Were still a ways off from the replicators from Star Trek, however 3D printers have actually begun a long way in the last few years and the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K is a great example of what these gadgets can do.AnyCubic has been in the 3D printer game because 2015, beginning with FDM printers prior to branching off into resin printers with the Photon variety, and its outstanding just how flawlessly the business has made that transition. Now were getting another addition to the Photon household with the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K, but what does this printer deal that previous models didnt? The AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K is one of the largest printers that AnyCubic offers, with an outstanding screen area of 38.22 in ² (9.6 x 7.8 x 4.8 in.). While other printers have used comparable size print beds, the Photon Mono X 6Ks genuine advantage is in the name – it has a 6K screen, That suggests youre not losing out on print resolution with this scaled up print bed, so it should kick out designs at the same quality (or much better) than a smaller sized 4K printer. But does it live up to that pledge? AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K evaluation: Set-up Like most AnyCubic printers that weve dealt with, the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K was mostly a breeze to get and put together set up. There is no significant assembly required, you just need to attach the develop plate to the primary body of the printer. You just plug in the gadget and switch it on.Were presuming you found that mainly qualifier a couple of sentences back. To safeguard its expensive 6K screen, the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K comes with a screen protector that you need to install yourself and we found it to be an outright problem, to the point where we just didnt put it on. We made numerous attempts following the directions, however we just might not get the protector to go on without air bubbles, and the advice to push them out utilizing the plastic scraper didnt work either. When you got the screen protector on (or tossed it in the bin in a fit of rage), the rest of the setup is simple and good. The AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K has a 3.5 inch color touchscreen that is used to manage the device. We found the touchscreen to be responsive and accurate, and the menus are all set out smartly. Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Future)From here, you simply follow the instructions to level the develop plate and then you can install the resin barrel. Whatever is described clearly in the directions that feature the printer, and there is even a spare sheet of paper to utilize when levelling. Levelling resin 3D printers is a lot easier than their FDM equivalents, so the entire procedure shouldnt take you longer than a couple of minutes.Once youve set whatever up, you simply require to pack a print file onto the consisted of USB drive (or use the included test file). Then you fill the barrel with resin, put the UV light cover over the printer and set it going.If youre brand-new to 3D printing, know that resin is very nasty things. You should use gloves, eye defense, and a face mask at all times when using it. Clean them instantly as its rather a nasty skin irritant if you do get it on your skin or hands. It should go without stating, but likewise do not swallow it, and store it far out of reach of kids and pets.AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K review: Specs and featuresLarge print bed6K resolutionPhoton Workshop software application needs workThe AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6Ks standout function is right there in the name – it has a 6K resolution. This is to accommodate for the bigger than typical build plate though, so this doesnt always suggest youre improving quality prints than a 4K printer. So the genuine advantage of the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K is that you can print bigger things without sacrificing print quality. The print bed is a generous 9.6 x 7.8 x 4.8 in./ 24.5 x 19.7 x 12.2 cm, which is slightly larger than the standard AnyCubic Photon Mono X which peaked at 24.5 x 19.2 x 12.0 cm. Though, the updated screen implies that the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K has over twice the pixel count on a practically identical sized screen, which, in theory, implies much better print resolution.(Image credit: Future)The AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6Ks other main party technique is that it prints quickly. The figures that AnyCubic offers are around 8 cm/hr./ 3.15 in./ hr, and while this does vary mainly based upon what youre printing and what print settings youre using, we did discover that the 6K printed quicker than previous designs that weve used.The software that comes with the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K is Photon Workshop, AnyCubics exclusive software application. Its reasonably easy to utilize, though we did have a couple of problems with it consistently crashing when trying to hollow out big models. We inspected around the AnyCubic online forums and crashes seem to be a fairly typical problem. You dont have to utilize this software application, with many AnyCubic fans choosing to download Chitubox to utilize for orientation, hollowing, and support production, then just slicing the file with Photon Workshop to prevent the problems. Its a fix, however the fact its required at all is disappointing.AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K review: Print quality and speedLarge print bed is great for big designs (or loads of little ones)Print quality is highPrints fast, however not as quick as claimedTo put the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K through its speeds, we ran it through numerous prints of varying types and sizes. We began out with the test file, which was a wireframe cube with the Anycubic logo showed inside the cube. Its an extremely impressive looking piece of architecture that reveals you what resin 3D printers can do. Its also a great test of the accuracy of the print, as the cube itself is scaled to be precisely 35mm along all its edges. We tested this with a set of digital calipers and found that it was disappointingly off, measuring in at 34mm on all sides. We printed it twice and got the exact same result, so we believe this is in fact a problem with the digital model rather than the printer. Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Future)Hackster noted in its review that its the same test model that included the initial Mono X, however reduced. All of our other prints came out at the appropriate size when determined, so this simply appears to be an oversight on the provided test print (which cant be customized in Photon Workshop as its a pre-sliced file). After that, we decided to evaluate out the larger print bed on the Mono X 6K by filling it up with models. As resin 3D printers are hugely popular among wargaming and roleplaying game fans, we ran a test print of 28mm designs and pieces from Anvil Industries Republic Grenadiers set. We handled to conveniently fit one of every piece from the set on the develop plate, and they all printed off splendidly, with crisp details and no noticeable errors.Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Future)Finally, we printed off a single larger design to see how the Mono X 6K managed itself. Mass Effect fans will acknowledge this print as Mordin Solus, a fan preferred character who has been consistently recreated by Mini Monster Mayhem. Here, were aiming to test AnyCubics claims that the Mono 6K can print a common 4.7″ design in 1.5 hours. Our Mordin fell far short of that, taking 7 hours to finish. You might maybe hit these claimed speeds with the ideal model and by tweaking the settings, however out of package, those are not the outcomes we got. In spite of this, the Mono 6K does print faster than previous designs weve checked, so thats still a step up.Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Future)Overall, we discovered printing with the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K to be a dream. Its simple to utilize, prints excellent miniatures, and it even prints a little faster than other LCD resin printers out there, even if it disappoints its own speed claims. AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K evaluation: Price and guarantee$65912 month service warranty (3 months for screen)The AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K costs $659 if purchased straight from AnyCubic. Its likewise readily available on Amazon, and by means of AnyCubics main eBay. We anticipate that stock concerns need to solve themselves now that the launch duration and Christmas rush have passed.On the service warranty side of things, AnyCubics standard warranty for 3D printers is a 12-month service warranty on all parts, except the LCD screen, which is only covered for 3 months. This is a little disappointing as the screen is the core of the printer. Better ensure you do not screw up putting the screen protector on like we did.Should you buy the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K? If youre in the marketplace for a resin 3D printer with a large print bed that can toss out high quality prints, the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K is a great choice. Its well developed and competitively priced versus other brand names offerings like the Elegoo Saturn (and the upcoming Elegoo Saturn 6K). If youve currently got a decent sized 4K printer and youre considering upgrading however, then you need to truly only bite if you need that bigger print bed, because youre only taking a look at a very small bump in print quality. The consisted of software application is fine when its not crashing, however you can discover other software out there to run the Mono 6K, so thats more of an inconvenience than a reason not to purchase. It likewise runs a bit loud, which is something to think about if your 3D printer set-up is within earshot of your living-room or bedroom.
While other printers have used comparable size print beds, the Photon Mono X 6Ks genuine advantage is in the name – it has a 6K screen, That means youre not losing out on print resolution with this scaled up print bed, so it should kick out designs at the same quality (or better) than a smaller sized 4K printer./ hr, and while this does vary mainly based on what youre printing and what print settings youre utilizing, we did find that the 6K printed quicker than previous designs that weve used.The software application that comes with the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K is Photon Workshop, AnyCubics exclusive software application. Its a fix, however the truth its required at all is disappointing.AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K review: Print quality and speedLarge print bed is terrific for huge models (or loads of little ones)Print quality is highPrints quick, however not as quick as claimedTo put the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K through its paces, we ran it through numerous prints of varying types and sizes. We managed to comfortably fit one of every piece from the set on the construct plate, and they all printed off wonderfully, with crisp information and no visible errors.Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Future)Finally, we printed off a single larger design to see how the Mono X 6K handled itself. If youre in the market for a resin 3D printer with a large print bed that can kick out high quality prints, the AnyCubic Photon Mono X 6K is a fantastic choice.