9.25-inch 6K Resolution Monochrome LCD Screen

This is the big feature, the one that’s truly the only headline feature of this “new” machine. The new Photon Mono X 6K has a new 9.25-inch 6K resolution monochrome LCD screen which gives a print resolution of 34 microns. It’s worth considering the original Mono X when looking at the new 6K version. Let’s start with the pixel count.

The 6K version of the Mono X has a 5760 x 3600-pixel resolution compared to the original’s 3840 x 2400, so a rather dramatic increase there. However, the screen size itself isn’t all that different – the Mono X has an 8.9-inches screen, so the new 9.25-inches in the 6K version isn’t hugely bigger.

The biggest difference is the XY resolutions – the Photon Mono X has a 50 micron XY resolution, whereas the 6K offers a 34-micron resolution. However, it remains to be seen if you’ll be able to see the benefits of this in print quality. Of course, the promotional images show it, but will your eyes be able to pick it up?

Build Volume

There’s the smallest of changes here with the 6K. The 6K version of the Mono X has a 197 x 122 x 245 mm build volume, which is a very, very slight increase on the 192 x 120 x 245 mm of the original Mono X.

A few millimeters here and there makes little difference. The Mono X 6K is slightly bigger than the Elegoo Saturn but far, far smaller than the new jumbo printers like the Elegoo Jupiter and Phrozen’s Sonic Mega 8K. That being said, if you don’t need a huge print volume, why pay more to have one? As we found out in our recent Sonic Mega 8K review, a large print volume has its own drawbacks.

Speedy Print Speed

The benefits of a monochrome LCD are, by now, pretty well documented. Basically, in comparison to the now obsolete color RGB screens, monos give you an LCD screen with a longer lifespan and the ability to cure resin quicker, meaning quicker printing times.

According to Anycubic, the Photon Mono X 6K can print up to 80 mm an hour, which is slightly quicker than the Mono X’s 60 mm an hour. Of course, you don’t always want to be printing too quickly, as that can have its own negative effects, but it’s nice to know the potential is there, and the next feature may also assist with faster printing speeds.

Laser Engraved Build Surface

Anycubic has changed the surface texture of the build plate. While the original Mono X has a brushed aluminum plate, the new 6K version will feature the laser engraved plate also spotted recently on the DLP-packing Photon Ultra printer.

Influencers and reviewers who’ve gone hands-on already with this printer have suggested that the new laser engraved plate actually gives a greater degree of adhesion, so hopefully, this little addition to the Mono X 6K will reduce the risk of print failures and the improved adhesion may well aid in lift speeds, which might account for the slightly quicker print times.

The Matrix. The Light Matrix

Within the base of the Mono X 6K, there are 40 LED lights that make up the new and improved light matrix. Supposedly this gives around a 90% light uniformity. That’s important because you want the light to be evenly distributed to avoid issues with print quality. The light transmittance is said to be 200% better than in the Mono X, which should aid the already mentioned quicker curing times.

Pretty much every new resin 3D printer has a blurb about how the light source is better in some way than before, but in reality, you probably won’t notice a difference. Still, marketing needs to have something to talk about.

Similarities

Plenty remains unchanged between the Mono X and the Mono X 6K. There’s Wi-Fi, USB connectivity, a 3.5-inch touchscreen for a start, all in the same places you’d find them before, and visually the machines also look more or less identical. They even have the same overall dimensions of 270 x 290 x 475 mm.

From the beginning, the Mono X 6K will only be compatible with Anycubic’s own Photon Workshop slicer software, but it appears as if other slicers will gradually become available, and you shouldn’t be trapped when it comes to slicing options. Fingers crossed.

Fundamentally, this machine is just a 6K upgrade, and the other changes are small tweaks that leave us skeptical on if you’d see any differences in performance. This machine will need to print noticeably better than the Mono X if it’s to be recommendable. The fact there’s little in the way of changes makes the next point one to think about.

No Upgrade Possible

At the time of writing, you cannot purchase an upgrade package to give you the capabilities of the 6K version for its predecessor. That means if you’re a Mono X owner and you’re interested in making the step to 6K printing potential, then you’ll have to pay full price for an entirely new machine. Not only does this seem rather wasteful, but it doesn’t seem very considerate to existing Anycubic customers either.