3D Resin Printing : Best Budget Jewellery / Fine Quality Printer
The 3D resin printer has become a vital tool in jewellery design, or where fine detail is a must. It not only allows artisans to mock-up real scale prototypes, it also through the use of castable resins helps bring many of these designs into the physical world. I’m no stranger to metal melting and jewellery design, and I’ve long been combining both loves through resin printing.
Here I’ve listed the resin printers that I feel are ideal for jewellery work. I’ve personally owned and thoroughly tested each of them, 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.
VogMan’s Best Fine Detail Printer Picks
| RANK | PRINTER | XY RES'N | PPI | SIZE | W x D x H | REVIEW | PRICE | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elegoo Mars 4 Ultra 9K | 18 µm | 1411.1 | S | 153 x 78 x 165 mm |  |
8520 x 4320 pixels. This is the Mars on steroids. An incredible printer with amazing fine detail quality. The Mars 5 Ultra may have newer toys, but for the experienced user this is my preferred option. | |
| 2 | Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra 9K | 18 µm | 1411.1 | S | 153 x 78 x 165 mm | |
8520 x 4320 pixels. Every bit as good as the Mars 4 Ultra but with a fancy tilt mechanism and auto-plate levelling features. Ideal for a newbie to the hobby. | |
| 3 | Elegoo Mars 4 9K | 18 µm | 1411.1 | S | 153 x 78 x 175 mm | |
8520 x 4320 pixels. The Mars 4K is a formidable printer topped only by the Mars 4 Ultra, capable of very fine printing. | |
| 4 | Phrozen Sonic Mighty Revo 14K | 17 / 24 µm | 1408.7 | M | 223 x 126 x 235 mm | |
13320 x 5120 pixels. Probably the best printer Phrozen have made since the Mini 8K, this is an expensive machine, but its very well put together. It truly impressed me. | |
| 5 | Anycubic Photon Mono M5s Pro 14K | 17 / 24 µm | 1410.0 | M | 223 x 126 x 200 mm | |
13312 x 5120 pixels. This 14K printer is excellent. At least as good as the budget DLPs, this printer gives you high detail and mass production thanks to the larger plate. | |
| 6 | Elegoo Mars 4 DLP | 52 µm | 489.6 | S | 133 x 75 x 150 mm | |
2560 x 1440 pixels. DLPs give incredible accuracy which is ideal for jewellery design, and this is the best budget DLP for me. | |
| 7 | Anycubic Photon D2 DLP | 52 µm | 498.0 | S | 131 x 73 x 165 mm | |
2560 x 1440 pixels. Excellent accuracy from this DLP makes it an ideal jewellers choice. | |
| 8 | Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 12K | 19 / 24 µm | 1275.6 | M | 219 x 123 x 220 mm | |
11520 x 5120 pixels. Lots of innovation on this model getting the most from its 12K screen. | |
| 9 | Creality Halot Mage S 14K | 17 / 24 µm | 1408.8 | M | 223 x 126 x 230 mm | |
13320 x 5120 pixels. A step up from the Mage Pro, the print quality of this machine really impressed me, thanks to its 14K screen. | |
| 10 | Elegoo Saturn 3 12K | 19 / 24 µm | 1275.6 | M | 219 x 123 x 250 mm | |
11520 x 5120 pixels. A very impressive printer that, whilst lacking extra features, prints beautifully. | |
| 11 | Anycubic Photon Mono M5S 12K | 19 / 24 µm | 1275.6 | M | 218 x 123 x 200 mm | |
11520 x 5120 pixels. If you want accuracy, but larger or more prints per plate, this 12K won't let you done. For me an equal performance to the Phrozen Mini 8K, but much larger. | |
| 12 | Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra 12K | 19 / 24 µm | 1275.6 | M | 219 x 123 x 260 mm | |
11520 x 5120 pixels. Accuracy with a larger built plate. For me an equal performance to the Phrozen Mini 8K, but much larger. | |
| 13 | Uniformation GK3 Ultra 16K | 20 x 26 µm | 1210.8 | L | 300 x 160 x 300 mm | |
15120 x 6230 pixels. Take the GK2, increase it in size and give it even better print quality and you have the GK3 Ultra. Beyond a doubt the best printer in the Large range, it can produce fine enough detail to print just about anything. Check the description below my YouTube video as Uniformation often provide me with promotion codes. | |
| 14 | Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K | 22 µm | 1152.7 | S | 165 x 72 x 180 mm | |
7500 x 3240 pixels. Close to DLP performance, a cheapened down version of the Mini 8K with the same print quality. | |
| 15 | Phrozen Sonic Mini 8KS | 22 µm | 1154.5 | S | 165 x 72 x 170 mm | |
7536 x 3240 pixels. Close to DLP performance with a slightly softer finish, but still amazing. |
| 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!
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. |