It seemed that Anycubic wasn’t going to follow the MSLA-crowd with moar pixels for a moment there. The announcement of the DLP-based Photon Ultra indicated as much. But sadly, even Anycubic isn’t insulated from this particular race to the top (bottom?). Acknowledging the apparent need for ever-higher resolutions, the company has released two pixel-pumped versions of its existing lineup: a 4K variant of its budget resin 3D printer, the Photon Mono, and a new 6K iteration of the larger Photon Mono X. It looks like Anycubic is taking a two-pronged approach to the high-resolution 3D printing goal, after all.
Around a year after the initial launch of the Photon Mono, which packs a 2K LCD for a 50-micron pixel resolution, Anycubic now has the Photon Mono 4K. While it’s much the same as the original Mono, there are a few notable differences besides the most obvious, the 4K LCD and the 35-micron pixel resolution it brings.
Read on to find out all about the new screen, its many new pixels, and everything else there is to know about the new Anycubic Photon Mono 4k.
Features
4K Monochrome LCD
The world of resin 3D printing is evolving quickly. It wasn’t long ago that monochrome masking LCDs were the big new thing. Now par for the course, the boundary pushing comes entirely in how many thousands of pixels can be packed into that space.
Following Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K and the Elegoo Mars 3, plus the likes of Longer and Epax, Anycubic has now joined the 4K club, introducing an upgraded version of its original budget resin 3D printer, the Photon Mono.
The Photon Mono 4K is, essentially, the same printer but with more than double the number of pixels. Its 6.23-inch mono LCD offers the same printable area of 132 x 80 mm (165 mm on the Z-axis). This new pixel density means a finer XY-axis resolution of 35 microns – the original Mono offers an XY-axis resolution of 50 microns.
Besides being 4K, the panel is also monochrome, meaning it accommodates fast layer cure times. In other words, quick printing. Layer curing times of 1-2 seconds are the norm. Anycubic claims a print speed of around 50 mm/h.
More Contrast
According to Anycubic, the mono LCD used for the new Photon Mono 4K version also features a 400:1 contrast ratio, said to be 100% better than on the original Mono. The increased contrast will display the image in the exposure area with more precise edges and corners, improving the print quality. In other words, sharper prints.
Plus, it will also, apparently, significantly reduce potential print residue in the resin vat. Bonus.
New Light Source
Besides having a high light-transmitting LCD panel (monochrome), one of the critical factors in fast and accurate resin 3D printing is using a decent light source. What good would a mono screen be if there wasn’t enough light to pass through in the first place?
For the Photon Mono 4K, Anycubic has developed a (yet another) new matrix light source design. Consisting of 15 quartz lamp beads, it will, they say, ensure even more uniform UV-light transmittance.
What’s more, the UV light output is also adjustable. According to Anycubic, the Mono 4K can be dialed in anywhere from 30-100%, which allows it to print resins with different UV energy requirements and prolong the lifespan of the LCD.
This level of user control was present on the Photon Mono X, something we praised in our review. We’re glad to see it carry over to the new Photon Mono.
Screen Protection
Judging by chatter on public forums online, there seems to be a vocal demand for screen protection on the LCDs inside MSLA style printers – mainly to protect against scratches when sliding the vat in and out. Others frankly don’t seem to care. Those in the former will be pleased to hear that the Photon Mono 4K features an anti-scratch film to protect the LCD against dirt and resin leaks.
Photon Workshop
The Photon Mono 4K will come with Anycubic’s in-house developed slicer, Photon Workshop, which offers some nifty features, including being able to add text onto your print, and 8x anti-aliasing.
Previous Anycubic Photon printers have been compatible with ChiTuBox and Lychee slicers. Given ChiTuBox parent company CTB-Tech taking measures to lock its slicer to printers using its controllers and firmware (modern Anycubic machines do not), it’s looking unlikely that you’ll be able to use ChiTuBox with the Photon Mono 4K.
That’s unlikely to pose a problem to many – Photon Workshop offers a comparable experience, and we suspect a Lychee profile to appear shortly after release in any case.
The printer itself has a 2.8-inch touchscreen display. You’ll transfer print files to it via a good ol’ fashioned USB stick.
No Upgrade
Owners of the Photon Mono won’t be able to upgrade their LCD to bring their machines in line with the new Photon Mono 4K. It’s our understanding that the control boards would be incompatible, and an upgrade would be much more involved than simply replacing the LCD. For the Photon Mono 4K experience, you’ll have to shell out for a whole new printer.
Further Features
Additional features on the Mono 4K include:
- Fill level indicator: Little markings in the resin tank show you how much resin is left.
- Automatic shutoff safety feature: The printer will automatically pause if the top cover is removed mid-print. You can disable this feature.
Release Date & Availability
The Anycubic Photon Mono 4K launched mid-November 2021. In contrast to other manufacturers that leave shoppers on tenterhooks for months, the Anycubic Photon Mono 4K will, according to the company’s product listing, ship within two weeks of ordering (depending on where you live).
Seeing that the printer is already available throughout many vendors and resellers, we are confident the printer is fully available and not currently limited to early bird batches.
Price
According to Anycubic, the Photon Mono 4K will retail for $289, which seems a fair price considering the original Photon Mono costs just $20-30 less.
For comparison’s sake, the Elegoo Mars 3, an equally popular and capable 4K resin 3D printer with a slightly larger build volume, will set you back around $350.
At the time of writing, Anycubic has an early-bird sale of 1,000 units at $269 apiece. If you’re on the fence about getting in on some sweet 4K printing, the Photon Mono 4K is a competitively priced entry-point, discount or not.
Tech Specs
General Specifications
- Technology: MSLA
- Type: Resin
- Year: 2021
- Assembly: Fully assembled
- Manufacturer: Anycubic
3D PRINTING SPECIFICATIONS
- Build Volume: 132 x 80 x 165 mm
- Layer Height: N/A
- XY Resolution: 35 microns (3840 x 2400 pixels)
- Z-axis positioning accuracy: N/A
- Printing Speed: <50 mm/h
- Bed-Leveling: Manual
- Display: 2.8-inch touchscreen
- Third-Party Materials: Yes
- Materials: 405 nm UV resin
SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
- Recommended Slicer: Photon Workshop
- Operating system: Windows / macOS X / Linux
- File types: STL
- Connectivity: USB
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
- Frame dimensions: 383 x 227 x 222 mm
- Weight: 4.3 kg
Similar Printers
Only time will tell if Anycubic’s Photon Mono 4K is a strong enough proposition to make it into the ranks of our favorite budget resin 3D printers.
If the Photon Mono 4K tickles your fancy, here are a few similar printers to check out too.
Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K
Phrozen’s Sonic Mini 4K brought 4K and a 35-micron resolution to the desktop. With a build volume of 135 x 75 x 130 mm, it is considerably smaller than the Mono 4K.
Elegoo Mars 3
Currently, our Top Pick in resin 3D printers, the Elegoo Mars 3, is an impressive system. It features a 4K masking LCD but with a slightly higher pixel count, helping it maintain a 35-micron pixel resolution across a larger build volume of 143 x 90 x 165 mm. The increase in build volume comes at a price, though; the Mars 3 costs around $350.
Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K
Phrozen seems already a step ahead with the latest Sonic Mini 8K. Housing even more K’s, the Mini 8K can produce prints at a mind-boggling resolution of 22 microns throughout its 165 x 72 x 180 mm build volume. The printer is currently available for pre-order and is said to ship out in January 2020.
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