Resolution

MSLA 3D printing nowadays mainly centers around two factors: print resolution and speed. With more and more budget monochrome MLSA printers popping up and the technology becoming the new benchmark, Anycubic jumped onto the bandwagon with the Photon Mono SE.

From looking at the preliminary spec sheet, the Photon Mono SE features a six-inch, 2K monochrome (2560 x 1620 pixels) LCD as its light source. This should convert to an XY-resolution of 51 microns. Combined with the Z-axis accuracy of 10 microns, it’s not quite up there in the top tier on the resolution tier list, with numbers as low as 30 microns in XY accuracy, but the detail is so fine and the difference almost neglectable – at least with the naked eye.

According to Anycubic, the Photon Mono SE also features a new matrix parallel light source that allows for a more uniform exposure and better heat dissipation.

Speed

The monochrome display allows for a greater light intensity to pass through, resulting in a significant bump in exposure time compared to their RGB counterparts. According to Anycubic, the exposure time gets reduced to one second, resulting in a printing speed two to three times faster than with a non-monochrome screen. This is a claim we can sign off on due to our prior experience with similar monochrome machines, although a curing time of two to three seconds sounds more realistic. Regardless, the monochrome display should result in a massive increase in print speed.

Another welcome side-effect of the use of monochrome displays is their prolonged lifespan – offering thousands of hours of use, unlike their non-monochrome counterparts.

Build Volume

Users of the Photon Mono SE will have 130 x 78 x 160 mm of build volume at their disposal. This is slightly above average compared to its budget resin competitors, beating out its predecessor, the Anycubics Photon S, the Elegoo Mars Pro, and the new Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k.

Design

Like its predecessors, the Photon and Photon S, the Mono SE features an upward-opening door, instead of a completely removable top casing you find on many other resin printers. But, since preparing and maintaining resin printers is always a bit messy, we would have probably opted for the better accessibility of the removable top cover.

The metal frame and CNC aluminum parts should provide rigidity where needed. The Mono SE further features a dual linear rails system on the Z-axis as well as clearance nuts for the stepper motor, which should improve stability during motion and reduce the risk of layer shifting mid-print.

The Photon Mono SE also claims to feature a new UV cooling system that allows for a stable printing performance as well as a longer service life.

Slicer

With the printer comes Anycubic’s proprietary software, Anycubic Photon Workshop. From a looks perspective, the software gives out a strong ChiTuBox vibe, offering the typical bread and butter settings for resin printing and features like hollowing, punch-hole, and model cutting. There are also a few new, neat extras like the lettering function, allowing you to paste a text onto your model. Plus, it supports up to 8X anti-aliasing.

In the past, Anycubic’s resin 3D printers were also compatible with the widely-used ChiTuBox slicer software, so we have high hopes that if not already compatible, the company will offer this soon.

Further Features

Additional features on the Anycubic Photon Mono SE include:

• Remote control with the Anycubic App. According to Anycubic, you can monitor the printing progress and adjust print settings remotely with the recently released app. Seeing as the Photon Mono SE only lists USB as a connectivity option, we are curious to see it in action.
• A brushed aluminum platform to enhance the adhesion between platform and prints.
• A new UI to allow for more intuitive and responsive operations.