Build Volume

The Photon Mono X2 has a build volume of 196 x 122 x 200 mm, which is very slightly larger on the X and Y planes than the Mono X, 3.8% larger to be precise, but a whopping 45 mm shorter in build height. What Anycubic gives with one hand…

Being precise, the Mono X had a volume of 192 x 120 x 245 mm, so you can see an increase in space in depth and width is miniscule, but the deduction of 45 mm of build height is significant.

By the way, Anycubic’s new Photon M3 Plus (the logical successor to the Mono X) has a 197 x 122 x 245 build volume, and that’s what you’d expect from a Mono X successor, keeping that print height identical, fleshing out the sides a bit.

Improved Light Source

According to Anycubic, the Photon Mono X2 benefits from an improved light source that has a new texture on the lens which dampens the impact of light grids, and therefore provides improved light uniformity.

The upgraded source goes by the name “LighTurbo”, and is a matrix source that projects light from both parallel and perpendicular directions to the LCD screen for supposedly better uniformity.

Just a little shot of trivia too, a “LighTurbo 2.0” source is actually going to debut on the upcoming Anycubic M3 Premium, which comes equipped with an 8K LCD screen.

9.1-inch 4K monochrome LCD

In the Photon Mono X2 you’ll find a 9.1-inch monochrome LCD with a resolution of 4,096 x 2,560 pixels. That’s a 4K resolution and provides a print resolution of 48 microns, which is 2 microns superior to the Mono X.

Anycubic is proud to point out that the print resolution is actually 4% better than the Mono X, and that sounds good – but to give you an idea of how much this is, 2 microns is 20% of the width of a human red blood cell. We don’t think anyone is going to notice the difference here.

That being said, somewhere around 40-50 microns is the par score for print resolutions in many 3D printers, so users should be able to get the kind of print quality you’d expect, even if it’s unlikely to blow anyone away. For something with a noticeable step up in detail, you’ll basically need a 6 or 8K LCD-equipped printer.

Laser Engraved Build Plate

It’s unclear if the laser engraved build plate is going to really offer any substantial benefits – but at least it looks cool, right?

Anycubic is claiming the seductively elegant checkerboard pattern they’ve pew-pew’d into the surface of the build plate will make it easier for prints to adhere to it, and easier to remove prints when complete. During our time testing the Photon M3, we went hands on with one of Anycubic’s laser-etched build plates, and we did find that prints stuck to it pretty well. We didn’t have issues getting them off, so perhaps there’s something in this.

Further Features

Here’s a few other features you ought to know about:

• Dual linear guides: Just like the Photon Mono X, the Mono X2 comes with dual linear guides to increase Z-axis stability.
• Wi-Fi connecting port: A Wi-Fi connecting port is present on the Mono X2, and Anycubic says customers will need to purchase a module for it separately.
• New lid design: Anycubic has made the lid of the Mono X2 a slightly more quirky shape. Do you like it? Let us know in the comments.
• Screen protector: Included with the Mono X2 is a screen protector to help the user avoid scratches and other damage to the, well, screen.