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Anycubic Photon Mono Review

If you are shopping for a resin printer on a slimmer budget, this can be a great option
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Anycubic Photon Mono Review
Price:  $280 List
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Manufacturer:   Anycubic
By David Wise and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Jul 6, 2022
61
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#9 of 10
  • Print Quality - 40% 9.8
  • Ease of Use - 30% 2.1
  • Print Capabilities - 20% 5.7
  • Support - 10% 3.9

Our Verdict

If you are shopping on a more restricted budget for a resin printer that can create highly-detailed models on a smaller scale, then the Anycubic Mono is a solid option. This printer delivered incredibly detailed prints compared to an FDM printer and is compatible with a wide variety of resins. However, it is a much more labor-intensive process to clean and post-process resin prints, so there can be a bit of a steep learning curve for beginners.
REASONS TO BUY
Detailed prints
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Difficult to use
Limited customer support
The original Photon Mono we tested is only available in the UK and Australia. Anycubic now offers the Photon Mono 4K, which is essentially the same printer with double the pixels. We're linking to the 4K version in our review as of July 2022.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall 3D Printer
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
Top Pick Award
Best for Beginners
Best Buy Award
Best for Tight Budgets
Price $280 List$699 List$359 List$450 List$236 List
Overall Score Sort Icon
61
75
67
66
62
Star Rating
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Bottom Line This compact resin printer made some very detailed prints and has a lower price tag than many of its competitorsA great affordable offering from one of the industry's best new brandsA feature-rich, economical option for hobbyists and cost-conscious professionals looking to dip their toes in the world of 3D printingIf you want a convenient and user-friendly product that is great for classrooms, then this is one of our favoritesThis printer is one of our favorites for those shopping on tighter budgets and don't mind a little tinkering to get it printing perfectly
Rating Categories Anycubic Photon Mono Bambu Lab P1P Anycubic Vyper FlashForge Adventur... Creality 3D Ender 3...
Print Quality (40%)
9.8
6.7
5.5
6.5
6.3
Ease of Use (30%)
2.1
8.6
7.5
8.4
5.5
Print Capabilities (20%)
5.7
8.0
7.8
5.3
6.9
Support (10%)
3.9
6.1
6.9
4.0
6.2
Specs Anycubic Photon Mono Bambu Lab P1P Anycubic Vyper FlashForge Adventur... Creality 3D Ender 3...
Build Volume (XxYxZ) 130x80x165mm 256x256x256mm 245x245x260mm 150x150x150mm 200x200x250mm
Maximum Extruder Temperature N/A 300 ℃ 260°C 240°C 255°C
Layer Cooling Fan? N/A 1 2 1 2
Heated Bed N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes
Build Plate Material Aluminum Magnetic Dual-Sided Textured PEI Removable magnetic spring steel, scratch resistant Removeable and flexible plastic with sticker Aluminium build plate with a magnetic course plastic sticker
Maximum Bed Temperature N/A 100°C 110°C 100°C 110°C
Compatible with Third-Party Materials? Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Included Nozzle sizes N/A .4 mm .4 mm .4 mm .4 mm
Print layer resolution .025 - 1 mm .1 - .4 mm .1 mm .1 - .4 mm .1 - .4 mm
Filament Size 405 nm resin 1.75mm 1.75 mm 1.75 mm 1.75 mm
PLA? N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes
ABS? N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes
Network Printing No Yes Available with 3rd party products Yes No
Standalone (SD card or USB drive) Printing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

One thing to consider when looking at a resin printer is that the procedures for layout, orientation, and supports differ wildly from a filament printers, so you should also be prepared for some trial and error when you are just starting out — even if you have a decent amount of filament-based 3D printer experience already.

Performance Comparison



anycubic photon mono - some petite prints made by the mono.
Some petite prints made by the Mono.
Credit: Jason Peters

Print Quality


Our most important series of tests focused on the print quality of each 3D printer. For the resin printers, we made a different set of test prints than the FDM printers to get a better assessment of their performance head-to-head with each other, since the printing mechanisms differ by so much. The Mono did exceptionally well, earning one of the top scores of the entire group.


For these printers, we did a few benchmark tests designed just for resin printers, a model of the Eiffel Tower, a spiral tower with stairs, a hollow statue, some small figurines, a skull, and an icebreaker ship, as well as a few other models to compare performance.

anycubic photon mono - this printer managed exceptionally detailed models.
This printer managed exceptionally detailed models.
Credit: Jason Peters

The Mono did decently well in the first benchmark print but some of the thinnest features warped just a bit more than with some of the other ones. However, just about all of the other small features are very well-defined, even with the bridges and overhangs. The Eiffel Tower looks almost flawless, though it seems some of the smallest gaps got overexposed as they were filled — even after being thoroughly cleaned before post-curing.

anycubic photon mono - the surface finish was impeccable.
The surface finish was impeccable.
Credit: Jason Peters

The tower and the rook both came out great, with smoothly curving sections and small details that are defined very well. The words at the top were readable as well.

anycubic photon mono - even very fine details came through with this printer.
Even very fine details came through with this printer.
Credit: Jason Peters

The icebreaker ship and the trio of smaller figurines also came out great, though the skull model did have some smaller gaps that got filled in.

anycubic photon mono - this printer can be a pain to use though.
This printer can be a pain to use though.
Credit: Jason Peters

Ease of Use


OUr next metric focused on the ease of printing with each 3D printer. The Anycubic Mono — like most resin printers — didn't fare the best in this category, earning a score well below average.


Luckily, it is an easier process to level the build plate on the Mono than many of the resin printers, as you just loosen the retaining screws, lower it down until it holds a piece of paper against the screen, re-zero it, and tighten the retaining screws. We generally found this to be much quicker and easier than a filament printer, where you are dealing with three or four different adjustment screws. It also is very easy to load resin, as you simply pour it into the vat — being careful not to overfill — and you are ready to go.

anycubic photon mono - you should be prepared to spend a lot of your time cleaning up resin.
You should be prepared to spend a lot of your time cleaning up resin.
Credit: Jason Peters

However, this is all assuming that your printer is clean. One of the reasons that makes resin printers more difficult to use is the need to clean them, which usually involves proper PPE and isopropyl alcohol. You'll also need to fully clean and wash your finished prints to remove uncured resin, then post-cure them under a UV light source for the resin to fully react and reach its peak mechanical properties.

All of this cleaning and curing leads to considerably more consumable materials that you need to have on hand to safely and effectively use your Mono, like paper towels, disposable gloves, isopropyl alcohol, filters for resin.

On top of all that, it can also be a bit of an art form when it comes to placing the supports in the slicing software for your models with resin printing. This isn't an insurmountable amount of work by any means but it is an order of magnitude more effort than most of the filament printers in our experience.

anycubic photon mono - the build plate usually provided plenty of adhesion when set to the...
The build plate usually provided plenty of adhesion when set to the proper height.
Credit: Jason Peters

Print Capabilities


For our print capabilities metric, we looked at the build volume, build plate, compatible materials, and the different slicers that could be used to prepare files for each printer. The Anycubic Mono did decently well, earning a middle-of-the-road score.


This printer is compatible with the free Anycubic slicer, as well as a few other free and paid programs. We used the Anycubic slicer for testing and found it to be just about as easy to use and as capable as the typical resin slicing software.

The build volume on this printer is a little on the smaller side, topping out at 130mm x 80mm x 165mm. The build plate is anodized aluminum and we didn't struggle too much with any bed adhesion issues.

anycubic photon mono - this machine has a decently small footprint.
This machine has a decently small footprint.
Credit: Jason Peters

We do like that this printer is compatible with any 405 nm curing resin, regardless if it's made by Anycubic or a third-party.

anycubic photon mono - the anycubic customer support didn't impress us too much.
The Anycubic customer support didn't impress us too much.
Credit: Jason Peters

Support


We looked at the available customer support for each of these printers for final metric, basing scores on how helpful the setup and troubleshooting information is and how responsive the manufacturer was to our questions. The Mono didn't do the best, earning a below-average score with its lackluster showing.


We found a few videos on the website that walk you through some maintenance and component replacement but not too much that actually deals with the slicing/printing/cleaning process.

They have a contact form to fill out but limited other ways to get in touch with customer service. We also found it to be quite difficult to elicit a response from them in our experience, so you might want to choose a different printer if you were planning on having a responsive manufacturer to regularly rely on.

Value


Fortunately, the Mono is one of the more budget-friendly options out there. However, you do need to consider the cost of all the consumables when you are looking at its value.

Conclusion


All in all, we think the Anycubic Mono is a great budget-friendly option for anyone trying to create very detailed prints on a smaller scale. There is a bit of a learning curve and a higher amount of effort required per print but you can get some downright astonishing prints on a miniature scale once you get the hang of it. It's not as versatile or beginner-friendly as a filament printer though, so beginners might want to check out some other models first.

David Wise and Austin Palmer