Buying a resin might appear to be more tricky than buying a filament for an FDM 3D printer since not all resins work with DLP 3D printers like Anycubic’s Photon. To be sure you buy the right resin, check the following specifications:

• Make sure it’s a DLP resin. It’s important that the resin you choose is DLP compatible and high sensitivity (with low energy of activation). Resins for laser-based SLA 3D printers require much more powerful light sources, which is why you can’t use SLA resins on a DLP 3D printer.
• Check the wavelength. When looking for a new resin for the Photon, make sure the resin is compatible with the 405-nm wavelength.
• Check the curing time. The optimal resin curing time for the Anycubic Photon ranges from 5-10 seconds. Make sure that your resin of choice has a declared value somewhere in the suggested range. Higher curing time resins could also work, but it’s better to stick with 5-10 second ones, especially if you’re a beginner.

Now that you know what to look for in a resin for the Photon, it’s time we take a look at our top picks!

Anycubic offers several different resins for the Photon, but this one’s our favorite. Anycubic’s Eco Resin is made from soybean oil, making it eco-friendly. In other words, it’s easily biodegradable.

Not only is this resin eco-friendly, it’s also user-friendly since it doesn’t smell as the other resins do. Many people use their Photons at home and the uncomfortable resin fumes are the last thing you want to smell.

But most importantly, Anycubic’s Eco resin prints beautifully. It comes in 6 colors: pink, blue, green, violet, orange, and yellow and in either 500-mL or 1-L packs. Overall, a true recommendation!

• Wavelength: 355-410 nm
• Curing time: 8-10 s
• Approx. price: $70 for 1 L

Anycubic Plant-Based Resins

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PrimaCreator Value offers a great price per volume. Despite the fact the seller claims this resin doesn’t smell very much, users claim it still smells quite a bit, especially if you’re working with it in a smaller space. In fact, it smells just about the same as Anycubic’s regular resin does.

However, this resin really does print beautifully and warping is not a problem with it. A rather good bang for the buck, considering the quality of this resin.

• Wavelength: 395-405 nm
• Curing time: 4-8 s
• Approx. price: $60 for 1 L

PrimaCreator Value UV DLP Resin

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It’s well known that parts made from resins look beautiful, but are quite brittle. If you want your resin prints to serve a purpose other than simply being a visual prototype, Siraya Tech Blu Durable might be the perfect choice for you. Plus, it also doesn’t smell, which is always a big bonus.

You’ll notice that this resin has a slightly longer curing time. That’s because it’s formulated for LCD 3D printers, but don’t worry since it also works totally fine with DLP and the Photon.

• Wavelength: Not specified, but is optimized to work with 405 nm
• Curing time: 11-12 s
• Approx. price: $50 for 1 kg (approx. 1 L)

Siraya Tech Blu

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Monocure 3D is an Australian manufacturer of DLP resins, and their rapid resin seems to be a popular choice. The reason why Monocure’s 3D Rapid Resin is a popular product is that it works with almost any DLP 3D printer and gives wonderful prints and high-quality details.

This resin is specifically designed for low powered DLP 3D printers, making it a perfect choice for the Anycubic Photon.

The rapid resin from Monocure 3D comes in several colors like black, blue, green, gray, red, and white.

This is a warm recommendation for people who want to print fast but keep the quality and fine details.

• Wavelength: 225-420 nm
• Curing time: 5-8 s
• Approx. price: $80 for 1 L

Monocure 3D Rapid Resin

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Fact is, resins are expensive, especially compared to FDM filaments, which might be a shock for hobbyists and everyone using a DLP 3D printer at home for fun. Luckily, there’s Elegoo 3D Rapid Resin, which combines phenomenal price with good quality.

However, with the lower price comes a few sacrifices. The two most notable are the toughness of the printed parts and the details. The parts tend to be rather brittle, which is why we suggest you only use this resin for printing parts that serve as visual models or prototypes. Also, while the prints still look good, some details are lost, which wouldn’t be the case if you were to use a more expensive resin.

Overall, a rather nice value for money!

• Wavelength: 405 nm
• Curing time: 5-15 s
• Approx. price: $45 for 1 kg (approx. 1 L)

Elegoo 3D Rapid Resin

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(Lead image source: 3DPrima)