- Last Updated: May 19, 2023
-
Jackson O'Connell
Looking to 3D print miniatures? Or maybe you just need parts that are super precise? Whatever the case, when print quality is your main concern, a resin (SLA) 3D printer is your friend.
Resin 3D printing technology has grown drastically over the past ten years, and, today, you can get a machine capable of printing parts more detailed then you could ever imagine for under $400! The Anycubic Photon Mono X2 is the perfect example of this!
The Mono X2 is one of Anycubic’s latest resin 3D printers, and it’s equipped with a 4K monochrome LCD screen that’s perfect for printing high-detail parts like miniature figurines. Plus, the X2 boasts a print space measuring 200 x 196 x 122 mm, which is decently large for a resin machine and has more than enough space for printing a few minis at once.
Want to hear more about the Photon Mono X2 and its features? Just keep reading!
Best Direct Drive 3D Printer Under $200
No 3D printer seems to fuse quality and affordability quite like the Anycubic Kobra Neo.
With the direct drive extruder, this is a great alternative to the more expensive Ender 3 S1.
If you want the ability to print flexible filaments and want an easy to setup 3D printer- this is for you!
and Amazon
Verdict
After an intensive hands-on review of the Anycubic Photon Mono X2, it’s easily one of my favorite resin 3D printers.
I’ve used a few 4K resolution 3D printers in the past, but I think the Mono X2 is the best one yet. The quality of prints made on this machine is just out of this world. From mini text inscriptions on models to expansive lattice structures, the Mono X2 handled it all like it was nothing!
On top of high-detail capabilities, the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 is also very dimensionally-accurate with low X/Y and Z-axis precision, stemming from Anycubic’s use of a well-built LCD screen and two linear rails along the Z-axis. This makes the printer exceptionally useful for printing mechanical and functional parts.
While the printer doesn’t come with built-in internet connectivity or a more-modern USB 3.0 port, these issues aren’t too significant, and, for under $500, I can live with these flaws. Plus, the printer comes basically fully assembled and is super easy to use due to Anycubic’s well-made GUI.
Overall, the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 is a great printer for people looking to print high-detail models, like War Hammer miniatures or D&D characters. It’s also just a good resin printer in general, as it offers a decent amount of print space and impressive precisions.
Specs
Need a quick summary of the Anycubic Photon Mono X2? I’ve listed all the important specs of this printer in the bullet points below:
- Technology: MSLA
- Print space: 200 x 196 x 122 mm
- LCD type: Monochrome (9.1-inch)
- LCD resolution: 4K (4096 x 2560 pixels)
- X/Y precision: As low as 48 microns
- Print speed: 2.36 inches per hour
- Z-axis movement: Dual linear rails
- Z-axis precision: As low as 10 microns
- Bed leveling: 4-point manual system
- Ports: USB (2.0), Wi-Fi module port (module purchased separately)
- Interface: 3.5-inch touchscreen display (full-color)
- Resin compatibility: All 405nm resins
- Machine dimensions: 417 x 290 x 260 mm
- Assembly: Fully-assembled
- Compatible slicers: Any SLA slicer (e.g. Photon Workshop, ChiTuBox, Lychee)
Pros & Cons of Anycubic Photon Mono X2
To sum up this printer, I’ve provided a list of the upsides and downsides of the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 below:
Pros
- High-quality 4K LCD screen capable of handling tons of detail
- Low X/Y and Z-axis precision (dimensionally accurate)
- Decent amount of print space
- Easy-to-use GUI
- Touchscreen display
- Comes almost fully assembled
- Quick-release build plate
- Large community and many resources available online
Cons
- USB port is gen 2.0 (slower)
- Manual bed leveling system
- Internet connectivity not built-in (additional purchase required)
Features
In the sub-sections below, I’ve gone over the main features of the Anycubic Photon Mono X2:
4K LCD Screen
Perhaps the most important feature of any resin 3D printer is its LCD screen. If you’re unfamiliar with how resin printers work, basically a special LCD screen, found near the base of the machine, shines UV light on the liquid resin in the VAT (resin tank). The quality of the LCD screen is determined by the pixel resolution of the screen, and, the higher the resolution, the more detail the printer can pack into models.
The Photon Mono X2 has a 9.1-inch monochrome LCD screen, with a pixel resolution of 4096 x 2560 (4K). 4K screens aren’t anything new and they’ve been in consumer-level resin printers for a few years now. But they’re still mind-blowing in terms of their print quality capabilities. Just check out these prints made on the Anycubic Photon Mono X2:
It’s also worth noting that, on top of 4K resolution, the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 can achieve 48 μm precision, which is low (lower is better) relative to other resin printers in the sub-$400 price category. This precision makes the machine great for printing mechanical parts where every 0.01 mm matters!
Another thing related to the Anycubic Mono X2’s LCD screen is its print speed. According to Anycubuic, the printer can lay down material at a rate of 2.36 inches per hour, which is about 20% faster than Anycubic’s Photon Mono 4K, a slightly older printer.
Dual Linear Rails
Another feature of the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 that’s worth mentioning is its dual linear rails along the Z-axis.
While often overlooked, the Z-axis motion on a resin printer is vital to the quality of prints. If the up-and-down motion is wobbly or rattles, the Z-axis movement precision will be higher (worse), and print quality defects will almost definitely show up.
Luckily, Anycubic invested in dual linear rails for the Photon Mono X2’s Z-axis motion system, which provides smooth, consistent motion. According to Anycubic, the Mono X2 can achieve Z-axis precision as low as 10 microns, which is super good in comparison to other budget-level resin printers, which usually have just one linear rail. This is yet another reason why prints made on the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 come out with such high print quality!
User Interface
Navigating the printer’s features, like starting prints, curing the VAT, and moving the Z-axis, are all super easy to do through the machine’s UI. Plus, the touchscreen aspect of the display makes using the printer kind of fun!
Other Features
Besides the three main features we went over, the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 also boasts some other benefits. I’ve briefly gone over a few of these other features below:
- Manual Leveling: Just like with FDM 3D printers, keeping the build plate level is important for resin machines. Unfortunately, the Photon Mono X2 doesn’t have an automatic level system. Instead, you’ll have to use Anycubic’s 4-point manual leveling system to ensure the print surface is flat and level, otherwise, your prints might fail.
- USB Interface: A lot of 3D printers nowadays use small, inconvenient MicroSD card interfaces to allow users to start print jobs. But Anycubic, taking a hint from the community, included a USB interface on the printer so you can use a standard USB flash drive to load prints. Sadly, the USB port is only gen 2.0, so the read and write speeds will be kind of slow. But, to be honest, I haven’t had any significant issues with this yet!
- Quick-Release Build Plate: The aluminum build plate on the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 is another fave feature of mine because of its quick-release knob. This knob makes it super easy to attach and remove the print surface from the machine, so you can quickly take finished prints to your wash and cure station.
Test Print
Here are a few pictures of the parts I printed on the Anycubic Photon Mono X2. I’ve already painted some, but they are a good showcase for what you can do with this printer!
Bottom Line
My favorite part about the Photon Mono X2 is its 9.1-inch 4K LCD screen. This is the heart of the printer and is what makes it capable of printing parts with so much detail. While 4K isn’t the highest resolution on the market anymore, the LCD can achieve a super low X/Y precision, which is super important when printing parts that need to be dimensionally accurate.
And, despite being capable of making professional-grade 3D prints, the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 is super easy to use due to its well-designed user interface. Even an elementary schooler could use this machine!
Of course, no printer is without its flaws, and the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 has a few, like manual build plate leveling, a slow USB interface, and restricted internet connectivity.
But, at the end of the day, the Anycubic Photon Mono X2 is still one of my favorite resin printers. So, whether you’re just getting started with resin 3D printing or are a pro looking to upgrade your hardware, I strongly recommend the Anycubic Photon Mono X2.
