Printer comparison
Formlabs Form 4L vs Positron V3.2
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Formlabs Form 4L comparisonsMore Positron V3.2 comparisons
| Property | Formlabs Form 4LRESIN | Positron V3.2COREXY |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Formlabs | Positron3D |
| Class | RESIN | COREXY |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Formlabs Form 4L[1] | LDO Positron v3.2 3D Printer Kit, revision v3.2 Rev A[2] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Same Low Force Display engine as the Form 4 but a different machine on every physical figure: 353 x 196 x 350 mm vs 200 x 125 x 210, 46 um vs 50 um pixels, 58.5 kg vs 18.3 kg, 900 W vs 480 W, two resin cartridges vs one. Formlabs lists Basic, Premium and Complete packages, whose prices are not printer-only prices, and no printer-only USD figure was found on a live listing[1] | The defining trait is the inverted geometry: the print head is below the bed and the machine prints upside down. Sold as a self-assembly kit; the complete printed-parts set is a separate purchase. A hard storage case is included[2] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 353 x 196 x 350 mm (Formlabs quotes 24.2 litres)[1] | 180 x 180 x 165 mm[2] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 664 x 528 x 794 mm[1] | 200 x 200 x 70 mm folded, 200 x 200 x 270 mm unfolded[2] |
| Net weight (kg) | 58.5 kg[1] | 3 kg net; 5.5 kg with the hard case[2] |
| Frame construction & material | Not documented | Folding frame designed to fit in a filament box; supplied with a black hard case[2] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Enclosed cabinet with a UV-blocking cover. Operating temperature 18-28 C[1] | Open frame[2] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | Masked stereolithography (MSLA) with the Low Force Display engine; straight-lift peel[1] | CoreXY, inverted — the machine prints upside down[2] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | Not documented | 250 mm/s maximum print speed (manufacturer claim)[2] |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | Not documented | 8,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[2] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Not documented | Bowden-style, single extrusion[2] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Not documented | PS plated-copper nozzle, 0.4 mm[2] |
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Not documented | 260 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[2] |
| Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip) | Not documented | Plated copper[2] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | Not documented | 85 °C maximum bed temperature — the lowest in this group, and the reason the material list stops at PETG[2] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | Heated removable ITO glass bed[2] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | Not documented | LDO Positron mainboard[2] |
| PSU (brand, wattage, rail voltage) | Not documented | DC 24 V, 200 W[2] |
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | 100-240 VAC, 9 A, 50/60 Hz, 900 W[1] | Not documented |
| Total rated power draw | 900 W[1] | Not documented |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Proprietary; print preparation is PreForm[1] | Klipper[2] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 7-inch interactive touchscreen, 1280 x 800 (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1] | 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen[2] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Dual-band Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, USB-C 2.0[1] | Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet[2] |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Not documented | Self-assembly kit, manufactured in China[2] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Formlabs resin range as for the Form 4; biocompatible materials require a B-series machine[1] | PLA and PETG only, per the manufacturer[2] |
| Independently Measured Performance | ||
| Dimensional accuracy measurements (third-party, with numbers) | XY dimensional tolerance +/-0.15% — a manufacturer specification[1] | Not documented |
| Resin & MSLA | ||
| Masking LCD | Low Force Display masking LCD with a 46 um pixel size. Formlabs does not publish the screen diagonal or pixel count[1] | Not documented |
| Light source | Backlight unit with uniform-wavelength LEDs behind collimating lenses, with integrated cooling[1] | Not documented |
| Layer height range | 25-200 um[1] | Not documented |
| Resin vat & feeding | Two next-generation resin cartridges. No vat capacity published[1] | 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
- LDO Positron v3.2 3D Printer Kit matterhackers.com · 2026-08 · vendor