About this deal
The Photon Mono M5s has 12K resolution (11,520 x 5120) on a 10.1 inch monochrome LCD screen. This overwhelming number of pixels achieves a 19 micron accuracy on the X axis, which is incredibly crisp, especially when you consider that a human hair averages 70 microns. The Anycubic Photon Mono M5s requires the same safety precautions as other resin printers. Uncured resin is dangerous, and the solvents used to clean your prints can be irritating to the skin. Use gloves and safety glasses when pouring resin and handling uncured prints. The Photon Mono 4K has a print resolution of 3840 x 2400, 35 µm XY pixels and 7% light transmission, which guarantees highly detailed prints. The printing speed reaches up to 50 mm / h and the curing time of a single layer is only 1.5 seconds. The Anycubic Photon Mono requires you to level the build platform with the masked LCD to make sure the layers are exposed evenly as they are cured. The build platform also requires a very slight offset to compensate for the FEP film at the bottom of the vat which is present during printing. To accomplish both tasks in one step, Anycubic has included a piece of paper with the Photon Mono that can be used to protect the LCD while also creating a slight offset during leveling. Unlike other resin printers, the Photon Mono M5s doesn’t require manual calibration. It has a mechanical sensor on the arm holding a plate that detects how well the plate and glass are fitting together. It can make adjustments on its own – the glass actually floats on stiff springs – to assure perfect prints. All you need to do is screw the plate into the arm and press print.
The Anycubic Photon Mono M5s is an astounding machine with a remarkable level of detail and generous build volume. At 19 microns of resolution, we’re approaching a level of crispy detail that’s difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. Smart features like auto leveling, resin detection and the ability to stop when a major fail is sensed are something we’ve all been waiting for. For better understanding, the recently reviewed Anycubic Photon Mono X2 would need 6 hours and 47 minutes to print this exact same file with a normal .05 layer height. This is two hours slower than the M5s’ slowest, most detailed setting. As with all Anycubic resin printers, the Mono X 6K will only be officially compatible with Anycubic’s own Photon Workshop slicer software, though there are some workarounds if you prefer to work in Lychee, but we couldn't find a way to use this printer with other Slicing applications such as Chitubox or Chitubox Pro. The LighTurbo matrix has been optimised to make the parallel light source even more stable and uniform. This effectively reduces layer lines on the one hand and completely eliminates grid lines on the other. Nothing stands in the way of vivid details and fine, smooth surfaces! By including their Photon Workshop software with the Photon Mono, Anycubic has clearly put work into the out-of-the-box experience for new users. However, I did find the software somewhat limiting, and I preferred using the Chitubox software that runs natively with the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro.
Press Reviews
A high-quality anti-scratch film protects the LCD display and prevents resin and other liquids from leaking or the display from becoming dirty. This extends the service life of the LCD display considerably. It comes with a screen protector for the LED glass, which covers the glass to protect it from scratches or dreaded resin drips. The Anycubic Photon Mono 2 is a money-saving resin printer with excellent 4K print quality. Its smaller size makes it easy to find space for, and its light weight makes it easy to move in and out of storage. The printer could use feet with more grip to prevent it from sliding around, so I would suggest putting it on a non-skid mat. The Photon Mono X2 is a 4K printer with Anycubic’s smooth “LighTurbo” system. Because the X2 is a bigger printer, its light source is stretched across a bit more area, resulting in a slightly lesser resolution of 48 microns. This is still incredibly crisp, especially when you consider that a human hair averages 70 microns.
Photon Mono 2 is equipped with a laser-engraved aluminium alloy platform. This features outstanding flatness, which greatly improves model adhesion and therefore printing success rate. The laser-engraved platform prevents the model from falling off or warping.
Detailed prints and reasonable volume at a decent price.
The Anycubic Photon Mono 2 requires the same safety precautions as other resin printers. Uncured resin is dangerous, and the solvents used to clean your prints can be irritating to the skin. Use gloves and safety glasses when pouring resin and handling uncured prints. As mentioned, the print bed is a generous 9.6 x 7.8 x 4.8 in. / 24.5 x 19.7 x 12.2 cm, which is slightly larger than the standard Anycubic Photon Mono X which topped out at 24.5 x 19.2 x 12.0 cm
Anycubic Mono 4K uses a monochrome grid with a contrast of more than 350. The high contrast makes the image in the exposure area more accurate and the print margins more sensitive, which improves the print quality and success rate and significantly reduces the residue in the resin container. Like all 3D printers, the Anycubic Photon Mono 2 requires calibration before its first print. Leveling the build plate is fairly straightforward and only takes a piece of paper and an Allen wrench. The feeling of strength runs all through the Mono SE, and that solidness helps create some excellent detail in the prints.The first print in the test had to be a fast one, so I loaded the vat with Anycubic’s High Speed resin. The resin is very thin, like skim milk, and only needs a brief exposure time of 1.4 seconds a layer. The default profile is curious, as it uses a .1mm layer. The results were a superfast print that looks ok at arm's length, but is probably best used for prototyping. The speed of this printer is quite an improvement in the world of consumer level resin. I love that the M5s gives us choices – we can use off the shelf resin for excellent detail while trimming a few hours, or buy specialty resin for mind-boggling speed. Make sure the room you use your resin printer in is well-ventilated to avoid inhaling fumes. Spilled or dripped resin should be immediately cleaned with 99% isopropyl alcohol. After printing, make sure to wipe down your printer and bottles to remove smudges of uncured resin. Always keep your resin tightly sealed and safely stored out of reach of pets and children. Assembling the Anycubic Photon Mono 2 Once a model has been prepared and sliced for printing, Photon Workshop exports a .pwmo file which is readable by both the Photon Mono as well as Photon Workshop. Opening the file presents a preview of the print in a layer-by-layer fashion allowing you to see which pixels will be exposed on the LCD screen. The layer parameters (exposure, Z lift, etc.) are also listed, and can be directly edited in case you want to switch the settings for a different resin. The total amount of resin used is listed at the bottom, so you know how much resin to add if your vat is starting to get low.