Resin printers such as Anycubic Photon Mono X Vs Elegoo Saturn are ideal for users aiming to print greater details. The machines utilize photosensitive liquid resin and UV light to build the model. These printers are suitable for beginners too for they are affordable, but there are also some differences. If you wonder which of the two will be the better choice, let’s see below what they can offer.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- What to Know About 3D Printing
- What are Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn
- How is the Setup of Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn
- How are the Screen in Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn
- How is the Capacity of Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn
- How is the Build Platform in Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn
- What else Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn can offer
- How is the Performance of Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn
- Anycubic Photon Mono X Vs Elegoo Saturn
3D Printing
3D printers may revolutionize the manufacturing industry in the future. This method allows everyone to build their models or even finished products to sell to potential customers. In the past, when information was limited to only professionals, the machine was also quite expensive, very different from what we saw today. 3D printers are getting very affordable based on their capacity and features. Typically we have to spend more to get the larger 3D printers.
Can you make money with a 3D printer? Yes, many people buy a 3D printer for a side hustle. The machine can be used to print a variety of products that we can sell on online platforms. For example, we can print unique flower vases, paper clips, phone stands, action figures, etc. The design can be downloaded from the internet, or you can create it. The other method is to rent the service by printing the customer’s design. It is a fascinating machine for hobbyists alike.
What are the potential hazards of 3D printing? The most common harmful materials that you can get exposed to from the machine is fume or odor. The machine can release particulates and other toxic chemicals into the air. For example, resin printing is known for its fumes, so it is advised to put the machine in a well-ventilated room. The liquid resin may cause skin dermatitis or inflammation when getting in contact with skin when it is liquid.
| Anycubic Photon Mono X | Elegoo Saturn | |
|---|---|---|
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| Product Dimensions | 24 x 16 x 15 inche | 14.3 x 11.4 x 24 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 24.3 pounds | 29.5 pounds |
| Shop now at Amazon | Check price | Check price |
About Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn
While 3D printing is generally safe to do at home, some safety precautions are still essential to follow. Before buying a 3D printer, it is crucial to consider your application. There are several factors to help you decide which machine to buy, and the basics are what you will print and how big the model is. A resin printer is ideal if your projects call for great details, such as making figurines. If you make a single large item, ensure the machine capacity is adequate.
For those working on projects that call for great details or watertight printing items, resin printers such as Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn are some of the ideal options to consider. These machines are also larger than most entry-level 3D printers, making them excellent options if you also want an extra capacity. The two are similar but different, and for the Mono X, we are choosing the newer variant or the 6K as opposed to its standard 4K.
4K printers are almost like a standard for many affordable machines today, so if you want to aim higher and are willing to invest more, this Photon Mono X 6K is going to be an exciting machine. What is the difference between Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn? The main difference between these machines is printing resolution because they are about the same volume. Mono X will still be slightly larger in build volume and have a higher resolution based on its 6K screen.
Will this make Photon Mono X a better option for you? It depends because the increase in resolution is usually not something we can see very quickly, especially talking about microns. The differences between 2K and 4K will be noticeable because it doubles the resolution. Still, between Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn, the difference between 34 microns and 50 microns is usually not very visible to naked eyes.
Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn Setup
One of our favorite parts of resin printers is the ease of setup. Unlike the FDM variants such as Anycubic Vyper and Artillery Sidewinder X1, these machines are almost ready to use. Resin printers are typically made of a base and a cover—the base house all of the essential components, including the vat and building platform. The cover is here to seal the printing room from resin odor while printing and prevent UV light from entering the chamber. You will also get several accessories such as a scrapper and rubber gloves.
When doing the initial setup, we will need to attach the resin vat to store the resin and attach the platform. The building platform needs to be leveled like an FDM printer to be completely flat to the printing surface. The control panel on Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn is touch-sensitive, and you can find the USB port on the side. The actual form factor of Saturn is 11.02 x 9.44 x 17.5-inch while Mono X 6K is 11.4 x 10.6 x 18.7-inch.
Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn Screen
To the most important part, the resolution is probably what most of us are aiming for when buying a resin printer. Resin printers are more capable of recreating fine details than FDM, and the screens play a role in deciding the resolution. Both Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn are MSLA printers meaning they have a screen to mask the UV and cure each layer of the design. The main difference here is Saturn has a 4K screen while Mono X is available in a 4K and 6K variant.
The 4K variant will yield the exact XY resolution of 50 microns, but by increasing the resolution to 6K, the Photon Mono X 6K can achieve an XY resolution of 34 microns, about the same as Photon Mono 4K. In theory, the smaller the resolution, the finer details it can recreate, but this is not easy to notice in practice, as the difference between 2K and 4K.
Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn Volume
Another factor to consider when buying a printer is the build volume. Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn are not the cheapest resin printer you can buy, but they are ideal for printing larger items. Unlike the FDM machines, resin printers are fixed in build volume because it is limited to the building plate’s physical size and the vat and screen. Mono X 6K is a bit larger in capacity by printing at 7.8 x 4.8 x 9.6-inch, while Saturn is 7.5 x 4.7 x 7.8-inch.
Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn Build Platform
Next, we also want to talk about the build platform of Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn because they are slightly different. The platform needs manual leveling that must be done before printing. If this is your first time doing setup, there are plenty of video guides that we can follow. One of the differences here is Mono X 6K seems to have a new build surface. This is claimed to be a laser engraved plate that should increase adhesion.
The Saturn has a sandblast print surface, which is also pretty standard, and both of them mean the surface is not entirely smooth to make sure the first layer of your print can stick well to the base and not drop mid-printing. Like most resin printers with larger build volumes, they use a dual-rail screw setup to ensure platform stability and accuracy.
Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn Features
Next, we will see some features in Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn. Resin printers usually don’t have much freedom to upgrade, but many come with exciting features such as Ethernet connectivity on Saturn. This function allows the operator to print remotely from anywhere as long as there is reliable connectivity. The Photon Mono X has built-in Wi-Fi and can be connected to the Anycubic app. However, this app can only monitor, start, pause, print, and change settings.
Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn Performance
Lastly, both Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn are impressive for the print result. We think even beginners or novice users will print excellent models with these machines. What to note is creating support for the model that you want to make because this is a crucial part of successful printing. We honestly can’t see the difference in details between the so-called 50 and 34 microns because they look very much the same with naked eyes, so it may not change print quality.
Anycubic Photon Mono X Vs Elegoo Saturn
There are many attractive options to consider when looking for a reliable machine. Both Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn perform well and are pretty easy to get used to. The main difference between Anycubic Photon Mono X and Elegoo Saturn are resolution, capacity, and feature. Mono X 6K may have a larger build volume and larger screen with higher resolution, but it is much more expensive than Saturn. Saturn also has Ethernet connectivity which is more valuable than the mobile app of Anycubic.
Conclusion
Performance-wise we have no complaint, but we will also recommend Elegoo Saturn if the capacity is adequate for your type of application. This printer is affordable, prints a decent volume for the price, is easy to use, and has useful features.