3D Resin Printing : Best Budget DLP Printer
My regular viewers and readers will not be surprised when I say - I love DLP printers! The precision and accuracy is incredible. But, of course, they've always been expensive and therefore associated only with industry. Luckily that changed a few years ago (thank you Anycubic for creating the amateur DLP market) and now we're beginning to see more and more of these excellent machines.
Here I’ve listed these budget DLP printers that I’ve personally owned and thoroughly tested, and even ranked them in order of recommendation. Prices aren’t included as these change too frequently, but I have included convenient price links so you can check the money side of things out for yourself. To fully understand the reasoning behind my ranking decisions, you need to visit and watch each video review (links provided above).
But for those who, like me, prefer the convenience of a cheat sheet, put simply the Mars 4 DLP and the Anycubic D2 are equals in terms of print quality. However, in terms of build quality, the Mars has the edge. However, this may lead to a pricing difference, so remember to shop carefully.
VogMan’s Best Budget DLP Printer Picks
| RANK | PRINTER | XY RES'N | PPI | SIZE | W x D x H | REVIEW | PRICE | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elegoo Mars 4 DLP | 52 µm | 489.6 | S | 133 x 75 x 150 mm |  |
2560 x 1440 pixels. This DLP prints as well as the Anycubic D2 but has slightly better build quality. Details are excellent. | |
| 2 | Anycubic Photon D2 DLP | 52 µm | 498.0 | S | 131 x 73 x 165 mm | |
2560 x 1440 pixels. This DLP has the amazing sharp pixel print quality we expect from this technology. | |
| 3 | Anycubic Photon Ultra | 80 µm | 317.5 | S | 102 x 58 x 165 mm | |
1280 x 720 pixels. The original DLP, it still produces great quality prints but is probably closer in quality to a 4K 35 micron printer. |
| The reasoning behind my ranking decisions has nothing to do with price. My ranking is based purely on ability and how well each printer impressed me. To understand the table headings properly, visit the listing at the bottom of the page. |
About the Price Links
Prices change so often I simply can't list them. So instead, I provide links to the Official Stores and Amazon. Some of these are affiliate links and clicking them will generate a few pennies for me if you make a purchase, but importantly this will not cost you any extra and it does not affect how I rank these printers. I don't play that game!
Industrial Printer
I haven’t listed any expensive DLP printers here, only the budget models. I’ve never been lucky enough to test industrial level printers and as my audience tends to be at the amateur end of the market, I probably never will.
Resin
And don't forget you're going to need a lot of resin for these Large 3D printers. Check out my recommended resins!
Understanding the Table Headings
The headings on the Printers table are abreviated to save on space and that may lead to confusion. So below I list the headings and their full meaning.
| RANK | This is shortened from "My Ranking" and refers to how I personally list them, with 1 being the best, 2 the second best, etc | |
| PRINTER | The name of the printer, often incorporating the K value of the screen (e.g. 9K, etc). | |
| XY RES'N | Short for "XY Resolution" this refers to the calculated micron value usually quoted in sales gumph. The smaller the number, the better. To understand how this is calculated and what it really means, watch the video below. | |
| PPI | Short for "Pixels Per Inch" this figure generally isn't provided but essentially describes image clarity, wherein the greater the density of pixels, the greater the image definition will be. To understand how this is calculated and what it really means, watch the video below. | |
| SIZE | Refers to the overall size of the printer, i.e. S (Standard or Small), M (Medium) and L (Large). The bigger the printer, the bigger the prints that can be created. | |
| W x D x H | Width x Depth x Height measured in millimetres, and describing the maximum print area available. | |
| REVIEW | This is a link to my YouTube review. These are generally worth watching. | |
| PRICE | Prices change so often I simply can't list them. So instead, I provide links to the Official Stores and Amazon. Some of these are affiliate links and clicking them will generate a few pennies for me, but importantly this will not cost you any extra and it does not affect how I rank these printers. I don't play that game! | |
| COMMENTS | This is a very brief summary of my thoughts about the printer. There's not enough room for a full report, but watching the video should provide the rest. | |
| * | Note : "tba" is an abbreviation of To Be Advised, meaning the information should turn up eventually. |