Looking for a quality 3D printer? Here’s a Formlabs Form 1+ 3D Printer Review

Whether you are looking for a resin 3D printer upgrade or you are getting into 3D printing, Formlabs Form 1+ is a choice worth checking out. Here, I will take you through the Formlabs Form 1+ 3D printer review to show you all the things you need to know before you get it for yourself.

You will get to know the features this one provides as well as how it performs in a broader aspect. So, let’s just get through the whole thing to see whether it’s your kind of printer or not.

Formlabs Form 1+ 3d Printer Specifications

Looking for something specific in your printer? Then, check out this specification table, as it will give you an idea of all the specs you get to see in this printer.

• Layer resolution: 25, 50 and 100 microns
• Printing area: 125mm x 125mm x 165mm
• Technology: SLA
• Software: PreForm
• Supported filament: Resin
• Weight: 49.1lbs
• Print surface: Removable print bed
• Dimensions: 27 x 27 x 26.2 inches

As you can pretty much till this just gives you a surface idea of the printer, it doesn’t tell you how good, or bad the printer is. Don’t worry; the next section is all about that. Let’s get going with that for now.

Formlabs Form 1+ 3D Printer Pros and Cons

Knowing about the pros and cons of this printer will give you a slight understanding of whether this printer works out for you or not. Because with deal-breaking cons, you can’t go forward with this printer even if it has a lot to offer on the table. So, keeping up with that, let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of this printer:

Pros

• The print quality is stunningly beautiful
• You get pretty high resolution on the prints
• The printer is quite compact
• It’s also very quiet in operation
• The printing process on this printer is fast

Cons

• The printer is a bit expensive
• It’s a bit difficult to remove the larger prints

Still struggling to decide? Well, then, let’s take a deeper look into the printer and get through the different aspects of it. That will help you see what this printer is truly about.

Related: Form 2 3D Printer Review

Formlabs Form 1+ 3D Printer Overview

Here, I will be going through all the intricacies of the printer and every little detail about it. The factors I discuss here will be mostly on the looks, design, performance, usability, and other stuff. So, let’s get rolling.

What is the Formlabs Form 1+ 3D printer like physically?

When it comes to the physical aspect of this printer, all you get to see is amazing. It has got that standard clean-looking vibe going on. There are no shaky parts or parts that can come off with little movement. Also, the orange acrylic cover on the printer just makes it look even better.

In terms of design and looks, it gives off that premium vibe. The finishing they have given on this printer is utterly impressive. You can’t complain even a little about the way this printer looks.

Now, if you dig a little deeper and get to the build quality factor, you get satisfaction from there as well. Whether it be the acrylic cover or the hood hinges, or even the clips holding the resin tray, everything is just top-notch in quality. You won’t see any part of this printer being flimsy or anything.

So, whenever you are using the printer and have an accidental bump here and there, there is nothing to worry about at all. It can easily withstand that kind of bump and hits pretty easily. However, if you are thinking of throwing it off the desk, then I would recommend you drop that idea.

How is the printer used?

With 3D printers, a crucial struggle that a lot of people go through is the assembly and setup. Well, you can say goodbye to all that trouble when you have this printer. It comes all preassembled, and you don’t need to do a single thing to set up the printer.

You don’t even have to worry about any kind of calibration since there is no filament extruder to meddle with. You just get the printer out of the box and plug it in. The plug uses a USB port out of your computer.

You just load up the print file and start the printing for printing purposes. The only complexity you have to face with this printer is its software. You can’t combine this one with the traditional slicer software like CURA or Slic3r, or anything else. You have to use the PreForm software.

However, that shouldn’t be a problem if you are entirely new to 3D printing. Because then you can just start with the PreForm software right away. It’s very easy to install and use. So, you won’t have any trouble with that either. There are default settings that are more than enough to get you through at the beginning of your printing.

How has this one involved from the previous version?

The Formlabs Form 1+ is a major upgrade over Form 1. The printer is two times faster than the previous version. So, you can expect quicker printing results from this one over the other one.

Also, the laser they have used in this version is much stronger than the other one. Because of that, the printing results are much more accurate than you would expect. Altogether, you get a major upgrade on this printer compared to the earlier version of Form 1.

Related: dual extruder 3d printers

The Formlabs Form 1+ 3D Printer Key Features

Now, let’s get through the key features and give it a little rating as well. This will surely clear out all the confusions you may have with this 3D printer.

Print performance

First of all, this printer’s print performance is exquisite throughout its use. The print speed isn’t the fastest or faster than any traditional FDM printer. But it indeed isn’t slow. You won’t have any complaints about the print speed, that’s all I am saying.

Also, the print quality is just what makes it up for me. It provides excellent details on every single print you get out of this printer. All the printer factors just go into bringing the best possible print quality out of this resin printer with intricate details.

Print volume

Coming to the print volume aspect of this printer, it’s not that large. But at the same time, I wouldn’t say it’s too small. You can easily print some quality small to mid-sized 3D models on this printer with ease.

The print area you get on this one is 125mm x 125mm x 165mm, which is pretty decent for a resin printer. You usually won’t use a resin printer to print very large models.

Something that will never disappoint you with this printer is the durability of this printer. It uses some high-quality components that give this printer the required durability aspect. It makes the printer stand out regarding how long it will last without any damage or breaking.

Durability

Whether you are thinking about the outer part of the printer or the internal components, you just get durability factor from all ends. The result is satisfying, and it lasts for a long time, so you won’t be looking to get a new printer anytime soon.

Assembly and Use

Another key factor with the Formlabs Form 1 3D printer is the ease of assembly. It doesn’t even require any kind of assembly. The printer is already assembled. You just bring the printer out of the box, connect it to your computer, open the software, and load the files. Then, finally, all you do is start printing your favorite 3D models.

Coming to the use of software, it’s also very intuitive. Even as a beginner, you will learn the ropes very quickly on this printer without any doubt at all. Moreover, it gives you a lot of amazing settings that you can go through for getting your desired results. But in the beginning, the default settings can even get you through quite a lot.

Final Verdict!

I can sum up this whole Formlabs Form 1+ 3D printer review with just one thing if you want the best possible 3D printing results and don’t mind spending money on it, this is the thing for you. It provides you with professional printing quality with some quick printing results as well.

Is it for DIYers or hobbyists? I don’t think so. Because when it comes to the price, it can be quite expensive. That much money on occasional hobby projects isn’t truly worthwhile at all. That’s why I don’t recommend getting this one for your DIY or hobby projects.

However, if you think you will use this printer regularly, you can still get it because the quality is truly worth it.