3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
Formlabs Form 4 vs UltiMaker Factor 4
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 UltiMaker Factor 4 comparisons
| Property | Formlabs Form 4RESIN | UltiMaker Factor 4INDUSTRIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Formlabs | UltiMaker |
| Class | RESIN | INDUSTRIAL |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Formlabs Form 4 3D Printer[1][2] | UltiMaker Factor 4[3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Not documented | Announced 22 April 2024, shown at HANNOVER MESSE 2024 (22-26 April) and TCT Asia (7-9 May 2024)[3] |
| Launch MSRP (USD) | Not documented | Starting at approximately $20,000[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] | Not documented |
| 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] | Shares the 330 x 240 x 300 mm envelope with the UltiMaker S5, S7 and S8, which is the single most contaminated figure in UltiMaker's range. What separates the Factor 4 is the actively controlled 70 °C build volume, the climate-controlled 6-spool material station holding humidity below 15%, and HEPA filtration. UltiMaker also sells a Factor 4 Plus[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] | 330 x 240 x 300 mm[3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 398 x 367 x 554 mm[1][2] | Not documented |
| Net weight (kg) | 18.3 kg[1][2] | Not documented |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Enclosed cabinet with a hinged UV-blocking cover. Operating temperature 18-28 C[1] | Enclosed with actively controlled chamber airflow and a HEPA filter[3] |
| Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred) | Not documented | Build volume temperature controlled up to 70 °C with actively controlled chamber airflow (manufacturer specification)[3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | Masked stereolithography (MSLA). Formlabs brands the engine Low Force Display; straight-lift peel[1][2] | Direct-drive dual extrusion; kinematic layout not stated in the source checked[3] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Not documented | Direct-drive dual extrusion[3] |
| Filament diameter | Not documented | 2.85 mm[3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Not documented | 340 °C maximum with the high-temperature print core (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Spool holder location & max spool size; drybox compatibility | Not documented | Automatic climate-controlled material handling and storage station holding humidity below 15%, storing up to six spools[3] |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA) | Not documented | HEPA filter[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] | Not documented |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Proprietary. Print preparation is PreForm; fleet management is Formlabs Dashboard[2] | Not documented |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 7-inch interactive touchscreen, 1280 x 800 (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1] | Not documented |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Dual-band Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbit), USB-C 2.0[1][2] | Not documented |
| 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] | UltiMaker-branded PPS CF, PLA, Tough PLA, Nylon, PETG, PET CF and PVA, plus validated third-party materials from BASF Forward AM, Kimya, Polymaker, LEHVOSS and Jabil[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] | Dimensional accuracy within +/-0.2 mm or +/-0.2% of feature nominal length; UltiMaker states it tested over 95% print-completion success. Manufacturer figures, not independent measurements[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
- UltiMaker Factor 4: technical specifications and pricing 3dprintingindustry.com · 2026-08 · review