Anycubic Photon S Review: The Best Budget Resin 3D Printer?
The Anycubic Photon S is a budget SLA printer that produces phenomenal, highly-detailed prints. The Photon S is an upgraded version of the original Photon, sporting numerous improvements.
In this review guide, I'll cover the most important features of the Photon S, differences over its predecessor, whether SLA/LCD printers are right for you, and how the Photon stacks up.
How the Photon S works
The Anycubic Photon is an SLA printer. It uses a high-powered UV lamp to cure each layer of your model, building the print from a vat of plastic resin. When you slice your model, a digital flipbook of each layer is built with each "frame" projected onto the build plate.
To learn more about resin (SLA) printing, check out our FAQ page.
FDM vs. SLA
SLA (Stereolithography Apparatus) printers are fundamentally different from "normal" FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printers that melt a spool of plastic to form each layer. The result is a stunningly-high resolution print, making this printer ideal for printing figurines, jewelry, and other small models.
Photon S Specs
Attribute | Value |
---|---|
Print speed | 20mm/hr (0.78") |
UV output | 50W |
Print technology | LCD-based masked stereolithography (MSLA)/LCD shadow masking |
Build LCD | 5.2-inch 2K (2560x1440px) |
Weight | 13lb (5.9kg) |
Printer dimensions | 9in x 7.9in x 15.8in (230mm x 200mm x 400mm) |
Build volume | 115 x 65 x 165 mm (4.5in x 2.6in x 6in) |
Z-layer resolution | 10 microns (0.01mm) |
XY resolution | 47 microns (0.047mm) |
UI display | 2.8" color TFT touchscreen |
Connectivity | USB |
Build platform leveling | Manual |
Print materials | All resins suitable for 405nm LCD-based printers |
Anycubic Photon S | × | 1 |
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