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Do you enjoy printing concept arts, prototypes for a design model?
There are some better printers for miniatures out there in the market. We picked some of the amazing models to help you get started with printing miniatures whether tabletop games, gaming miniatures for concept art or the role-playing game’s miniatures.
For those of you just getting started, there are two types of 3D printers to print your miniatures
- Filament-based Printers
- Resin-based, or SLA 3D printers
3D printers are available in wide range of prices. You can get a high-class 3d printer under $2000 and there are few models you can get under $300.
3Dprinters come in all forms and shapes and they are quite hard to pick so we have decided to help you out with the list of printers to judge a printer against and make a good choice.
However, both the options come with their own advantages and drawbacks, which you’ll have to know before you get started printing and selecting the printer itself for printing your miniatures.
best 3d printers for miniatures
| Printer Name | Main Feature | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. QIDI Tech Shadow | Dual Z axis Liner Rail | 20.9 lb | |
| 2. Dremel Digilab 3D20 | Idea Builder for Brand | 32.8 lb | |
| 3. Sindoh 3DWOX | Heatable Metal Flex | 62.4 lb | |
| 4. MakerBot Replicator | Firmware Version | 127.7 lb | |
| 5. ANYCUBIC Chiron | Ultrabase Heatbed | 46.5 lb | |
| 6. LONGER Orange 30 | Parallel LED Lighting | 15.2 lb | |
| 7. Comgrow Creality | Open Source | 18 lb | |
| 8. Monoprice Maker | Built-in Filament Detector | 46.5 lb | |
| 9. Mosaic Palette | Multi-Material 3D Printing | 14.5 lb |
The features and technology behind the printer are extremely important. The FDM or FFM i.e, (Fused Deposition Modeling or Fused Filament Fabrication) is certainly not superior to DLP (Digital Light Processing) and SLA (Stereolithography) so this is definitely something you need to consider when choosing printers.
Therefore, apart from this, we will list such printers considering even more features and possible upgrades that could improve the 3D printing of your miniatures.
We have made a list of printers below to quickly help you pick the printer to do miniature printing however, if you want to explore more about the features, keep reading.
1. QIDI Tech Shadow
- 【Latest QIDI 3d Printer】 QIDI...
- 【Double Z-axis linear guide 】Shadow...
- 【 Convenient to use 】Shadow5.5s is...
- 【2K LCD Screen 】Shadow 5.5S is...
- 【Professional after-service team】...
- Balanced Performance
- High-Resolution LCD
- Sturdy Design
- Amazing Design
- Very Slow Printing Speed
- Not An Original Concept
Performance
The QIDI TECH Shadow 5.5 S once assembled is an amazing quality machine with a very thoughtful modern design and the robust frame.
QIDI adds to this experience by giving the amazing starter kit for the newbies to get started without having an idea about 3D printers.
Apart from the features, it has to offer, the user experience is considered very well.
The Tech Shadow 5.5 S uses the two carbon filters to help filter and eliminate the bad odours that are caused by the printing process. Among all the other things, you get a bottle of Sample resin, a genuine Samsung USB drive and extra FEP film with your printer.
Even though considering that this printer is a clone of a popular machine but QIDI managed to make it their own and add a good touch up and provide us with amazing customer service and a good price tag.
Coming to the performance of this printer, the Tech Shadow 5.5 S uses the ChiTu firmware and pair along with ChiTubox for the print file preparation – the standard in budget desktop MSLA. Using the printer is stress-free, simple and on the easier side and not to forget they have provided comprehensive instructions for complete beginners.
The print quality is on the good side, you can expect the good amount of details, even on the tiniest model you are going to print.
The printing is done edge to edge across the breadth of the plate and there was no sign of distortion. Also, the final layer of whatever we printed has a great glass-smooth finish that you can’t find with every budget resin printer.
Keeping this apart, the Qidi Tech Shadow 3D printer is also quiet in operation. The only voice you can hear is only the whine coming out of the base unit cooling fan.
Connectivity
The connectivity of this printer is simple and out of the box, you get a comprehensive guide to build it up and get it to work. For using this printer, you have this huge 2K LCD at a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels which makes this printer stand in line with the other alternatives out there.
The LCD size put the X-axis and Y-axis resolutions at around 47 microns which is a market standard. It’s fairly easy to use and the ChiTuBox firmware and software allows you to take benefits of anti-aliasing, a feature that minimizes the staircase effect on the surfaces of prints.
Out of the box, you get genuine Samsung USB drive to let you store the print file and print it using the printer easily. The guide to the making of the print files is also included in the guide given with the printer.
Portability
The sturdy design of the printer makes it less compact, however, considering the print area size the Qidi Tech Shadow has a maximum build volume of 115 x 65 x 150mm. The Shadow 5.5 S is quite solid and features myriad machined metal components that make this printer on the heavier side as well.
Bottom Line
Making the conclusion out of the review, we highly recommend this printer to the complete beginners and this is a great kickstart to the world of 3D printing.
While when it comes to advanced users, this printer might look fairly good but not perfect.
However, the printer does the printing of miniatures amazing enough to catch our eyes, especially the glass-smooth finish of the final layers and the distortion less prints even on the tiniest objects we printed.
Therefore, this printer can be a good pick since Qidi is a reputable company and their customer service is just amazing. Moreover, they have air filtration included as well, which eliminates the harsh odours released while your miniatures are being crafted.
Specs Recap
- Editor’s Score: 8/10
- Printing Speed: 20 mm/h
- Connectivity: USB Drive
- Filament Type: STL, OBJ
- Display: 3.5 Inch Touchscreen
2. Dremel Digilab 3D20
- Countless hours of high quality printing...
- Quickly and easily make your 1st print...
- Far superior safety compared to...
- Compatible with brand new Dremel Digilab...
- Accompanied by unparalleled local Dremel...
- Amazing Quality Control
- Easy To Use
- Good Customer Support
- Easy Operating Interface
- Non-levelling Print Bed
- Limited Build Space
- PLA Only
- Closed Architecture
Performance
The Dremel Digilab 3D20 is a desktop 3D printer and we were amazed to see the printer was already assembled and comes with a Quickstart guide, Power & USB Cable, Instruction manual and SD Card. Apart from this, Dremel also included the levelling sheets, build tape and the Dremel Filament Spool.
The printer is already assembled therefore there is no such part of DIY for this printer. In short, you can get started with 3D printing within 5 minutes of unboxing the printer if you are that curious.
The printer is itself quite robust and sturdy in design and looks pleasing to the eyes.
Performance-wise, this printer uses the popular FDM (Fused Deposit Modeling) technique which is used by a lot of 3D printers.
It comes with an amazing operating interface which consists of a touchscreen which allows you to control and track all major functions of the Digilab 3D20 Printer.
The printer has a closed architecture when it comes to the design therefore, it is not hackable at all. For many, it is a good thing and it is not a compromise at all.
The closed system gives better control over the quality of the prints. The printer did a great job in printing the miniatures, they looked amazing with adequate details and texture.
3D20 produced consistent results and we have no complaints with its performance. After printing miniatures for a few hours, we can almost say that this is a great 3D printer with exceptional print quality.
The only downside we got was sometimes the prints won’t stick the first time but after a few trial and error, we concluded that using a painter’s tape and keeping the build tray at perfect level was essential in getting the prints to stick.
Apart from this, it has a touch screen operation making the process of printing simplified and streamlined the process of printing for the one who has limited experience.
Also, the Dremel Digilab 3D20 can be pretty noisy and it looks similar to a microwave and also sounds the same. Unfortunately, the Dremel 3D20 is not auto-calibrating, so you have to be careful with the procedure of the bed levelling to get the best quality print.
It is a very well explained step-by-step instruction so that even beginners should be able to master this in the first attempt.
However, the Dremel 3D20 Printer doesn’t have any kind of filtration system. Even though PLA most of the time is fine but you should be keeping this in mind when exposing yourself and the other to the fumes.
If you happen to be an advanced user in the 3D printing world, then you might feel boxed in with this printer.
Connectivity
The connectivity process is seamless as well in this printer.
You get two options to get started with 3D printing on this printer while the first is a USB device and the other one is through SD card.
Both can be used to store the print files and plug it in the printer to print the model instantly.
To control and track the printing the process, you get a high-resolution 3.1-inch touchscreen LCD which is very responsive.
We were amazed to see that the display is well integrated giving the smooth fluid-like experience due to the amazing operating interface. We had no issues like lags and glitches while operating and getting our first print out of the printer.
Portability
The build volume of the Dremel 3D20 is around 230 x 150 x 140 mm and the design is pretty solid with the closed architecture making it appealing to the eyes. It weighs around 8.5 kg and is heavier than other printers. The print chamber is enclosed and therefore you don’t have enough good view at every angle of the print model.
Bottom Line
The Dremel Digilab 3D20 is an impressive 3D printer and we can surely recommend it to the beginners only if they are willing to sit and spend time to learn and read the step by step manual since it has a manual bed levelling and no heated bed. There are several good things about the printer as well as the drawbacks.
However, this printer does it job pretty well. If you are an advanced user, then you might need to step back and rethink before buying this printer while the beginners and individuals or for classrooms, it can be bought without giving it a thought.
It is also a printer that works out of the box i.e, plug and play.
Do remember that this printer works only with the Dremel PLA only and no third party filament works with this printer. If you’re also looking to print models apart from this filament then this printer is not a very good choice.
Specs Recap
- Editor’s Score: 6/10
- Printing Speed:: 100 mm/s
- Connectivity: USB Drive, SD Card
- Filament Type: Dremel 1.75mm PLA Only
- Display: 3.5” full-colour IPS touch screen
3. Sindoh 3DWOX
- ✅ Build Volume equivalent to 2X with...
- ✅ Open Source Filament Mode is...
- ✅ Offers HEPA filter and fully...
- ✅ Offers automatic loading and...
- ✅ Noise level of 40dB which is...
- Stable And Enclosed Frame
- Very User Friendly
- Easy to use software
- Short Warranty
Performance
The Sindoh is a Korean company offering a 3D printer and this company has quite a good reputation in the market of the 3D printers. Since its a bit pricey and the company is well known, we expected high from this printer and we are happy to say that it actually hit our expectations on point.
The printer can print amazing miniatures and print models and supports most filament types i.e, ABS, PLA, PETG, and some other filaments as well.
It also extends support for the usage of the third-party filaments however they purposely made it harder to use them if we try to be honest with you.
On the other hand, this printer is extremely easy to use since it also comes preassembled and with own slicing software called 3DWOX and it is easy to use for beginners as well as offering the advanced slicing options to the experts out there.
You can even make profiles for the third-party filaments.
We printed several models with the Sindoh 3DWOX 1 and all the 3D prints turn out to be of high quality as expected.
The more the layer height decreases, the better and smoother the finished result is, therefore, the miniatures finish came out to be very good without any layer inconsistencies or artefacts on the print surface were visible at all.
The miniature printed with this printer has very smooth surface finish and detailed enough to become comparable SLA 3D print quality.
In short, when it comes to performance, it is a versatile printer that prints with amazing excellence and precision.
Connectivity
The first that caught our eye while unboxing the printer was the big touch screen and turning the printer on actually made our expectations come true.
The touch screen is 5 inches in size and is of pretty high resolution and quality hence the touches were responsive as well.
You can easily start a print through the USB drive, directly through the slicing software to the printer via your network or an application.
The best thing is the built-in camera which lets you monitor the print model printing even from a distance.
For that, you can easily install the 3DWOX mobile application on your tablet or your phone to monitor the progress of the miniature you’re printing from a distance. Moreover, you can also enable email notification for sending you an email when your print is ready.
Portability
The Sindoh 3DWOX 1 has a build size of around 210 x 200 x 195 making it look like a box in design with an enclosed chamber.
It is slightly heavier in weight and weighs 20 kg out of the box. It is certainly not the printer you would be moving it from time to time.
However, the design is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and the printer do a great job due to its form factor. The enclosed chamber draws in more control over the quality of the prints it produces.
Bottom Line
Sindoh 3DWOX 1 is an interesting 3D printer and by now you must be amazed as well.
It is indeed interesting for many users, whether experts, enthusiasts or just a sole beginner, this printer will satisfy the needs very well. It is a versatile printer that prints with precision, accuracy and gives out the results in very high quality.
Overall, the capability of the printer to make use of the third-party filaments is even more on the good side and the HEPA filtration system along with the upgraded print bed makes it harder to think of any model that could beat the Sindoh 3DWOX.
Specs Recap
- Editor’s Score: 7.00/10
- Printing Speed: 40 mm/s
- Connectivity: USB Drive, SD Card, WiFi
- Filament Type: 1.75mm PLA, ABS, PETG
- Display: 5” full-colour IPS TouchScreen
4. MakerBot Replicator
- Massive build volume
- Seamlessly integrated with the growing...
- Powered by the user-friendly, app- and...
- USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi connectivity...
- Compatible with the new MakerBot Smart...
- Large Build Volume
- Heated Build Chamber
- Good Softwarer
- Regular Updates Via Cloud Enable OS
- It is really large and needs a good space
Performance
The MakerBot Replicator Z18 can accurately and precisely print the miniatures and midsize models from the PLA however, not with ABS nor metals, such as steel, titanium, and bronze.
The printer, however, is great in printing the models and it prints by building the model a layer at a time from the melted PLA filaments to perfectly create critical overhangs, compound curves and angled elements without even warping the material.
The miniatures turn out to be professional quality looking models with great precision and accuracy. The miniature was very detailed and the finish was smooth.
The ability of the printer to build with 100-200 micron layers, the Z18 does the printing job perfectly. The American Auto-parts maker and a German robotics company use the Z18 to build prototypes for new products.
The only downside we found is the Z18’s single-extruder design whose supports are made from the same PLA material therefore when the project finishes, they need to be carefully removed before the item can be used.
The speed of the printer varies but at an average, it is capable of laying down material at a speed of 150mm per second, and it can buzz through items very quickly.
The other thing that increases the performance of this printer is the heated build chamber. The MakerBot Z18 has an enclosed structure and heated build chamber to craft your models or miniatures perfectly.
The heated build chamber does the heating for the build process, which causes the PLA filament to cool at a slower pace than usual. The benefit of cooling at a slower pace is less cracking or distortion between the printed layers.
The best thing is that this printer also comes with a built-in camera to monitor the printing process going on inside the enclosed chamber of the MakerBot Replicator Z18.
Connectivity
The MakerBot Replicator Z18 is pretty flexible when it comes to the connectivity. It allows users to send the print files through Ethernet, USB drive, WiFi, and Direct USB to the printer.
There is pretty much no hassles of transferring files from one device to other just to print something. The MakerBot connects to almost anything and there are two ways to control the printer: MakerBot Print or the MakerBot Mobile. In this way, users have full control over all the features and aspects of the printer and the print job.
Portability
The MakerBot Replicator Z18 is quite light and small in size making it enough for a shelf and desktop at around 33.9 x 22.4 x 19.4 inches.
The printer weighs around 40.8 kg and is not really very portable. However, MakerBot also sells a matching base for the printer that raises the build chamber and print to the eye level and provides storage with lockable coasters and it costs around another $1,250 but we think it’s worth it.
Bottom Line
MakerBot Replicator Z18 is a very versatile printer and to be honest, it is one of the best industrial 3D Printers.
Apart from this, it is small and efficient but simultaneously can print enormous models in its class out of the hardened PLA material which gives plastics a run for their money. The printer is obviously a well worthy device for its price tag.
It has everything in control and a very few downsides that too is manageable and if you have the budget for the MakerBot Replicator Z18 then this is the printer you should get. You’ll never regret your money as far as we know.
Specs Recap
- Editor’s Score: 7.00/10
- Printing Speed: 150 mm/s
- Connectivity: USB Drive, WiFi, Ethernet
- Filament Type: PLA & ABS
- Display: 3.5 Inch LCD
5. ANYCUBIC Chiron
- Large Build Volume, ANYCUBIC Chiron 3D...
- Semi Auto Leveling and Resume Print,...
- Easy to Assemble and Use, Full metal...
- Printing Precise and Safe, Equipped with...
- More Function, Ultrabase Pro, Coated...
- Impressive Print Bed
- Very Fast Edge To Edge Heating
- Huge Build Volume
- Stock Extruder is not ideal for prolonged use
- Pretty Slow Printing
- Quality Control Issues
Performance
The only best thing we had our eyes on about this printer was its amazing and enormous dimensions. The printer measures around 25.5 inches in width, 24 inches in depth while 28.3 inches in height so you will have to check if you have enough space on your desk or workbench to store this huge machine. In simple words, there are very few printers with such large build volume and yes we were amazed to see it.
It is on our list for a reason, the printer features a quick-heating glass ultrabase print bed which allows you to print in a wide variety of the filaments out there including the PETG, PLA, TPU and ABS.
The ultra base print bed coating makes a lot easier to remove the models compared to most of the other print beds.
Due to the enormous size of the printer, the print speeds are slower than usual which is at around 20-30 mm/s and goes around 60 mm/s.
However, the accuracy and precision remain high and the printer does a good job with ABS and PLA filaments and it prints at a resolution of 50 microns.
It performed really well with the miniatures and the print turned out to be with great details and the finish was pretty smooth for the miniatures.
It was a bit slow but the quality is definitely great. However, if you don’t only print miniatures and print other great and large objects then this is the printer for you.
Overall, we are really impressed with this printer and its consistency despite its size and shape.
The only disappointment this printer gives is the levelling function. Since Anycubic claims the levelling function to be fully automatic as most of the user prefers it to be automated but according to our experience or say in reality, the printer only detects 25 points across the bed surface and these points aren’t stored in the memory, making a variance in the bed level.
Therefore, you have to level the bed manually and that’s tough for many users.
We are not sure of such issues and never happened with us, but few users reported about the quality control issues with the printer like loose nuts and bolts here and there.
Connectivity
The Anycubic Chiron luckily offers both major options for the connectivity. It provides both the SD card and Wired USB connectivity options.
Along with this, it comes with a touchscreen interface and makes it easier to use and control the printer. Although, it is not the best or the biggest touch screen we’ve ever used, however.
it does the job and is definitely a good feature for a printer that is this big and cheap.
Portability
As discussed above, this printer is really huge in dimensions. We even researched other printers of the same size and we came to know that only one printer comes close to the Anycubic Chiron’s volume but it costs twice this printer.
The Chiron also weighs a whopping 15 kg. Due to the enormous size, you will have to make sure you have enough extra space on your desk to keep this printer.
The printer really did a good job in printing the miniatures and here it is on our list despite its huge design.
Bottom line
Summing up the review, Anycubic Chiron 3D printer falls in the same category where few other consumer printers did before.
Also, the printer falls in a category of desktop printers and comes preassembled. We really love the huge ultrabase and its a plus for the Chiron, which ensures consistent performance for bed adhesion and very easy print removals.
It heats faster than usual and prints stick very well.
Coming to the printing quality, we believe that with the right slicer profile and some perfectly tuned settings this printer can really do an even better job over the stock configuration.
The only downside is that the bed levels are not fully automated and need to do a better levelling manually and the printer rocks. The manual levelling is not really user friendly.
Overall, if you have enough space on the desk and little extra bucks to spend then this printer is amazing for you.
Specs Recap
- Editor’s Score: 5/10
- Printing Speed: 60 mm/s
- Connectivity: SD Card, Data Cable
- Filament Type: PLA, ABS, HIPS, Wood, TPU
- Display:Full-Colour TFT touchscreen
6. LONGER Orange 30
- Extensive Cooling System but still less noisy
- Supports ChiTuBox Software
- Third-Party Resins are Compatible
- The Stock LONGER Software
- It prints only files of the USB drive limiting functionality
Performance
Out of the box, the Longer Orange 30 SLA 3D printer comes 90% preassembled leaving only the users to put together the acrylic cover.
However, using the included guide will get you started right away. After assembling, the Longer Orange 30 prints quite easily out of the box.
If you’re using the USB drive to print the files, you will have to make sure if it requires formatting since issues with the USB drive will cause the build to fail and stick onto the masking screen and you will be forced to change the screen out completely as builds can’t be removed without damaging it.
The best thing about the Longer Orange is that it doesn’t require to be tethered to a computer.
However, we did put the printers little sister, Longer 10 on the list instead of this printer, but due to the higher resolution this printer offers, it landed up on our list. This makes your prints even sharper and gives them magnificent details.
The 2K High-resolution LCD masking screen along with larger build area allows it to be used in a variety of professions. The printer is also sturdy and very easy to use making it a great choice for offices, labs, classrooms and studios as well as individuals.
Printing turns out to be pretty quiet, and the more you print with the resin printers like the Longer 30, it totally makes sense to set up post-build processing station. However, like us, you can use a disposable mat to put the builds on and you can then remove the supports and clean off the excess resin.
Overall, the printer did a good job of printing the miniatures.
Connectivity
The Longer 30 3D Printer has only the USB as a connectivity option however we also mentioned above about the issue we faced while printing with the USB regarding its formatting.
Apart from this, the Longer 30 comes with a smaller 2.8 inches colour touchscreen display to control the function of the printer seamlessly.
Portability
The build volume of this printer is quite small and that increases the portability of the printer. It fits in on the desk even if it’s narrow or smaller.
The size of the printer is around 120 x 68 x 170 mm and weighs only 6.7kg which is really on the lighter side. It is a compact printer and it is for you if you don’t really like bulky printers on your desk.
Bottom Line
The price and quality when considered the Longer 30 3D printer is a great buy. The bigger build area along with high-quality prints, and temperature sensors packed with easy to use software plus lighter on your desk make it really a great choice for many of the users out there.
It is pretty tough to not like the Longer Orange 30 printer to be honest and it is user friendly for beginners with it’s foolproof and quick assembly.
Specs Recap
- Editor’s Score: 7/10
- Print Speed: 30 mm/s
- Connectivity: USB
- Filament Type: Rigid resin, castable resin, dental resin
- Display: 2.8 Inch LCD
7. Comgrow Creality
- Ultra-Rigid Frame
- Modular Design
- Magnetic Heated Bed
- Troublesome Loading Filament
- The print bed is short in build quality
- Quite Noisy
Performance
The Ender 5 3D printer out of the box is pretty simple to assemble. The axes come pre-assembled, so the remaining assembly left is to mount the Z-axis to the base and plug in the printer to the wall socket. You’ll find the printed documentation to assemble the printer and it can be done in half an hour.
Coming to the performance of this printer, the prints turned out to be okay, but not great. The miniatures, however, turned out to be great in details and sharp enough.
Apart from this, the more powerful power supply helps in heating the print bed up to 100-degree Celcius. The PLA tests gave in better results than other materials like PET-G and TPU.
Moreover, the printed models should be detailed and smooth. The products have very good quality parts that make the printer more durable.
However, the print speed of the printer is pretty fast but also depends on the height and layering of the model you have put in to print.
The speed is around 80mm/s if the print precision is set to 0.1mm. The Ender 5 is also a budget-friendly printer and in the model of Ender, the magnetic bed doesn’t collide with the frame anymore.
Apart from this, the real lifesaver function which is Print Resume is available for all 3D printing enthusiasts. If the power goes off while printing, you don’t have to start the model from scratch.
This also helps in reducing filament waste as, if this function is not available, one should have to throw the entire model.
Connectivity
The printer has both the options that are SD card and USB for the ease of the users. The SD card and the SD card reader is already included in the packaging along with the printer. The Ender 5 features an LCD screen for more control over the printing process.
Display
It has a minimal and simple design. At the center of the textured surface is an Instax logo.
It is an all-plastic body that is strong and sturdy despite being light in weight. The round shape of the friendly device means minimum damaging impacts on the body.
The logo of the device also serves as an LED indicator light. It switches color depending on the printing mode of the device.
There is a switch at the bottom used for inserting additional photo paper. On the side of the printer is a cover that comes out to reveal a micro USB port for charging.
Bottom line
In a nutshell, the Ender 5 is a great choice for anyone looking to dive in straight into the world of 3D printing and print amazing miniature models.
Although it does have a cumbersome manual levelling bed, this shouldn’t be much of issue for many of them since it comes with documentation and with slight practice, you will be able to do the levelling manually.
Also, this is a budget machine and you do experience some quirks.
Overall, the Ender 5 delivers everything that it promised and especially when performance is concerned. All the issues in this machine can be fixed quickly and easily therefore, it is not much of a big deal.
Specs Recap
- Editor’s Score: 4.00/10
- Connectivity: SD Card, USB
- Printing Speed:80 mm/s
- Filament Type:PLA, ABS, TPU, WOOD, COPPER
- Display: LCD TFT Screen
8. Monoprice Maker
- AUTO BED LEVELING: Eliminate the hassles...
- HEATED AND REMOVABLE GLASS BUILD PLATE:...
- FILAMENT DETECTOR: With the Ultimate 2,...
- FULLY ENCLOSED: Environmental factors...
- INTERNAL LIGHTING: The full enclosure...
- Printer with temperamental filaments
- Superexcellent layer cooling
- Ready to use right out of the box
- Nosy printing process
- The build area is smaller
- The hot ends only heat to a certain point,
Performance
The monoprice maker ultimate 2 comes with masking tape and a glue stick while the large fans make the printing process very noisy.
The printer is suitable for hobbyists and not for professional use.
The printing is made easier after auto levelling the bed and loading the filament spool.
We need to ensure to feed it with a filament detector at the back of the printer. Printing from the included Gcode flies directly yields a great test print. The layer lines are hardly visible but minor seams are noticeable.
The printing is made easy with the Autodesk X Kickstarter FDM 3D printer assessment. However, there were few artefacts and ringing seen when printing at 60mm per second but it can be solved by slowing down the print speed.
The best speed of the Monoprice Maker Ultimate 2 is around 40 mm per second to prevent artefacts and to minimize the hot end heating as it extrudes its design layers.
Make sure to update the firmware from the monoprice website, to prevent under extrusion and to avoid the overheating of the printer.
Overall, this monoprice printer is able to achieve great builds due to its printing capabilities.
The large fans of the printer help the cooling of the printing layers properly and the enclosed build area keeps the print job free from environmental interference. The glass bed is automatically levelled, removable and smooth.
The print quality of the monoprice maker ultimate 2 is pretty good. The unit comes with a resolution of 100 – 400 microns which is very good considering the price range. The printing speed of the Monoprice Maker Ultimate 2 is 20mm – 150mm per second.
Connectivity
The Monoprice Maker Ultimate 2 printer comes completely assembled ready to print out of the box. Once you plug it in, you’ll have to load the filament and level the printing bed.
It also comes with a PLA filament, a filament holder, micro SD card reader, metal scraper, USB cable, switch cable, motor cable and various power cords and user manuals in various languages.
The company has included 8GB micro SD in the package for storing the print files and printing it.
Monoprice maker ultimate 2 is a printer which is very simple to use and is designed to be used by people with all the abilities by the beginners or by the experts, therefore, the printer is easy to use without tethering to a computer.
Although the lack of touch screen is a little disappointing. Although the buttons and dial controls are tactile and don’t slow down the workflow. It can easily be connected through USB and Micro SD card.
Portability
The printer comes in black or white. There is a 3.2 inches screen at the top. However, it is not a touchscreen. Instead, what you will see is a range of buttons for choosing any of the functions. You can tilt the screen forward for clarity.
The monoprice maker ultimate 2 printer comes with a build volume of 200mm x 150mm x 150mm which is (7.9 in x 5.9 in x 5.9 in).
It’s made of the all-metal body which makes it very sturdy and compact considering the printer’s build volume the printer is not portable enough and is on the heavier side.
The printer comes in black or white. There is a 3.2 inches screen at the top. However, it is not a touchscreen. Instead, what you will see is a range of buttons for choosing any of the functions. You can tilt the screen forward for clarity.
Bottom Line
You will find the many unique features to tweak up your photos entertaining. There is a party shuffle mode whereby all your friends can connect to the device at once.
You can create a collage using all the pictures and stick it on any surface to keep your memorable day close to your eyes and heart.
Overall when it comes down to the price range of the printer it has various amazing features and specifications to offer such as the heated and removable glass built plate. Auto bed levelling, built-in filament detector and internal lighting. All these features make the printer worth purchasing and value for money.
The enclosed build area makes the printer a great addition to any space. But the noisy printing process makes it unsuitable for professional spaces like office and classroom.
The noise is produced from the large fans which help printers in achieving high quality builds and also slow the build speed down to 40mm per second to stick the filaments that don’t require temperature above 250 C to print.
You will find the many unique features to tweak up your photos entertaining. There is a party shuffle mode whereby all your friends can connect to the device at once.
You can create a collage using all the pictures and stick it on any surface to keep your memorable day close to your eyes and heart.
There is a photobooth feature as well. Here four images are duplicated onto two photo strips, and you can share one with your friends or family.
There are also so many editing features such as skin smoothing, cropping, color adjustments, and much more that you can get on a glossy smooth strip.
Specs Recap
- Editor’s Score: 8.00/10
- Printing Speed: 40-60mm/s
- Connectivity: USB, Micro SD Card
- Filament Type: PLA, PLA Plus, ABS, ABS Plus
- Display: Non-Touch LCD
9. Mosaic Palette
- Professional speed and quality
- Touchscreen display
- Better backup facility
- Better connectivity
- Spare parts are exclusive to Mosiac
- No autoload feature
Performance
The printing process is made very easy and accessible with the Mosaic Palette 2 Pro Review.
The 3.5inch colour touchscreen helps us access and navigate through all menus and settings of the 3D printer within seconds.
The setup of this printer is very simple as it does not require any calibration.the automatic calibration takes place during the very first print and is designed to get better with every print.
The printer comes with a mounting plate and a stand but using them is not necessarily required. The printer can also be laid flat on any hard and smooth surface.
In the palette 2 Pro, a buffer system is used to feed its filaments into a print job. The printer is capable of using four filaments at a time.
It can easily be started by simply placing the filament spools on the filament stand. Once the filaments are placed in position, place them into the palette’ input drive. Now just plug it in and it’s ready to print and amaze you.
The palette 2 pro is ideal and capable of printing with multiple materials. It can create everything from simple prints to advanced prints.
Essentially good results are found by mixing PLA and ABS. The pro speed of the printer will amaze you as the printer comes with a pro slice core pro unit made of aluminium which enables faster printing and up to 20% faster filament splicing.
Its filament production is rated 166-280mm per minute, which is set up from 120-214mm per minute for a non-pro printer.
Connectivity
The mosaic palette 2 pro is very functional when it comes to connectivity. It can easily be connected via USB and Micro SD card.
It is compatible with almost all the 1.75 filament 3D printers. The mosaic 2 pros can also be paired with Mac, all the windows, Linux and also Ubuntu. Which makes it very easily accessible.
The colour touchscreen which is 3.2’’ and 240×320 pixels provides us with all settings at our fingertips. The splicing technology of the mosaic palette 2 pro is splice core pro 1.0 which is a solid-state splicer.
Portability
The attractive printer that befits the modern era has sleek lines that are a contrast to black and grey portions of the well-built printer.
The circular power button at the top left corner of the printer turns a bright yellow LED ring that alerts on the modes of the printer.
Below is a red print button. The mosaic palette 2 pro is quite portable as the weight of the printer is around 3.6 kg.
The printer’s dimensions are measured about 23×20.4×8.4cm which is 16’’x11’’x9’’. The mosaic 2 pro comes handy and it is very portable when compared to all the other 3D printers. As the name suggests, it provides pro speed and pro printing quality.
The attractive printer that befits the modern era has sleek lines that are a contrast to black and grey portions of the well-built printer. The circular power button at the top left corner of the printer turns a bright yellow LED ring that alerts on the modes of the printer. Below is a red print button.
Bottom Line
The printer is amazing in our list and the best part is apart from miniatures you can print everything from phone cases to rubber watchbands.
For amateurs, it is also easy and approachable to work with bu dept of customisation might be required for professionals to work with this printer. Palette 2 Pro is great for making detailed, colour-rich 3D, textures and skins.
The only thing we expected more is the bigger touchscreen and that’s all however, the support for Bluetooth in the connectivity option is also a sweet deal. We can’t help but recommend it to you.
Specs Recap
- Editor’s Score: 8/10
- Printing Speed: 166-280 mm/min
- Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, USB
- Filament Type: 1.75mm Filament Size
- Display:3.5-inch touchscreen interface
It is pretty hard to draw a conclusion from what i reviewed above. As you may already know miniatures is intense artistic skill and hobby.
And it is very very hard to figure out which printer is best for you but I tried my best to give you in-depth reviews of each printer and help you make a better buying decision.