Creality is one of the most popular houses of 3D printers with their numerous favorite machines, including the resin printers like Creality LD002R Vs LD002H. These machines are very similar to each other even from the naming but, they are not exactly the same as well and you may like one of the two better. They do have almost identical ability in resin printing but in general the latter will have the upper hand. If you wonder what, let’s see the comparison below.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- What are Resin 3D Printers
- What are Creality LD002R and LD002H
- How are the Machine of Creality LD002R and LD002H
- How are the Build Volume of Creality LD002R and LD002H
- How are the Screen in Creality LD002R and LD002H
- How are the Build Plate in Creality LD002R and LD002H
- What Slicer to Use With Creality LD002R and LD002H
- Creality LD002R Vs LD002H
Resin 3D Printers
3D printers are getting more common nowadays because information is easy to access and almost anyone with a smart device and internet access can read or look into the information they want including the 3D printing process. This is a very interesting technology because it used to be only utilized by larger manufacturing or professional establishments while now even students and young people can start learning how the machine works or make their own 3D model at home. Resin printing and filament printing are two most common technologies being used.
Resin printing is not as popular however, in comparison, probably because it uses liquid material which is inherently messier to work with. Resin printing is actually divided into few types based on the light source itself; the first being SLA which uses laser, second is DLP which uses a projector, and mSLA or LCD which uses LCD as its masking instead of micromirror to direct the light from a projector to the bottom of the resin tank. In modern days, mSLA is the most prominent technology being used for consumer level printers.
It is also thanks to the invention of LCD that makes resin printers cheaper and more accessible for the general public because somehow the cost to make this type of printer back then is more expensive. The technology is also seen as more user friendly because they require less maintenance and keep the main advantage of resin printing which is being very detailed and stay as it is. While resin printers in general are slower than FDM machines compared to the older SLA they are now much faster.
Unlike filament printers, the main material here is liquid resin which will be exposed to UV laser according to the shape of the object. The UV laser then hardens it layer by layer, at repeating process until the object is finished. The special character of resin printers that probably contribute to its less popularity is because the material itself contains toxins and have to be safely handled, stored, or disposed accordingly. Especially with the disposal process, resin models require complicated treatments.
| Creality LD002R | Creality LD002H | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
|
| Product Dimensions | 21.73 x 11.61 x 11.54 inches | 21.5 x 11.6 x 11.45 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 17.75 pounds | 17.75 pounds |
| Best offer | Check price | Check price |
At the basic, using resin printers can be quite a hassle because we need to wear protective clothing when handling them, most importantly gloves to prevent the liquid from getting on our skin which may cause irritation or even injury. It is also recommended to wear protective goggles in case there are splashes and masks to keep the vapor away from your respiratory system; this is also why resin have an enclosure and filter to trap the odor or reduce the vapor that gets out of the machine.
About Creality LD002R and LD002H
Considering some of these cautions are not necessary with FDM, it is understandable why resin printers are less popular in general compared to the simpler and cheaper filament based machines. But, with a trade for their level of details, resin printers are a very effective way to print a model based on your design. Many of them are getting cheaper as well with manufacturers adding large capacity such as Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K Vs Anycubic Photon Mono X into the lineup of their resin printers.
If you are interested in getting a resin printer, Creality is one of the most ideal options to shop from. Yes, this brand is often the go to for typical basic FDM machines and they have been playing around with the budget machines for quite some time now yet, with the increasing amount of enthusiasm towards resin printers, it seems Creality also want to step into the market with other similar brands such as Phrozen or Anycubic in offering great, budget, friendly LCD based resin printers.
This is shown by the Creality LD002R and LD002H which are about a year apart from each other. The former was entering the market somewhere around the end of 2019 while the latter was just several months old now in mid-2021. As you can guess from the naming alone, these printers sound about the same to each other and there is some truth to it but they are not the same machine because Creality decided to take LD002R as an example and improve it to be the LD002H.
The former machine was a good addition to the family but it is not the only one and the first printer with the basic capabilities. The LD002H on the other hand is taking advances in technology, many that have been used earlier by other machines to improve the overall performance of the machine. It is not only bumped up in capacity but also faster to print with the LD002H so in short if you can add another $20 into the purchase, we highly recommend the LD002H.
Creality LD002R and LD002H Design
Before checking what the Creality LD002R and LD002H can offer, let’s see the machine first and side by side they are identical here. As you can see, the two are using the same removable top lid system in which you have to remove it completely to access the printing room. This is great to make sure we have ample space to adjust the build plate or to remove and fill the vat but can be less convenient as well. The sizes are exactly the same at 221 x 221 x 403mm.
What’s different is the color of this plastic lid while the rest of the machines are the same. For example you have a carbon filter at the corner of the machine and grills on the sidewall of the main housing acting as ventilation. The control layout is good because we have a USB port on the left side while the power button is at the front. They also use the same 3.5-inch full color display as your main panel for navigating the machine.
Creality LD002R and LD002H Build Volume
Now for the most important part and one of the prominent differences between Creality LD002R and LD002H is the capacity itself. Usually resin printers are very limited in building volume, compared to FDM machines at the same price but the trend will probably change in the future as they can get cheaper to make. As for these machines, the capacity is bumped up slightly on the latter at 130 x 82 x 160mm while the former printer is printing at 120 x 65 x 160mm.
Creality LD002R and LD002H Screen
Many resin printers nowadays even the smaller one can already put a 4K screen in the machine so not fall behind, these two are also coming with 2K screen with maximum resolution at 1620 x 2560 pixel. What’s different is that the LD002H is not using the RGB screen anymore but changing it into a mono screen, the same with what you can find in Photon Mono or Phrozen machines. This new screen’s best part is they can work faster than regular alternatives.
If the regular RGB can cure the layer at 6 to 8 seconds, the mono screen can work from 4 to as fast as one second, cutting the printing process quite a lot or can be half of the initial time. The decision to use a mono screen may improve its lifespan too because the average RGB is around 500 hours and mono can be 4 times longer. The resolution for the XY axis seems to be improved as well with now LD002H printing at 51 microns instead of 75 microns.
Creality LD002R and LD002H Build Plate
Next we want to talk about the build plate which is manually adjusted to level the height. The size is actually similar between Creality LD002R and LD002H but the type of surface is different. On the older machine somehow Creality decided to use perforated print plate which is surprising and honestly this is the first printer at this size that we have seen come with the plate. This is because a perforated plate usually comes with larger bottom-up machines for printing large objects; the LD002H now uses sandblast, flat plate.
Creality LD002R and LD002H Slicer
Lastly, we are also happy that these printers are using ChiTuBox instead of some proprietary slicer. Not because they are not reliable but it is just because the common app is easier to work with and we are sure most people who plan to buy or use resin printers are having at least some knowledge on using the slicer as well. Both Creality LD002R and LD002H are compatible with the popular slicer so there should not be an issue in achieving the ideal result.
Creality LD002R Vs LD002H
These printers are similar yet different and the way we see it is like LD002H being the improvement of LD002R by addressing or more of upgrading the machine to be able to compete with the rest of other similar printers in the market. The main differences are their capacity which makes LD002H able to print larger objects, more common sandblast build plate, a mono screen instead of RGB for better longevity as well as faster printing process.
Conclusion
All in all there is no bad option between the two so we can choose based on which seems to fit you the most but, with a very little price gap, we do recommend getting the LD002H because in general it is a higher printer with larger capacity and faster printing process.