Anycubic Photon resin settings

Below you can find a list of resins which are compatible with the Anycubic Photon.

The Photon is an open material 3D printer, meaning it can print with any brand of resin, not just the ones made by Anycubic. This gives you a great amount of freedom, but comes with its own challenge of knowing which resins are compatible, and how to print them.

You can always figure this out through some experimentation, but using ones which are already confirmed by other users can save you a lot of time and frustration.

Anycubic Photon resin settings spreadsheet

The following settings have been crowdsourced from community forums, manufacturers, Maker Trainer users etc.

The spreadsheet is not a substitute for resin validation, but a good starting point for it, allowing you to build on what others have already worked out.

How to use the spreadsheet (Step-by-step)

1. Find the resin you'd like to use

You can search the table for a certain property you are interested in, such as "red" or "flexible." You could also try looking for a resin with a low curing time, or one with multiple upvotes.

If you are looking for a specific resin, but cannot find it here, try the Master MSLA printer settings spreadsheet. You might find its settings for another printer, which should still be helpful.

2. Check the source

The source will often contain important additional information that would not fit on the table. Eg. further parameters, instructions or obervations.

3. Copy the parameters into your slicer

The names of the settings might be different depending on which slicer you use (eg. Chitubox, Lychee, PrusaSlicer etc.)

Some settings such as support density are not included in the table, as they are heavily dependent on the 3D model.

4. Print a test file for validation

This is a crucial step, and one you shouldn't skip. Every printer is slightly different, and the settings that work on one unit might not work the same on another.

As stated before, the parameters above are not a replacement for resin validation, they are merely a good starting point for it.

You should always start out with a small test file to check if the settings work before launching a larger print.

5. Inspect the test file

If the print looks good, you can go ahead and use the settings as they are.

If you see any imperfections, (such as lack of detail, brittleness, discoloration etc.) adjust the settings according to the resin validation guide.

6. Help out others

If the recommended settings gave you a good starting point for printing, press the plus button next to them. This helps the next person know what to expect. (You need to be logged in to vote.)

If you don't think the listed settings are correct, you can press the minus button, and Suggest a change in the parameters.

You can help even more by adding other compatible resins with the Add new settings button.

Other important factors

There are some factors that greatly influence your printing success no matter what material you choose.

1. Maintain adequate temperature

You might know that resin is cured using light, not heat, but a certain degree of heat is still an important part of the reaction. It is similar to how sugar or salt can dissolve in cold water, but hot water makes them dissolve much faster.

The temperature of your resin should be at a minimum of 20°C when printing, and ideally over 25°C. You can either make sure your room temperature is within this range, heat the printer or pre-heat the resin before pouring it into the vat.

2. Shake your resin

Resins contain additives such as pigments and photoinitiators which settle down while not in use. They need to be shaken or stirred to disperse them probably throughout the liquid.

You can think of it like a bottle of pulpy orange juice. You need to shake it well to get all the juicy bits that have sunk to the bottom.

3. Check your expiration date

Keep away from direct sunlight. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not exceed expiration date. Use soon after opening.

What's true for most of your food cupboard is true for resins as well.

While it is not dangerous to print expired or incorrectly stored resin, the chances of success are much lower. Even if you succeed to print, the material will probably have lost some of its original qualities.

Resin settings explained

If you're new to resin printing, you might be wondering what some of the terms in the spreadsheet mean.

The Anycubic Photon is an open type of 3D printer. This means it can use any brand of resin, not just the ones sold by Anycubic.

Open printers offer you a great degree of freedom, but they also require you to learn a bit more about slicer settings compared to closed systems.

For a full guide, you can read MSLA 3D printer slicer settings, but the ones on the spreadsheet are:

• Layer height: The settings provided will work at this layer height. If you would like to print at a lower or higher height, you will need to adjust the settings accordingly.
• μm: 1 micron or 0.001 milimeters.
• Normal exposure time: The amount of time each normal layer will be cured for.
• Number of base layers: At the start of the print, you must cure a few layers for a longer time. This helps the model stick to the build plate.
• Base layer exposure time: The amount of time each base layer will be cured for.
• Light off delay: The amount of time the curing light will be off for between each layer. This helps resin spread out evenly after the build plate moves up, and helps cool down the LCD screen.

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