Resin Printer Buying Guide: Reading Build Volume and Screen Resolution
By Print Farm editorial · Published · Updated
Ignore the K number and read two figures: XY resolution in microns and build volume in millimetres. "K" counts pixels across the panel, but detail depends on how tightly those pixels are packed, so a bigger K spread over a bigger screen can be coarser. In this catalog the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K and the Jupiter 2 use the same 15120 x 6230 panel count, yet the 10-inch Saturn resolves 14 x 19 microns and the 14-inch Jupiter 20 x 26 microns. The Jupiter is the better printer for big models and the worse one for tiny detail, and the K number tells you neither.
K is a marketing unit; microns are the spec
The mask on an MSLA printer is an LCD panel. "9K", "12K" and "16K" refer to the horizontal pixel count of that panel. What actually sets the finest feature you can print in plan view is pixel pitch, published as XY resolution in microns, which is panel resolution divided by panel size.
Two consequences worth internalising. First, comparing K numbers across different screen sizes is meaningless. Second, a non-square pixel is a real thing and it shows: the Saturn 4 and Saturn 4 Ultra resolve 19 x 24 microns, so a feature aligned with one axis prints slightly finer than the same feature aligned with the other. The Mars 5 Ultra's 18 x 18 microns is square, which is one quiet reason it is a favourite for miniatures despite being the cheaper machine.
Read the table sideways and the trade-offs appear. The 16K Saturn buys its finer pixel by covering slightly less area than the 12K Saturns, 211.68 x 118.37 mm against 218.88 x 122.88 mm. The Saturn 3 has the tallest Z in the Saturn family at 250 mm, and the Saturn 3 Ultra 260 mm, both taller than the newer Saturn 4 machines at 220 mm.
Build volume: measure the model, then add the supports
Resin models are rarely printed flat on the plate. Tilting a model reduces the cross-section peeled off the film on each layer, which is what keeps prints attached, and a tilted model plus its support raft occupies a larger bounding box than the model itself. Budget roughly a model's own height again in Z for a steeply angled orientation with supports beneath it.
The Z axis is what people run out of first. A 165 mm Mars 5 Ultra prints a 150 mm figure standing up with nothing to spare once you add a support raft; a Saturn 3 Ultra at 260 mm or a Jupiter 2 at 300 mm changes what is possible. If you are buying for a specific model line, take its tallest piece, add supports, and check that number against the Z column before anything else.
Elegoo rates the Mars 5 Ultra, Saturn 4 Ultra and Saturn 4 Ultra 16K at up to 150 mm/h, while the Mars 5, Saturn 3, Saturn 4 and Jupiter 2 are rated at up to 70 mm/h. Those ceilings depend on the release mechanism and the resin: the Ultra machines pair tilt-style release with low-tension ACF film, and Elegoo's Rapid Standard Resin claims 3x faster printing specifically when used with ACF film on the Saturn 3 Ultra and Mars 4 Ultra.
In real use you will not hold the ceiling. Thin, detailed, heavily supported prints need longer rests and slower lifts to survive; a solid, low-footprint print can approach it. Treat the number as a comparison between machines rather than a promise about your job.
The pattern is consistent: the bigger the machine, the more every consumable costs, and the film is the part you will replace most often. Factor a couple of film packs and a spare vat into a first-year budget, and note that a Jupiter 2's LCD alone costs more than a Mars 5 printer.
Trying resin for the first time, tabletop scale: Mars 5 at $179.00. The 35 micron pixel is the compromise; everything else about it is a real printer.
Miniatures and busts, best detail per dollar: Mars 5 Ultra at $269.00. Square 18 micron pixels and the 150 mm/h class release.
Batch printing, biggest plate for the money: Saturn 3 Ultra at $299.00 or Saturn 4 at $319.00, both 10-inch 12K with roughly 219 x 123 mm of plate.
Finest detail available here: Saturn 4 Ultra 16K at $649.99, 14 x 19 microns, accepting slightly less plate area than the 12K Saturns.
Large single pieces: Jupiter 2 at $949.00 for 302.4 x 161.98 x 300 mm, understanding that its XY pixel is coarser than every Saturn in the list.
On a budget: the catalog carries open-box and used machines, including pre-owned Mars 5 at $152.99 and Saturn 4 at $207.99. Check what warranty applies before buying.
No. It depends on screen size. The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K packs 15120 x 6230 pixels into a 10-inch panel for 14 x 19 microns, but the Jupiter 2 spreads the same pixel count over 14 inches for 20 x 26 microns, coarser than the 12K Saturns' 19 x 24 microns. Compare microns, never K.
How long does the LCD panel last?
Manufacturers do not publish a guaranteed lifetime, and it depends heavily on how much UV exposure and heat the panel sees. Treat it as a consumable and know the replacement price for your model before you buy: $84.99 for the Mars class here, $229.99 for the Jupiter 2.
What is the difference between FEP, PFA and ACF film?
They are different release films with different tension and durability characteristics. Elegoo pairs the low-tension ACF film with its faster machines and cites it in the 3x speed claim for Rapid Standard Resin on the Saturn 3 Ultra and Mars 4 Ultra. Buy the film your specific model lists; they are not interchangeable across sizes.
Does a bigger plate mean faster batches?
Yes, and it is the main reason to buy a Saturn over a Mars. An MSLA layer exposes the whole cross-section at once, so twelve miniatures on a Saturn plate take almost the same time as one, provided they are the same height. Height, not quantity, drives print time.
Editorial conclusions are drawn from the Elegoo catalog data and the manufacturer documentation listed above; we do not claim to have used every product shown. Updated 2026-08-25. Corrections: contact us.
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