AnyCubic recently sent us their gorgeous Photon Mono X 3D printer and Wash and Cure station to try out. This was our first, ahem, exposure to 3D printing with resin, although we* have plenty of experience with filament/FDM 3D printers. Rest assured, this review is independent and was not shared with AnyCubic in advance of publication.
We spent a few weeks using AnyCubic’s Photon Mono X, and, overall, we found it to be an excellent product with a few notable downsides, mostly related to the challenges inherent to printing with resin and not the printer itself.
The Upshot: This Printer Is Amazing
It’s big. It’s beautiful. It’s an MSLA printer. What does that mean? MSLA stands for masked stereolithography. As we noted in our article about how 3D printing works, “MSLA printers use lasers to cure a liquid resin into a solid plastic material. Usually, the object is ‘pulled’ from a vat of resin, forming layer by layer as it rises from the material.”
In other words, it’s magic.
The Caveat: You’ve Got Some Learning (and Cleaning) to Do
It’s going to take some time to get to the point where you’re proficient with the Photon Mono X or any resin printer. Once you know what you’re doing, using this printer is straightforward, but getting there can be frustrating.
We’ve been assured by experts that this experience is universal. It is a rite of passage, similar to getting the first layer to come out right on an FDM printer. The only difference is that if your first layer fails to adhere to the build plate on a resin printer, there’s a lot of messy clean-up involved.
That’s because any time a print fails on a resin printer, you have to clean everything . Since the resin is a toxic material, that means you’ll go through a lot of gloves, masks, paper towels, Windex, and alcohol. (Note: We used Everclear since it’s cheaper than isopropyl, although we’re not sure the cashier at the liquor store believed us.) However, as you improve, there’s less and less clean-up involved.
Resin vs. Filament: What’s the Difference?
A resin printer allows you to print objects with incredibly fine details. If you’re coming from the filament world, the resolution will amaze you. However good you think it will be, it’ll probably be better.
Build Volume & Printing Speed
The Photon Mono X has a larger build volume than virtually any other consumer-level MSLA printer on the market today. Moreover, printing time is entirely dependent on the exposure time and the number of layers, not on how much material is cured per layer.
You can cram as much as you want onto the build plate, and it won’t affect your print time.
Product Quality & Safety
The Z-axis rails on the Photon Mono X are no joke. They’re superior to the linear rails on any printer we’ve seen. Linear rails keep your print from wiggling while printing, and there’s no noticeable play on the Photon Mono X. The Z screw is beefy with no visible wobble.
Additionally, the touchscreen is responsive and easy to read, and the menus are intuitive. The overall look is clean and sleek.
The optional safety features are more than adequate to protect your eyes from UV light and protect the resin from sunlight. In fact, we left the resin in the printer for three days next to a window, and none of the resin cured from the sunlight.
Washing & Curing Your Print
AnyCubic’s wash and cure station perfectly complement the resin printer. They look great together. The wash station has a built-in magnetic stirrer that agitates the cleaning solution, allowing you to clean your print in less than five minutes. It’s almost effortless.
After printing, you can remove the print from the bed or you can put the bed itself into the wash station, alleviating some of the need for cleaning we mentioned above.
Note : You do need a LOT of cleaning fluid, whether that’s alcohol or the cleaning solution of your choice. The cleaning solution goes into a large plastic container with a snap-on top.
To wash, you set the wash timer, hit Go, and you’re done. Be careful handling the uncured print. It will be soft and not fully cured, so it’s easy to deform the print if you’re not careful.
To cure the print, you place it on a carousel that comes with the Wash & Cure station. Optionally, you can adjust the angle of the topmost LEDs to direct light towards the print.
It’s just as easy to cure as it is to wash. Set the timer, press the Start button, and a few minutes later, your print is cured. Enjoy the weird, eerie glow of the print as it’s curing.
AnyCubic’s PhotonWorkshop
AnyCubic’s slicing software doesn’t feel as polished as Cura or Slic3r, but it does have lots of interesting functionality that, admittedly, we haven’t fully explored. You can add manual or automatic supports, rafts, and drainage holes.
PhotonWorkshop is a little clumsy to navigate and learning how to place supports correctly takes some trial and error. If you don’t adequately support your print, it will fail and then you’ll have to clean the resin vat before your next attempt, so it’s crucial that you learn how supports work.
Transferring files to the Mono X is a snap. Upload a file to a USB drive, and stick it in the printer. Bam. As it prints, you’ll see images on the LCD screen of each layer as it’s being exposed. It’s pretty fun to watch. And, AnyCubic has a phone app you can use to monitor your prints and start them remotely.
Maintaining the Photon Mono X
Regarding maintenance, we wish the resin vat’s pour spout were better designed. Resin doesn’t pour out cleanly, making clean-up more difficult. Moreover, when printing, the resin covers the top of the build plate, not just the bottom, so when it’s time to clean up, you have to clean the resin off of both sides. That’s unfortunate, but we’re uncertain how it could be avoided.
Another complaint: it’s hard to remove the build plate without dripping resin on the machine. You have to do a dance when you remove the build plate. It’s difficult to keep it over the vat so the resin doesn’t drip everywhere. Once you’re consistently getting good prints, this won’t be as much of an issue.
At some point you’ll have to pour the resin back into the container it came in, and you’ll have to clean off the build plate. That process is not as convenient as it could be. Ideally, you’d only have to clean off the bottom and the sides of the build plate. As it is, there are a lot of nooks and crannies that fill with resin, and they all need to be cleaned. It’s kind of like drying tupperware off when it comes out of the dishwasher.
We suspect this is a design tradeoff to maximize the print area while allowing for enough resin for a large print. Furthermore, the printer doesn’t include any funnels or filters, both of which you’ll want to have.
We also tried changing the FEP sheet. The FEP sheet is the film at the bottom of the resin vat. If it gets dirty, scratched, or punctured, it needs to be replaced. As complete beginners to resin printing, we found installing a new FEP sheet to be pretty straightforward. There are a ton of screws to tighten, but following the directions was simple. It was like changing and tuning a snare drum head, and the sound was similar, too!
Final Recommendation
If you’re someone who wants things to just work out of the box with little effort, then perhaps resin printing isn’t for you. That’s not a criticism of the Photon Mono X.
If, on the other hand, you’re someone who will put in the required time to really learn the ins and outs of new technology, then, yes, we absolutely recommend AnyCubic’s Photon Mono X 3D printer. You’re going to love it (eventually). It can print things that would be impossible to print on a filament printer. Plus, it just looks amazing.
- Special thanks to FormerLurker for help in reviewing AnyCubic’s Photon Mono X 3D printer.
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Whether you want to print out tools and parts for DIY projects, or something fun like a 3D printed Baby Yoda, you’ll need to find 3D printer models. It’s still a new space, and creating detailed models is a lot of work, so resources are still limited.
There are still a few gems out there that offer some great models for you to download and print for your own personal use. We’ve picked out a number of them that you’re sure to like.
Unless we explicitly state it in the opening paragraph, all websites featured in this article offer 3D models for free download. If you’re looking for 3D printers instead, here’s a list of great starter models.
Cults 3D– 3D Printer Model Platform
Cults 3D is a huge platform for creating, selling, and buying 3D printer models. Whilst some models must be purchased, there are also thousands of free 3D printer models to download too.
To get started, simply visit the website and search for something you’d like to print. Alternatively, visit the collections page and look for 3D models within certain collections. Popular collections include Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Pokemon.
For more productive prints, the useful objects collection might take your fancy. This includes projects like 3D printed smartphone holders, clamps for DIY work, or kitchen tools like egg separators and bag clips.
Please note that all of these 3D printer models are user submitted, so print instructions, model quality, and support will all vary from model to model. You can sort your search results by download or like count to make it easier to find good models.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can find a creator to make a 3D model for you with the on demand feature. You must list the specifications of the model, give a budget, and choose a deadline. The more you provide in terms of specifications and illustrations for the print, the better.
Yeggi– Search Engine for 3D Printer Models
Yeggi doesn’t offer up 3D printer models itself, but instead provides a powerful tool to search for 3D models. Yeggi has been around since 2013 and since then there hasn’t really been any decent competition to make us suggest an alternative. Since Yeggi sends you to approved third party websites, some 3D models are only available for purchase. However, 90% of all models that appear in Yeggi’s search engine are free to download.
Yeggi has over 2 million 3D printer models in its database, so a quick search should return some good results. The search tools aren’t as comprehensive as Google, but you can still sort results by best match, popularity, or most recently added.
You can also filter out free or for sale models so that you get the results you need. Our only gripe with Yeggi is that searching for that perfect model often leads to clicking back and forth between multiple different websites, so be prepared to go through plenty of tabs on your browser.
Thingiverse– Find 3D Printing Projects
Despite the name, Thingiverse isn’t just about printing out things. It’s a great platform for finding fun, educational projects and to join a community. Take this LTB weather station for example. It’s also a great place to engage with other 3D printer owners and learn about what they’re building.
You can find specific groups so that you can interact with like-minded people. For example, some popular groups include engineering, Raspberry Pi enthusiasts, board game creators, Star Wars, and Warhammer 40K.
If you are after things to print out, that’s possible, too. The search bar is the best tool to use to find 3D printer models to print out. For example, a quick search for Baby Yoda returned hundreds of results, sorted by popularity.
Because of the community-led focus, you’ll have more tools to engage with each creator’s project. Let’s say you wanted to see how a specific 3D Baby Yoda print would actually turn out. You can see the Makes tab to view other user’s results after printing the model you are currently viewing.
YouMagine– Community Created Prints
YouMagine is driven by the community, perhaps more so than the other platforms we’ve listed so far. The goal behind YouMagine is to create an open source platform where individuals can work to create, edit, and collaborate on 3D printer models without any content restrictions.
That means models will often use a Creative Commons license. Typically, models will use CC Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike, which means you can download 3D models for free, edit, and reshare any work, but you cannot use it commercially.
For now, YouMagine’s community is a little smaller, but if you’re looking to collaborate with others on 3D printer models or want to find the starting work for your own 3D designs that you can print later, YouMagine is a great tool.
Instructables– For 3D Printing Projects
Instructables isn’t just about 3D printer models but it’s a great website to find fun, engaging projects that do utilize 3D printing. You’ll be able to find projects with full guides and downloadable model files.
Not only does this mean that you can print out some useful models, but you can learn how to do everything along the way. Download parts to build your own 3D printed toys, or learn how to create your very own 3D printable models too.
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If you don’t have a full-sized printing machine at home and often need to print a document on the go, check out the Newyes portable printer . This wireless printer is lightweight and small enough to fit in your bag. Not to mention it’s environmentally friendly, since it uses thermal paper instead of ink.
Follow our review of the Newyes portable wireless thermal printer to see if it suits your printing needs.
Newyes Portable Wireless Thermal A4 Printer: First Impressions & Specs
When I was a student, I remember my university always required hard copies of documents. Luckily, there was a print shop on campus where I could always pop in to print something.
Then I became a professional, and to my surprise many life spheres still required me to have printed versions of documents with me. Of course you can get your own full-sized machine to print things at home, but if like me you live in a small apartment, you value every extra bit of space and don’t want a massive printer to take it up.
One day, when I was looking for a neighbor with a printer to help me with my event tickets, they introduced me to the concept of a portable printer. Seeing how easy it is to use, I immediately wanted to get my hands on one of those. So here I am, reviewing one of the most useful gadgets I received recently – the Newyes portable thermal printer.
Before we continue with this review, here is the full list of specs of this printer.
- Model: Newyes LD0801
- Dimensions: 10.4 x 1.2 x 2.28 in (265 x 58 x 30.5 mm)
- Weight: 16.8oz (475g)
- Paper format: A4
- Paper width: 210mm or 218mm
- Printing Type: thermal paper
- Resolution: 203DPI
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Charging port: USB type-C port
- Input Voltage: DC 5V / 2A
- Battery: 1200mAh lithium battery
- Charging time: 75 min
- Automatic shut down: after 30 minutes
- Stand-by: about 30 days
- Extra features: LED light, reset, on / off switch button
- Color: white, black
- Warranty: limited one year warranty
- Price: $199 on the Newyes website
If you find yourself in need of hard copies of important documents while on the move, the Newyes portable wireless thermal printer will become your go-to gadget. Newyes calls it “the world’s smallest printer”, and with the weight of under 500g this seems plausible. This mini printer offers a handy solution for those moments when you need to quickly print an important document but don’t have access to an office setup.
Operating this printer is a breeze – a simple Bluetooth connection is all that’s required. Once connected, just fire up the app, choose the file you want to print, and send it over. Efficiency is at the forefront, and you can easily print multiple sheets by inserting new pages back to back.
The only limitation this printer has is that it can only print in black. So even if your original file is in color, the printed document will still come out in black and white. Other than that – you can print a variety of file types including Excel, Word, PDF, JPG, PNG, and web pages – and it only takes seconds.
The Newyes portable wireless printer combines convenience, portability, and efficiency – all the things I appreciate in a modern gadget.
Design and Unpacking
Let’s have a closer look at the design and build of this smart printer, as well as what you get included in the package when you purchase it.
What’s in the Box
Here’s everything you’ll find when unpacking your Newyes portable thermal printer:
- The Newyes portable wireless thermal printer
- Bracket
- USB type-C cable
- Storage/carrying pouch
- 100pcs thermal printing paper
- User manual
You can use the Newyes portable printer right out of the box, as you’re all set with essential accessories. Aside from the printer itself, the package includes a bracket which will make printing more than one page smoother, a convenient storage bag for carrying your printer with you, a USB-C cable for charging, and a supply of 100 pieces of thermal paper to get you started.
One important thing to remember is that this printer only works with thermal paper. While thermal paper is significantly more expensive than normal paper, this printer also uses inkless printing and works without a ribbon and toner. Since you don’t have to spend money on ink, carbon ribbons or toner cartridges, you ultimately end up saving money with thermal paper.
The Newyes LD0801 is a pocket-sized printer that features straightforward design. For the purpose of this review, I had a printer in white color. The printer looks like a small white brick with just two pressable buttons on top – one for switching it on and off, and another for opening the printer’s cover. You’ll also see the paper entry slot on top of the printer.
On the side of the printer, you’ll find a single charging port.
The printer is made of plastic, but the build feels sturdy. I never have to worry about throwing it into my bag or damaging it when traveling. Besides, you can use a nice carrying pouch included in the package for protection.
Performance & Features
According to Newyes, the portable printer has a “handheld size and two times the weight of an iPhone”. This can give you an idea of how portable and convenient this little gadget is. In a month of testing, I used it at home, in a store, and even in a car while on the road.
Using the printer is unbelievably easy. Connect it to your mobile phone via Bluetooth, press the button to turn the printer on and put a sheet of thermal paper into the paper entry slot. Make sure to use thermal paper and not standard paper, and put it with the black marks facing down. Bear in mind that the thermal printer can only print in black and white and only on one (marked) side of the thermal paper sheet.
Then open the iPrint app on your smartphone. If you’re printing an A4 document, you can select one of two options – Photo Printing and Document Printing . Then choose the document from your phone’s files and print it.
The printer is reliable and in the time that I used it the Newyes LD0801 never let me down. The printing quality will surprise you, as it’s sometimes better than what you get from a full-sized printer. The printer supports printing in various formats, and you can use it to print documents from your smartphone (Android and iPhone), iPad, and Android tablet.
When fully charged, the printer can support up to 90 pieces of paper continuously, which is very impressive for a gadget of such a small size.
Software
The Newyes portable printer requires an iPrint app to operate. The app is available for free on iOS and Android. You’ll need to download the app on your device from the App Store or Google Play before you begin printing your documents.
The app has a simple and user-friendly design. You’ll need to pair your device with the printer on the first use via Bluetooth.
Depending on the type of document you want to print, you can choose different options from the app. There’s photo printing, document printing, web printing, and banner printing.
The app also has Materials and Template sections, where you can find various pictures and templates for printing to-do lists, post-its and holiday cards. You can also use the Newyes LD0801 as a label printer using these templates.
Battery Life
The Newyes portable wireless thermal printer is equipped with a decent 1200mAh lithium battery. This high-capacity battery allows you to print on the go without constantly worrying about running out of charge. When I received the printer, I charged it fully once, and it still hasn’t run out of battery after one month of use (I use it to print something almost every other day).
Charging this printer is quick and takes just over an hour to charge the printer from zero to full. The type-C charging cable facilitates a rapid charging experience. And if you run out of battery while on the go, you can quickly charge the printer from a portable power station or a power bank to continue printing.
The printer doesn’t support wireless charging, so I’d recommend always bringing the usb-c cable with you just in case.
Should You Buy the Newyes Portable Wireless Thermal Printer?
The Newyes portable thermal printer ensures high-quality wireless printing while on the go and easy operation. It’s not the most budget-friendly option, but this purchase will save you money and nerves in the long run thanks to its versatility and portable nature.
Personally, I can say that this printer made my life easier. So much that it’s probably my favorite smart gadget of the year. If you’re looking for a portable printer that won’t take any space in your house, I’d certainly recommend considering the Newyes LD0801 model.
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