Sharp 4K monochrome resin printing with fast cure times, let down by a few ergonomic quirks common to resin machines.
Full Review
Elegoo is another amazing brand to come out of China’s silicon valley, Shenzhen. The meaning of its name ties in directly with its mission: “With the help of programming and 3D printing technology, we can create almost anything — Elegoo provides geeks with the key to a new world.”
The original Saturn has been superseded. For what to buy in its place today, see our current pick of the best resin 3D printers.
Founded in 2015 by Chris Hong, Elegoo has managed to enter the consumer market with its offering of the Mars 2 LCD Printer, a great addition to the line of affordable MSLA printers at the time. Now Elegoo is taking up a new challenge with the release of the Elegoo Saturn.
The monochrome display of the Saturn is truly breathtaking.
With a market of budget LCD printers already established, the Saturn has to earn its place next to its own in-house counterparts, not just the competition. On the surface it looks like a bigger version of the Mars 2 — but the improvements run deeper than size.
Specs
Top Features
With a base unit sized to a 280 x 240mm footprint, the all-metal foundation includes a 3.5-inch color touchscreen on the front, two rear fans, and a USB port on the right. As a larger version of the Mars and Mars Pro, the Saturn had to be redesigned to accommodate its increased size while still improving on practical performance.
Vat
The vat, placed on top, is now much more conveniently removable than on its Mars predecessors — it no longer has to be slid out to the side. Four bumps in the corners underneath the vat also let you set it down without damaging the FEP film, and a new pouring aid in one corner helps during resin changes.
One thing the Saturn's vat didn't carry over from the Mars Pro is a level indicator showing how much resin remains — worth extra caution when using the measuring cup, since it can get messy. The Z-axis now runs on an expanded frame with a rail on both sides, adding stability to the build plate's movement while printing.
LCD Display
The 8.9-inch 4K screen has a resolution of 3840 x 2400 pixels. Compared to a 2K screen that sounds like almost double the pixels, but the real jump is closer to quadruple — and the monochrome panel is where the real difference shows up.
Monochrome allows a greater intensity of light to pass through, which makes curing significantly faster: the Saturn averages around 2-second layer times, versus roughly 8 seconds on the Mars. Monochrome panels are also generally reported to last longer than standard LCD panels, so you won't need to replace the screen as often.
Related: read our full guide to VAT Polymerization (SLA/DLP) 3D printing.
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The Elegoo Saturn has been superseded by newer models. The current flagship in the Saturn line is the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K, with a 16K screen and faster print speeds.
Check price: ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16K →