mm (H)
Mars 2 vs Mars 2 Pro
Medium resin printers
Medium resin printers are ideal for those that need that bit of extra printing volume. The printers function exactly the same as the smaller ones and they have a similar level of reliability. The three main medium resin printers are the Elegoo Saturn, Anycubic Photon Mono X, and the Phrozen Mighty 4K. Since these are made of similar components we can really only compare the minor features differences and the companies.
The Elegoo Saturn has the cheapest replacement parts between the printers, does not have adjustable UV power, and the antialiasing works on all slicer software. The customer service of Elegoo is marginally 'better' than that of the other companies, but realistically you can't escape spotty customer service until you start buying more expensive printers from companies like Prusa or Formlabs.
The Anycubic Mono X has the RERF file which can print 8 exposure times in one print session, has the adjustable UV power on the printer, and the antialiasing works on slicer software, including UVTools. There have been a couple incidents of slightly warped build plates being shipped with new printers (≈0.5mm gaps), but these reports have slowed. 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.
The Phrozen Mighty 4K does not have the adjustable UV power, but the antialiasing works with any slicer. There aren't really any complaints with the Mighty 4K, but the replacement components are more expensive. All in all, each of the printers are on the same level, with only the small feature differences. There are no wrong choices between the three.
Medium MSLA Printers
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
Phrozen Mighty 4K
$350
Resolution: 0.052mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
9.3" 4k Screen ($135)
Print Volume: 200mm (L) 125mm (W) 220mm (H)
High-resolution resin printers
High-resolution resin printers are ideal for commercial applications, jewelry, or if you just want the best detail possible. Currently, the printers that have high-resolution would be classified as small printers but are slightly more expensive. The three prominent high-resolution resin printers are the Phrozen Mini 4K, Elegoo Mars 3, and the Epax X1-4K 5.5". The Mini 4K and Mars 3 have the same resolution of 0.035mm versus the typical resolution of 0.050mm. The Epax-X1 has the highest resolution at 0.032mm, but it is twice the price of the other printers.
If you are new to resin printing and are considering the Mars 3 then you should check out the Chitubox slicer since the printer is planned to be locked into it. There have been some considerations that Chitubox will provide a package to the other slicing companies that would allow the printer to then be 'unlocked', but it has yet to be seen how this will affect the software atmosphere in terms of passing costs down to the consumer. They do plan to provide a year of Chitubox Pro before it defaults to basic; if you are comfortable with this slicer then the Mars 3 may just be the way to go.
High-Resolution MSLA Printers
Anycubic Mono 4K
$190
Resolution: 0.035mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
6.2" 4k Screen ($70)
Print Volume: 132mm (L) 80mm (W) 165mm (H)
Mono 4K Highlights
Phrozen Mini 4K
$300+
Resolution: 0.035mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
6.1" 4k Screen ($90)
Print Volume: 132mm (L) 74mm (W) 130mm (H)
Phrozen Mini 8K
$400+
Resolution: 0.022mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
7.1" 8K Screen ($130)
Print Volume: 165mm (L) 72mm (W) 180mm (H)
Mini 8K Highlights
Elegoo Mars 3
$210
Resolution: 0.035mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
6.6" 4k Screen ($50)
Print Volume: 143mm (L) 89mm (W) 175mm (H)
Mars 3 vs Mars 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
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