Formlab Form Studio 1 resin 3D printer review

In an inevitable move, Formlabs, which dominates the professional resin 3D print market with high-quality machines that cater to small- to large-scale businesses, has made the move into the more affordable sector, verging on the enthusiast.

From the outset, it’s obvious that Formlabs mean business, and this is an aggressive move into the sector, with a machine that essentially pulls on the quality and design of the Formlabs Form 4, a machine that still retails for around $2,500.

The Form Studio 1, however, is priced at around $700, and while that’s still expensive compared with the competition such as the Uniformation GK3 and Creality Halot X1, as I started to use the machine, that price difference gets you far more than $200’s worth of a better machine.

While the Form Studio 1 is Formlabs’ more accessible resin printer, it still retains much of the professional workflow of the machines that have made them a go-to choice for industry professionals in medical, engineering and product design sectors.

This cheaper machine, for instance, features that same drop-in cartridge system that automatically feeds the resin tank, and the printer is able to monitor both the resin levels and temperature.

It also uses the same PreForm software that handles model preparation, supports and print sending.

During my month with the machine, I went through the six resin cartridges supplied for the review and generally found the process unusually clean for this style of printer, especially with the three supplied tanks that I could lid and store after use, although, as ever, longer-term storage would require the usual lengthy tank cleaning process.

What really struck me was the quality of the machine, with some built-in filtration and odours even without the optional filter system did seem low, although it was still used in a well-ventilated workshop following the usual precautions.

While this printer is still more than most resin options, the quality of the machine, workflow and most importantly the models themselves are substantially better than most of the best 3D printers of this type that I've tested.

If you are thinking resin, then at present this is the only machine that I would safely recommend.

Formlab Form Studio 1: Price and Availability At present, the pricing for the Studio 1 Basic package has yet to be set but is expected to be $699 and $749 for the Flex package.

The Basic package includes the printer, resin tank and build platform; the Flex package adds the flexible build platform, which I would highly recommend and accessories.

The Form Studio Wash+Cure is expected to cost $199, while the optional VOC Extractor is listed at $179.

The larger Form Wash V2 and Form Cure V2 are also compatible and sold separately.