As 3D printing continues to turn out to be cheaper and extra accessible, resin 3D printers have turn out to be a well-liked alternative for anybody all for making highly-detailed fashions that wouldn’t be possible utilizing a filament-fed, FDM 3D printer. These MSLA (Masked Stereolithography) resin 3D printers sometimes have a single axis of movement, and this straightforward mechanical system means these machines can commonly be discovered for lower than $300. With so many fashions available on the market, we’ve made this record that can assist you discover the very best resin 3D printer for you.
One of the best resin 3D printers are able to making high-resolution fashions by curing a liquid resin utilizing a UV gentle supply. This MSLA course of makes use of a masking LCD to selectively block the UV gentle on a pixel-by-pixel foundation, permitting these printers to create fashions which have a decision of all the way down to .035mm on the XY axes.
This excessive decision comes at a value, as components made on a resin 3D printer require post-processing after printing, and UV resin requires warning when dealing with. As a result of resin requires gloves and a masks to deal with, we advocate rookies or anybody with younger children think about one of many FDM (fusion deposit modeling) printers on our total greatest 3D printers web page. Moreover, now we have our greatest funds 3D printers record in case you are in search of extra reasonably priced choices. To see our velocity testing benchmark outcomes and rankings of the highest FDM fashions accessible, try our 3D Printer Velocity Hierarchy web page.
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Greatest General
Greatest Resin 3D Printer General
It is a well-built resin printer with wonderful 4K print high quality. Its smaller dimension makes it simple to deal with whereas taking on much less house in your workbench. It has the widest construct plate of any interest stage resin printer, providing you with extra room for printing beefy fashions.
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For Print Farms
2. Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K S
Greatest Resin for Print Farms
Nice for anybody trying to upsize their resin expertise or produce resin prints at a business scale. This machine excels as a “massive” format printer, with a construct quantity that rivals normal FDM 3D printers.
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Greatest Excessive-Res
3. Anycubic Photon Mono M5s
Greatest Excessive-Decision 3D Printer
With 12K decision, it is a resin printer that prints with a outstanding stage of element and beneficiant construct quantity. Paired with a particular high-speed customized resin, it’s able to reaching a median print velocity of 105 mm/hour saving you a lot time when printing a number of initiatives.
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For Learners
4. Anycubic Photon Mono 2
Greatest Resin 3D Printer for Learners
This printer was made particularly with first time resin customers in thoughts. It delivers high quality 4K prints with a smaller sized vat and a petite footprint that requires minimal house. It comes with an additional massive display protector for the LED glass, which covers the glass and the slight hole round it. This makes retaining the printer clear tremendous simple.
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Greatest Splurge
5. Phrozen Sonic Mighty 8K
Greatest Splurge Resin 3D Printer
This resin printer is so lifeless easy to make use of {that a} newbie could have no bother with it. It is midsize for a resin printer with out being awkward to function and has a construct quantity nearer to what we see in FDM printers. Better of all, it delivers on its promise of high-res high quality.
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Tremendous-Giant Format
Greatest Tremendous-Giant Format Resin 3D Printer
In case you are in search of a sturdy massive format resin printer that’s priced far more fairly than a lot of its rivals with related construct volumes, such because the Peopoly Phenom which matches for round $2,000, then that is the printer for you. Options embody computerized resin feeder and built-in flood lighting.
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Giant Format
7. Anycubic Photon M3 Premium
Greatest Giant Format Resin 3D Printer
This workhorse resin MSLA 3D printer is designed to supply uncompromising efficiency for severe hobbyists and small-volume half manufacturing. It’s preferrred for anybody in search of massive construct quantity, excessive decision, or simply failure-free resin printing.
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Greatest Resin 3D Printers in 2024
Why you may belief Tom’s {Hardware}
Our professional reviewers spend hours testing and evaluating services and products so you may select the very best for you. Discover out extra about how we check.
Greatest Resin 3D Printer General
The Anycubic Photon M3 is the very best throughout resin 3D printer we’ve reviewed. It produces crisp particulars with 4K+ high quality that rivals dearer machines and has a large construct plate permitting it to make bigger fashions than rivals in its class.
A pattern print of a unicorn was extraordinarily detailed, with the ridges on its horn and its mane showing actually sharp and free from layer traces. It was additionally a full 180mm tall and printed in 10 hours.
The etched construct plate works rather well at holding fashions tight throughout printing, but additionally permits for straightforward removing once they’re carried out. The metallic vat has a handy pour spout, and Anycubic features a display protector for the LED gentle supply to stop unintended drips from ruining your printer.
Retailing for lower than $250 at press time, the Anycubic Photon M3 is an inexpensive buy for a newbie or a sophisticated maker wanting so as to add to their fleet.
Extra: Anycubic Photon M3 Evaluation
Greatest Resin for Print Farms
The Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K S is a large resin 3D printer with a 15-inch gentle supply and a construct quantity that rivals these of conventional FDM printers. It’s simple sufficient a newbie can function it, with a easy to navigate menu and an ideal construct plate that releases fashions with ease. Retailing at $1,579, the Sonic Mega 8K S is an expensive machine that might make good enterprise sense for print farms that produce large fashions or tons of smaller figures.
8K decision might now not sounds spectacular, however these 43 micron pixels are the dimensions of a human hair. When prints made with a 12k machine are put side-by-side, it’s not far off. The human eye can barely inform the distinction.
The Sonic Mega 8K S is an overhaul of the earlier Mega 8K. Essentially the most notable enhancements are the hinged, tilt again lid and the power to hold the construct plate at an angle for drainage, each issues I’d like to see on a daily sized resin printer.
Phrozen has various non-compulsory equipment to make the Sonic Mega 8Ks exceptionally simple to make use of: a 24 liter (6 gallon) wash unit, a curing station the dimensions of a microwave and a pump to maintain your vat perpetually full.
Extra: Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K S Evaluation
Greatest Excessive-Decision 3D Printer
In relation to printing intimately, nothing comes near the Anycubic Photon Mono M5s which incorporates a whopping 12K decision and achieves 19 micron X accuracy. Additionally it is tremendous quick. In our check, we’re capable of print a 3.5-inch mannequin in lower than an hour. Anycubic claims this printer has the power to achieve a median print velocity of 105mm/hour, so in case you are in search of a excessive velocity, excessive res printer, the M5s has you lined.
Amazingly, the Photon Mono M5s would not require any handbook calibration. That is the primary resin printer we have examined that gives auto-leveling utilizing mechanical sensors which not solely saves time but additionally makes it tremendous simple to arrange. Simply add resin and you might be able to go.
Anycubic has additionally come out with its personal specialty high-speed resin (bought individually or included in bundle kits) which works with the M5s and is the key sauce that helps to chop the time of your prints tremendously.
With all these and extra “good” options the Photon Mono M5s has to supply, it’s a nice possibility for makers in search of a mid-size high-resolution printer and in addition a wise purchase as it is usually $40 off its traditional $539 MSRP.
Extra: Anycubic Photon Mono M5s Evaluation
Greatest Resin 3D Printer for Learners
The Anycubic Photon Mono 2 is a good and reasonably priced possibility for anybody who’s new to or wish to get began with resin 3D printing. This printer is compact and lightweight so it will not take up quite a lot of house and might simply be saved away. It is shipped principally assembled which makes setup a snap.
However do not let the dimensions of this printer idiot you, the Photon Mono 2 has a 20% bigger construct quantity than its predecessor. In our testing, we had been capable of match six presupported minuatures on the construct plate directly.
This printer delivers very detailed 4K print high quality, is nice for miniatures and small fashions, and comes with its personal customized slicer, the Photon Workshop V3.
Extra: Anycubic Photon Mono 2 Evaluation
Greatest Excessive-Finish Resin 3D Printer
For those who’re able to throw some severe money down for a decent-sized resin 3D printer with high quality that can knock your socks off, the Phrozen Sonic Mighty 8K is right here for you. Its roomy 218 x 123 mm construct plate can accommodate a military of gaming miniatures or a gift-worthy superhero statue. Priced at round $600 at press time, this printer is not low cost. However in return for the premium, you get crispy particulars, prints that virtually slide off the construct plate, a built-in webcam and a machine that’s WiFi prepared.
We loved navigating by the Mighty 8K’s menus, because of its massive and easy-to-use contact display show. There’s little have to seek the advice of the handbook – the printer walks you thru an onboard tutorial to deal with leveling and your first check print. Need to rerun a check file at a unique publicity? No drawback – the Sonic Mighty 8k will allow you to change publicity settings and extra proper contained in the printer. I discovered this extraordinarily useful whereas dialing in a brand new resin.
The Phrozen Sonic Mighty 8K dimension is nearer to what we see in FDM printers, with out being so massive that it dominates your workshop. The standard and additional wiggle room could be a worthwhile funding for somebody working an Esty store or an artist eager to showcase their work. We had been capable of print 12 very-detailed gaming figures directly and the method solely took 4 hours and a couple of minutes.
Our solely challenge with this machine was the digital camera, which was launched for assessment earlier than it was practical. There’s no set date on when the digital camera firmware will likely be prepared, nevertheless it guarantees the power to observe prints in addition to create time lapses.
For a extra reasonably priced 8K resin possibility, think about the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S which nonetheless presents superb print element and now suitable with all the favored third occasion slicers however is simply $349.99. That is practically half the price of the Mighty 8K.
Extra: Phrozen Sonic Mighty 8K Evaluation
Greatest Tremendous-Giant Format Resin 3D Printer
It’s solely accessible for pre-order proper now, however when it’s accessible, Elegoo’s Jupiter printer will provide a mix of nice high quality and an enormous construct quantity. And, regardless of its $1,300 value, the Jupiter is definitely a fantastic deal for its dimension, provided that rivals price nearer to $1,000.
The place the $499 Saturn gives a 192mm x 120mm x 200mm quantity, the Jupiter gives a ton extra, going all the way in which to 277.8mm x 156.3mm x 300mm. And the print high quality is fairly good as we discovered when outputting an in depth mannequin of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
We additionally love the Jupiter’s sturdy, all-metal chassis, which makes it really feel like a premium product worthy of its premium value. We discovered the contact display interface simple to navigate and the leveling course of comparatively painless.
Extra: Elegoo Jupiter Evaluation
Greatest Giant Format Resin 3D Printer
The Anycubic Photon M3 Premium set a powerful normal. Providing each excessive decision and huge construct quantity in a single machine, it successfully does the work of two separate printers and nonetheless is available in cheaper than shopping for them individually.
The ten-inch 8K masking LCD gives an ultra-high 0.0285mm XY decision which permits even the best particulars to resolve on printed fashions. We had been notably impressed after we printed a mannequin that had a tiny, open ebook on a pedestal; the phrases on the pages had been sharp and legible (although one may want a magnifying glass to see them).
The 219mm x 123mm x 250mm construct quantity permits customers to print massive fashions with excessive decision, or just pack the outsized construct platform with a number of small components to provide many in parallel. That includes built-in twin air filters, a laser-etched construct platform, and a razor-thin NFEP vat movie, the Photon M3 Premium is well able to dealing with something you may throw at it.
With a particular introductory retail value of $619 and a deliberate retail value of $639, the Photon M3 Premium strikes a superb stability between excessive decision and huge construct quantity whereas remaining cheaper than the competitors. The included Anycubic Photon Workshop software program was gradual and buggy throughout our testing, and is the first weak level of this machine.
Extra: Anycubic Photon M3 Premium Resin 3D Printer Evaluation
Greatest Medium Format Resin 3D Printer
The Anycubic Photon Mono X2 is a incredible resin 3D printer that mixes affordability and a beneficiant construct quantity with nice 4K decision. The Mono X2 delivers crisp particulars at 48 microns per – smaller than a grain of salt. We’ve printed full sized dragons, 8 inch tall sculptures and full squadrons of miniatures in a single go along with the Mono X2.
Retailing at $339.99, the Mono X2 is a wonderful discount for rookies who don’t wish to begin small or skilled makers who want somewhat elbow room. It’s simple to make use of with a laser etched construct floor that helps prints stick in place with out being too exhausting to take away.
The X2 has a 9.1-inch monochrome LCD with an improved gentle supply that gives smoother prints than ever earlier than. It comes with a display protector for the LED glass, which covers the glass to guard it from scratches or dreaded resin drips. Our solely beef with this printer is the four-point leveling system, which is tedious to good.
Extra: Anycubic Photon Mono X2 Evaluation
Greatest Resin 3D Printer for Miniatures
For those who’re trying to create small fashions for table-top gaming, or simply show, the Elegoo Mars 3 Professional is a good alternative, because of its nice construct high quality and excessive decision. The Mars 3 Professional has an XY decision of 35 microns (0.035mm) which lets you present intricate particulars in even small objects.
After we printed mz4250’s Purple Dragon mannequin, high-quality ridges on the tail and bones within the wing had been sharp, with none seen splotching or errors. Even the spines and beard on the top had been crystal clear. Its LCD display gives a 4098 x 2560 decision for prints, which is larger than the 4K resolutions of rivals just like the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K and AnyCubic Photon Mono 4K.
In contrast to the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K, which could be very aggressive on this space, the Mars 3 Professional doesn’t undergo from any construct high quality points.It’s simple to stage and even has a built-in air air purifier that, in our checks, mitigated however didn’t fully take away the resin odor that every one MSLA printers emit. With a value within the $300 – $350 vary, this isn’t the most affordable resin printer available on the market, nevertheless it presents nice high quality output and powerful usability for the cash.
Learn: Elegoo Mars 3 Professional Evaluation
Right this moment’s Greatest Resin Offers
Procuring Suggestions for Greatest Resin 3D Printers
What you Must Know When Shopping for a Resin 3D Printer
There are a number of elements to think about earlier than shopping for probably the greatest resin 3D printers, so you’ll want to think about these questions earlier than making a alternative.
🤔 Mono or RGB LCD? The kind of masking LCD in your resin 3D printer can have the only largest influence in your total print velocity. As a result of they’re generally utilized in different electronics, RGB masking LCDs are cheaper, however slower as a result of they don’t enable UV gentle to move by effectively and wish extra publicity time per layer. For instance, the RGB LCD on the Creality LD-002R requires 9 seconds per layer, whereas the Mono LCD on the Elegoo Mars 2 Professional requires solely 2.2 seconds per layer.
🤔 How a lot construct quantity do you want? Most resin 3D printers have smaller construct volumes than FDM 3D printers, so you could end up restricted by this comparatively small construct quantity. In case you are all for printing massive components, you’ll wish to take a look at a big format resin 3D printer such because the Elegoo Saturn or the Anycubic Photon Mono X.
🤔 2K, 4K, or Past? A resin 3D printer that makes use of a 6.08-inch 2K display just like the Elegoo Mars 2 Professional is able to an XY decision of .05mm in addition to a layer peak of .05mm. For context, this implies even a comparatively low-resolution resin 3D printer remains to be able to making extraordinarily high-quality particulars that merely wouldn’t be doable on an FDM printer. For those who want much more decision, a 4K display is able to making finer options, however is often dearer.
🤔 Publish Processing Gear? Resin 3D printers create components that require post-processing earlier than they’re fully completed. Usually, this workflow includes rinsing the components in a solvent to dissolve any extra resin on the floor of the half, adopted by a remedy cycle that makes use of UV gentle to totally polymerize the half. This course of could be carried out manually by submerging the half in a solvent and utilizing a cheap UV gentle for curing, however some producers have created post-processing tools just like the Elegoo Mercury X that automate the method and cut back the mess.
Greatest General
Greatest Resin 3D Printer General
It is a well-built resin printer with wonderful 4K print high quality. Its smaller dimension makes it simple to deal with whereas taking on much less house in your workbench. It has the widest construct plate of any interest stage resin printer, providing you with extra room for printing beefy fashions.
Learn extra beneath