Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra

A brilliant advert for resinbased 3D printing, with a host of features that make it easy to obtain great results

- DENISE BERTACCHI

PRICE £296 (£355 inc VAT)

from uk.elegoo.​com

In the world of 3D printing, resin-based stereolithography (SLA) is less popular than squirty thermoplastics – probably because it involves a manual finishing process and toxic materials. However, Elegoo’s latest resin printer is both easy to use and produces excellent results.

The package comes with everything you need to get started. The printer arrives fully assembled, and the box contains a metal scraper for the build plate, a plastic scraper for the release film, paper funnels, disposable gloves, disposable masks and a set of Allen keys. There’s also a printed manual and USB flash drive, preloaded with the Chitubox Basic slicing software, a PDF of the manual and pre-sliced test prints.

Gloves and masks aren’t included just for fun: uncured resin is dangerous, and the solvents used to clean your prints can irritate the skin. You should also wear safety glasses and ensure your room is well ventilated to avoid inhaling fumes.

That’s despite the striking hinged hood, which adds to the Saturn 4 Ultra’s modern looks. Most resin printers use a lift-off box-type hood, which is bulky and unwieldy. Here, the hood can be swung easily upward with one hand - a huge improvement in convenience and usability. I only wish there were a handle on the lid: opening and closing it after handling uncured resin can leave unwanted smudges.