3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
Formlabs Form 4L vs QIDI i-Fast
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 QIDI i-Fast comparisons
| Property | Formlabs Form 4LRESIN | QIDI i-FastIDEX |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Formlabs | QIDI |
| Class | RESIN | IDEX |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Formlabs Form 4L[1] | QIDI Tech i-Fast, also written iFast and "I-Fast"[2][3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Not documented | Not published on the listings checked (Aug 2026)[2][3] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | Not documented | $1,899.00 at Top 3D Shop, listed as discontinued with a 5-10 business-day lead time, checked Aug 2026. 3DJake no longer sells it[3][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] | Ships with two interchangeable dual-extruder assemblies — a standard dual head and a high-temperature dual head rated to 350 °C. Specifications quoted for one head do not apply to the other. Not to be confused with QIDI's i-Mate or the X-CF Pro[3][2] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | Not documented | Discontinued; QIDI's current line is the Q, Plus and Max series[3][4] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 353 x 196 x 350 mm (Formlabs quotes 24.2 litres)[1] | 330 x 250 x 320 mm advertised[2][3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 664 x 528 x 794 mm[1] | 710 x 510 x 670 mm[3] |
| Net weight (kg) | 58.5 kg[1] | 33 kg net[3] |
| Frame construction & material | Not documented | Fully assembled enclosed metal-frame machine[2] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Enclosed cabinet with a UV-blocking cover. Operating temperature 18-28 C[1] | Fully enclosed with a heated chamber[2][3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | Masked stereolithography (MSLA) with the Low Force Display engine; straight-lift peel[1] | Dual independent extruders in an enclosed Cartesian gantry[2][3] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | Not documented | 30-150 mm/s print speed range (manufacturer figure — a working range, not a peak marketing number)[3] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Not documented | Direct-drive, two extruders. MK10-style nozzle[2][3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Not documented | 350 °C on the high-temperature extruder assembly[2][3] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | Not documented | 0.4 mm nozzle diameter[3] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | 100-240 VAC, 9 A, 50/60 Hz, 900 W[1] | 110-220 V[3] |
| Total rated power draw | 900 W[1] | 700 W rated[3] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Proprietary; print preparation is PreForm[1] | 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, USB-C 2.0[1] | Wi-Fi, LAN, USB flash drive[2][3] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Formlabs resin range as for the Form 4; biocompatible materials require a B-series machine[1] | Carbon fibre, nylon, PETG, TPU, PC, ABS, PLA[3] |
| 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
- QIDI Tech i-Fast technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech i-Fast Dual Extruder FDM 3D Printer listing top3dshop.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI US store full product collection us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor