AnyCubic Photon M3 Premium review
One-minute review
AnyCubic Photon Premium M3 Premium is a premium model with a high-resolution 8K LCD screen and LightTurbo 2.0 technology that produces high-quality prints. Our testing revealed that the models’ fine details were perfectly rendered. The only faults we had were with AnyCubic’s free Photon Workshop slicing software rather than the printer itself.
This printer isn’t just for making small, finely detailed figurines. The printer’s 9.9 x 4.9% x 8.6 inch (250 x.123 x 219mm) maximum build volume allows you to make large prints. And with its 1.35l resin vat volume, you shouldn’t need to pause the printer too often to refill it when creating larger models.
The downside to a larger print volume is that this printer is large. It won’t be easy to find space for this 25 x 13 x 14-inch (630 x 330 x 350 mm) machine in your garage or workshop, especially with its awkward USB-port placement – on the right side rather than at the front. Before buying this printer, we recommend measuring out the space for it first – adding a couple of extra inches to the width to account for any USB sticks.
That said, if you do have the space, this printer’s $639 (around £595) price tag is very good for the quality you get. Yes, this isn’t the most budget-friendly machine on the market – beginners looking to dip their toes into 3D printing might prefer something cheaper – but bang for buck, the AnyCubic Photon M3 Premium is a great pick for experienced makers looking to upgrade their 3D printing setup.
AnyCubic Photon Premium M3: Prices and availability
The Anycubic Photon M3 Premium can be bought today from the official AnyCubic store for $639 (around £595 if you want to get it shipped to the UK).
Additional parts can be purchased from AnyCubic if you purchase this printer. These include FEP film replacements and an LCD screen. The printer comes with all the necessary items when you buy it – these optional add-ons will merely help you replace parts if something breaks while you’re using the Photon M3 Premium.
AnyCubic Photon 3 Premium: Design
The AnyCubic Photon M3 Premium shares a lot of design details with other printers in AnyCubic’s M3 line. The machine measures 25 x 13×14 inches (630x330x350 mm) and has a decent-sized touchscreen control panel. While on its right side, you’ll find the power switch and a USB port so you can easily plug in a stick with your files for printing.
Lift off its yellow-colored lid – which stops external UV light from activating the resin – and you’ll expose its resin vat, build platform, and two air purifiers (more on that last one is in the Features section). The resin vat can safely hold 1.35l of resin at a time, while the build platform can support models up to a maximum size of 9.9 x 4.9 x 8.6-inch (250 x 123 x 219 mm).
While this printer isn’t the biggest out there, its maximum 6.7l build volume is nevertheless pretty large. If you’re a hobbyist looking for a general-use resin printer, it should be big enough to carry most of the tasks you have lined up for it.
The printer comes with a few tools that will help you make your first prints. You’ll find a few gloves and masks (though you’ll eventually need more of these), some filter funnels (which help you separate the liquid resin from cured resin when you want to drain your vat), tools to tighten any loose bolts, a USB memory stick, and two scrapers – one made of metal and another of plastic.
A word of caution: Don’t use the metallic one unless you absolutely need to. The plastic scraper will usually remove your prints with no problem 99.99% times. Although the metal scraper may be as effective, there is a greater chance that it will scratch (and even ruin) your metal build plates. Always try the plastic option first and only resort to careful use of the metal scraper if you can’t remove your print via other means.
AnyCubic Photon Premium M3: Features
This 3D printer stands out because of its 8K resolution screen. Just as TVs with a higher resolution can produce sharper images, the AnyCubic Photon M3 Premium’s 8K resolution allows it to create models with more detail than those made by lower-resolution printers. To further improve its performance the M3 Premium also utilizes Anycubic’s LightTurbo 2.0 light source solution. It’s designed to ensure the UV light spreads uniformly across the parts of the screen where it’s needed and reduce the presence of stray light that could cause defects in the print.
This printer is also different from the budget-friendly M3 Photon models. It has two air purifiers. Resin can be very noxious and toxic. You should use gloves and a mask when using your printer. Also, make sure you have a well-ventilated area. These air purifiers won’t negate the need for you to wear a mask but will help reduce the stench of resin and stop the smell from soaking into other items in the room.
It’s a neat add-on for sure, though we wouldn’t say it’s a game-changer, by any stretch.
The USB stick that comes with the AnyCubic Photon M3 Premium won’t just help you transfer files between your printer and PC, it also comes with the software you’ll need to slice the STL files you want to print.
STL is one of the most common file formats for 3D models, but your printer won’t have a clue how to print it if given it in this form. Instead, you have to put the STL through a slicer first, a program that literally slices your print into layers based on the model’s design, your printer’s capabilities, and the properties of the resin you’re using. The sliced file can be then fed to the printer. It will recreate the model layer by layer, matching its digital counterpart.
If you have a slicer you love already then feel free to stick with that, but Photon Workshop (the one included on the M3 Premium’s memory stick) is otherwise a fine tool for beginners and veterans alike.
AnyCubic Photon Premium M3: Performance
To put the AnyCubic Photon M3 Premium through its paces, we challenged it to make a couple of our favorite benchmark models – the Rook Castle and Bridge The AmeraLabs Town. We also had it recreate. Dragonite satchel-carrying Dragonite To see how it performs on a model you may want to print in regular use.
After preparing the 3D models with the printer’s slicing software, using the appropriate settings for our resin, waiting a few hours while the models printed, and then cleaning and curing the results, it’s safe to say we were very impressed with the final products. The Rook and Town models were rendered perfectly – the detailing on the pieces looked just like it did in the digital files, and the flimsier elements didn’t break or have any issues throughout the process.
Dragonite was a smooth round piece with a smooth surface. It didn’t feel like a bunch of layers, but one. Its details were also rendered perfectly, as were its wispy antenna, which (thankfully) didn’t snap at all during the process.
Although 3D printing is not an easy process, it was very straightforward for these models. The only flaw we found was that the free slicing software AnyCubic provides with the printer (Photon Workshop) is a little too gung-ho on its supports – additional easy-to-remove struts that help to ensure prints don’t fail.
The auto-support feature was too heavy and clogged up the models’ sides, making cleaning them difficult. It also didn’t place them all in the best spots, with some struts digging into the models’ sides, effectively ruining the models, which were otherwise perfect.
If you’re planning to use this printer with its included software, we recommend giving the models a once-over after using the auto support tool. You can then move, add or remove supports that could cause printing problems.
On a side note, we used AnyCubic’s water-washable resin for our prints, and we definitely recommend trying it over other resin options.
Once you finish a print, the model isn’t quite done, as you have to wash and cure it. Washing resin typically requires using alcohol to remove any unhardened resin, and the process isn’t pleasant. Water-washable resin, on the other hand, is much simpler to use – you just need a bowl of lukewarm water.
You still have to be careful how you dispose of the waste liquid – even though it’s water, you can’t pour it down the sink as it’s been contaminated by the resin. The model-cleaning process was more enjoyable than when you used alcohol.
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AnyCubic Photon Premium: Score card
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| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Design | The 3D printer is large enough to produce large prints. However, it may be too big for those with small workshop spaces. | 4/5 |
| Features | The 8K resolution of the screen and the precise light source allow this printer to produce amazing models. Photon workshop however needs some tweaking. | 4/5 |
| Performance | It prints flawlessly and each model looks exactly the same as its digital version. | 5/5 |
| Value | Although this printer is not cheap, it is much more affordable than similar resin printers. | 4.5/5 |