

So far so same, but in practice they have very different workflows and produce different results, and are therefore good at different things.

Both build a three dimensional object one layer at a time, always building the next layer on the foundation of the previous layer. The Right Print for the JobįDM printers deposit molten plastic with a hot nozzle, while SLA/DLP printers use an ultraviolet light source to cure liquid UV resin into a solid. Let’s look at how to inform a decision about whether to take the plunge.

Things may not be quite where fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers were just a few short years ago when we were extremely impressed with the quality of printer one could get for about $200, but it is undoubtedly far more accessible than ever before. Resin printing has a different workflow, with consumables and hidden costs beyond the price of resin refills.Design considerations, pre-processing, and post-processing are very different. The printing process and output of resin printers is not the same as for filament-based printers.Resin prints can look fantastic, so when does it make sense to move to one of these cheap resin printers? To know that, consider the following things: Many printers and resin types can even be ordered directly from Amazon, right at this moment. Prosumer-level options like Formlabs and the Prusa SL1 exist, but more economical printers like the Elegoo Mars, Anycubic Photon, and more can be had for a few hundred bucks. Resin-based 3D printers using digital light processing (DLP) and especially stereolithography (SLA) are getting more common and much more affordable. An Elegoo Mars resin 3D printer, straight to my doorstep for a few hundred bucks.
