Resin printers are the option for users who want to achieve better details or people who want to print complicated and small parts. There are plenty of resin printers out there ranging from the entry-models like Creality LD 002R Vs Photon S to those that can cost quite a lot more. For typical home use, these printers are already sufficient but do check our comparison below to see which of them will be your better option and what the two can offer.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- What is 3D Printing
- What are the Technologies in 3D Printing
- What are Creality LD 002R and Photon S
- What Creality LD 002R and Photon S Look Like
- How are the Capacity of Creality LD 002R and Photon S
- How are the LCD Resolution of Creality LD 002R and Photon S
- How are the Performance of Creality LD 002R and Photon S
- How to do Bed Leveling in Creality LD 002R and Photon S
- Creality LD 002R Vs Photon S
3D Printing
The name itself is self-explanatory because a 3D printer is a machine that can make a three-dimensional model based on your digital design. It is a fairly new technology compared to the common paper printer that we have been using for so long. However, nowadays 3D printers are going mainstream and they can be found in various stores that usually sell electronics or similar home appliances. Whether you need it or not is very subjective but if you are here then we assume you do.
Basically a 3D printing is a manufacturing process where the material is placed layer by layer to build a three-dimensional object or also often called an additive process because the object itself is made from scratch in contrast to subtractive process or when the material is cut or drilled and cut off. While in general the material used in 3D printers can vary from plastic to metal, in general technique wise they are similar which is turning a digital file into a real-life object that we can touch and manipulate.
There have been debates about whether 3D printers should be called as it is because it is not what traditional “printing” is defined. According to Webster, the definition of printing is related more to paper printing and publication or photography which clearly is not what 3D printing is. Yet, seen from the technological side, 3D printing is actually an extension or outgrowth of the traditional printing where a layer of material is applied. The difference is that now the thickness is far greater.
The traditional printing is very thin that is difficult to see the height and not noticeable but in 3D printing it is greatly extended through application of multiple layers thus, it somehow fits into the definition as well.
| Creality LD 002R | Photon S | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 21.26 x 11.61 x 11.42 inches | 21.5 x 11.25 x 11 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 18.3 Pounds | 19.37 pounds |
| Best offer | Check price | Check price |
3D Printer Technology
If you ever use inkjet and laser paper printers, similarly there are a variety of different technologies in 3D printing. Among those, the most popular is FDM or fused deposition modeling or also known as fused filament fabrication with machine options such as Creality Ender 3 Vs Ender 5. From the name itself it means the machine is using filament usually composed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or other typical thermoplastic which then melted and deposited through a heated extrusion nozzle layer by layer.
Another typical technology is stereolithography which instead of using a solid material is utilizing a liquid ultra-sensitive photopolymer. The material is placed in a vat and then UV laser shines through the bottom of this container, tracing the object to be created on the surface. As opposed from hard plastic to liquid and then hardened as it cools off, this method starts from liquid material and then hardens as the beam touches it which is traced or moving based on your digital design like CAD or CAM file.
About Creality LD 002R and Photon S
With more than enough material to choose from and various brands to shop from, shopping for a new 3D printer today can be a little bit confusing. Not only about which brand that seems to never miss when offering their products, we still have to choose between printer technology and even considering if building from a kit will be more beneficial for your application compared to using a machine that is ready to use. Our goals are widely diverse so we suggest thinking about the future application.
For those reading this article, it means you are currently looking for a resin printer or a stereolithography printer for various reasons. The most common motivation why people are choosing this type of technology is because they are capable of printing with greater details and often seen as a more ideal option for making practical parts or moving components. There are plenty of manufacturers with resin 3D printers and Creality or ANYCUBIC are two of the best.
These are familiar names in the 3D printing market with varying machines that sit well in the user’s application as well as pocket. Creality LD 002R and Photon S are their newer additions into the collection that seem to boast what the older machines that precede them already offer. Creality is a Shenzhen-based company that has been well-known in the industry for their budget friendly machine and while the previous models are not up against stiff competition, the new LD 002R probably what it needs to take over the trend.
As for Photon S, this is clearly the continuation of the older machine Photon which was already loved by many 3D printing enthusiasts. The original model was a typical budget friendly option and it has enjoyed success which even more motivates ANYCUBIC to release the newer addition to the family with Photon S. It is said that the new printer is upgraded prominently with new UI and even greater UV LED performance.
Creality LD 002R and Photon S Design
From the sample picture above, we can already see that the Creality LD 002R and Photon S are using a top loading design where you can open the housing on top to show the printing room. The mechanisms are different however because Creality requires you to remove the top cover completely while the Photon S is like a window which you can open and close due to a hinge to keep everything intact. The top housing is transparent however so we can see the printing process.
Just like most resin printers, there is a display located at the front of the machine and they are usually touch sensitive which is what you can find in these variants as well. They are not very wide for comfort but are quite responsive and overall arranged conveniently to navigate around and command the machine. What we like from LD 002R is that it puts the USB port accessible from the front as it is located at the side which is better for convenience.
Creality LD 002R and Photon S Volume
One of the most important factors to decide a 3D printing machine is the capacity because it is related closely to what you can use the machine for or what type of item we can print with them. In this part Creality LD 002R and Photon S are very much similar to each other at 120 by 65 by 165mm compared to 115 by 65 by 165 mm in which the latter was bumped up at around 10mm from the original Photon, particularly on the Z axis.
Creality LD 002R and Photon S LCD Panel
To create a model of these sizes, the two are coming with a typical 2K LCD screen to mask an image of a layer over the UV light. Made from hundreds of thousands of pixels, each rectangle itself is prone to leave edges from the pixel to the print surface and depending on the software too, it is often barely visible. ChiTuBox is helpful here and you can rely on this software but when it first launched, it seems that Photon S is not as seamless yet now it works really well.
Creality LD 002R and Photon S Performance
Now moving to the performance part which is also quite similar between the two but for testing, we recommend changing the resin with a better quality one to ensure success as it may cause some issues on the result. Using ChiTuBox you can print like usual and the result is actually really good, moreover for the LD 002R because this machine is still using a single rail instead of two that Photon S carry as an improvement. Checking the result, there is no problem occuring and models come out nicely.
Creality LD 002R and Photon S Bed Leveling
As for the leveling, both Creality LD 002R and Photon S are also manually adjusted just like similar machines in their class. It is not convenient and is prone to mess but we can get better as we are used to them. What the user needs to do is loosen the screw and align it with the plate to LCD. Lower the plate to LCD and sandwich a paper in between until it is tight enough but still easy to pull and then you are done. It is not without a risk but pretty simple.
Creality LD 002R vs Photon S
Both of these resin printers are working really well in terms of performance and are able to deliver good printing results with minimum effort. The user interface is easy to understand and navigate around while the capacities are marginal to typical entry-level resin 3D printers. The prominent difference besides LD 002R slightly larger build volume is that this machine has single rail instead of double rails system like in Photon S.
Conclusion
All in all, the two are good options and are in good price point as well but considering the performance and price tag, we highly recommend getting Creality LD 002R because it is much cheaper and still works equally well.