Photon Mono 4 vs Form 4BL Medical Resin 3D Printer
Technical comparison · Resin 3D printing
Photon Mono 4 and Form 4BL Medical Resin 3D Printer are not direct competitors: different use classes (F2 vs F4), very different prices (~53.5×). Photon Mono 4 costs less (~€215) and is the entry-level choice; Form 4BL Medical Resin 3D Printer offers more capability at a higher price (~€11499). Judge them by budget, not head-to-head.
| Parameter |
Photon Mono 4
Anycubic
F2 · Intermediate
|
Form 4BL Medical Resin 3D Printer
Formlabs
F4 · Semi-professional
|
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Launch year | 2024 | 2024 |
| Use tier | F2 — Intermediate | F4 — Semi-professional |
| Price | ||
| Price (€) | ~180–250 € | 11499 € |
| Universal specs | ||
| Dimensions (W×D×H) (cm) | — | 66.4 × 52.8 × 79.4 cm |
| Weight (kg) | — | 58.5 kg |
| Work area (mm) | 153.4 × 87 mm | 353 × 196 mm |
| Z-axis height (mm) | 165 mm | 350 mm |
| Power (W) | — | 900 W |
| Voltage (V) | — | 240 V |
| Maximum speed | 1.17 mm/min | 80 |
| Declared precision | 17 μm | 46 μm |
| Category specs | ||
| Build area XY (short side) (mm) | 87 mm | 196 mm |
| XY resolution (µm) | 17 µm | 46 µm |
| Light source | Mono LCD | Mono LCD |
| Print speed (mm/h) | 70.2 mm/h | 80 mm/h |
| Tilt / peel system | Standard FEP | Tilt |
| Ecosystem | ||
| Cloud dependency | No | No |
| Software notes | The device is fully compatible with the main third-party slicing software options on the market, including widely popular solutions such as Chitubox and Lychee Slicer, alongside the proprietary Anycubic Photon Workshop application. This flexibility allows users to manage advanced exposure parameters, supports, and tolerance compensation without proprietary constraints. File preparation occurs primarily via offline transfer using a USB port, ensuring a stable workflow independent of active network connections. Managing print profiles for various commercial resins is highly intuitive, facilitating the optimization of layer-by-layer curing times for both standard materials and advanced formulations. | Printer management is handled by the proprietary PreForm software, a well-proven tool that automatically optimizes model orientation, support generation, and build area layout. PreForm integrates natively with popular medical and dental CAD workflows, supporting standard formats such as STL and OBJ. The system offers advanced algorithms to calculate specific print parameters for each Formlabs resin. Connectivity is comprehensive, featuring options via USB, Ethernet, and local Wi-Fi. Although the Dashboard cloud platform is available for remote production monitoring and fleet management, the printer remains fully operational offline, ensuring the security of sensitive data within clinical environments. |
The differences that matter
- Price: Photon Mono 4 215 € vs Form 4BL Medical Resin 3D Printer 11499 € — Photon Mono 4 wins (+5248%)
- Work area: Photon Mono 4 153.4×87 mm vs Form 4BL Medical Resin 3D Printer 353×196 mm — Form 4BL Medical Resin 3D Printer wins (+418%)
Which one to choose
Choose Form 4BL Medical Resin 3D Printer if…
you value work area. It is the one with the largest build area in its class.
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