3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
Formlabs Form 4 vs Snapmaker Artisan
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Formlabs Form 4 comparisonsMore Snapmaker Artisan comparisons
| Property | Formlabs Form 4RESIN | Snapmaker ArtisanIDEX |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Formlabs | Snapmaker |
| Class | RESIN | IDEX |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Formlabs Form 4 3D Printer[1][2] | Snapmaker Artisan 3-in-1 (3D printing, laser, CNC)[3] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | Starting at $2,625.00 at GoEngineer, in stock, checked Aug 2026. Formlabs sells the printer as part of packages (Form 4 Complete Package etc.), so package prices are much higher than the printer-only figure[2] | $2,996.00 against a $5,046.00 compare-at price on us.snapmaker.com, but marked Unavailable, checked Aug 2026[3] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Three machines share this platform and are constantly conflated. Form 4: 200 x 125 x 210 mm, 50 um pixels, 18.3 kg, 480 W, one resin cartridge, NOT biocompatible. Form 4B: identical hardware but validated for 38 Formlabs materials including 15 biocompatible. Form 4L: 353 x 196 x 350 mm, 46 um pixels, 58.5 kg, 900 W, two cartridges[1] | The 3D-printing work area depends on which nozzle is used: 350 x 400 x 400 mm in dual-nozzle mode, 375 x 400 x 400 with the left nozzle only, 400 x 400 x 400 with the right nozzle only. The bed is also zoned: a 260 x 260 mm inner zone reaches 110 °C while the outer zone stops at 80 °C. A quoted "400x400x400 / 110 °C" therefore describes no single real configuration. Laser module is 10 W or 40 W[3] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 200 x 125 x 210 mm (Formlabs quotes 5.25 litres)[1][2] | 350 x 400 x 400 mm in dual-nozzle mode (400 x 400 x 400 with the right nozzle alone)[3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 398 x 367 x 554 mm[1][2] | 580 x 620 x 634 mm bare; 665 x 943 x 705 mm with the enclosure[3] |
| Net weight (kg) | 18.3 kg[1][2] | Snapmaker publishes package weights rather than a net weight: 37.3 kg (package A) plus 25.2 kg (package B); the premium bundle splits as 37.3 + 19.5 + 1.91 kg[3] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Enclosed cabinet with a hinged UV-blocking cover. Operating temperature 18-28 C[1] | Enclosure available; the enclosed footprint is quoted separately at 665 x 943 x 705 mm[3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | Masked stereolithography (MSLA). Formlabs brands the engine Low Force Display; straight-lift peel[1][2] | IDEX — two independently driven print heads[3] |
| Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlash | Not documented | Z-axis lead 8 mm; X and Y leads 40 mm[3] |
| Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?) | Not documented | TMC2209[3] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | Not documented | 180 mm/s maximum recommended print speed (manufacturer figure — a recommendation, not a peak claim)[3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Not documented | 300 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | Not documented | 0.4 mm standard; 0.2, 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[3] |
| Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip) | Not documented | Brass standard, hardened steel optional[3] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | Not documented | 110 °C in the 260 x 260 mm inner zone; 80 °C in the outer zone[3] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | Dual-sided textured PEI sheet[3] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | 100-240 VAC, 4.8 A, 50/60 Hz, 480 W[1] | Not documented |
| Total rated power draw | 480 W[1] | Integrated controller rated 300 W + 450 W[3] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Proprietary. Print preparation is PreForm; fleet management is Formlabs Dashboard[2] | Not named by Snapmaker; the controller runs Android and the supplied software is Snapmaker Luban, with third-party software supported[3] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 7-inch interactive touchscreen, 1280 x 800 (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1] | 7-inch touchscreen[3] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Dual-band Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbit), USB-C 2.0[1][2] | Wi-Fi, USB cable, USB flash drive[3] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Formlabs resins across rigid, tough, general purpose, flame retardant, silicone, elastic, ceramic and castable families. Biocompatible resins require the Form 4B, not the Form 4[1] | PLA, ABS, ASA, PETG, TPU (>=90 Shore A), breakaway support, PVA, HIPS, nylon, and carbon/glass-fibre reinforced variants[3] |
| Independently Measured Performance | ||
| Dimensional accuracy measurements (third-party, with numbers) | XY dimensional tolerance +/-0.15% — a manufacturer specification, not an independent measurement[1][2] | Repeatability +/-0.05 mm (manufacturer specification, not an independent measurement)[3] |
| Resin & MSLA | ||
| Masking LCD | Low Force Display masking LCD with a 50 um pixel size and pre-tuned anti-aliasing. Formlabs does not publish the screen diagonal or pixel count[1][2] | Not documented |
| Light source | Backlight unit with 60 uniform-wavelength high-power LEDs behind collimating lenses, with integrated cooling[1][2] | Not documented |
| Vertical print speedmm/h | Maximum 100 mm/h; average 40 mm/h at a 100 um layer height (manufacturer figures — GoEngineer publishes both, which is unusually explicit about the basis). Formlabs separately claims most prints finish in under 2 hours[2][1] | Not documented |
| Layer height range | 25-200 um per Formlabs' own tech-spec page; GoEngineer's listing for the same machine says 25-300 um. Unresolved[1][2] | Not documented |
| Resin vat & feeding | Single next-generation resin cartridge; Formlabs claims 5-10x faster filling and 63% less waste. Resin tank rated for 75,000+ layers with any Formlabs material. No vat capacity published[1][2] | Not documented |
Manufacturer claims, independent measurements, packages and test conditions retain their source wording. FDM linear speed and resin vertical speed use different units and are not directly comparable. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.
Sources for this comparison
- Formlabs resin printer technical specifications (Form 4 / 4B / 4L) formlabs.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Formlabs Form 4 3D printer listing store.goengineer.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Snapmaker Artisan 3-in-1 product page us.snapmaker.com · 2026-08 · vendor