3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
Formlabs Form 4L vs Snapmaker J1s
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 Snapmaker J1s comparisons
| Property | Formlabs Form 4LRESIN | Snapmaker J1sIDEX |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Formlabs | Snapmaker |
| Class | RESIN | IDEX |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Formlabs Form 4L[1] | Snapmaker J1S High Speed IDEX 3D Printer[2][3] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | Not documented | $1,399.00 at MatterHackers, listed as currently unavailable with a pre-order option quoting roughly 5 weeks, checked Aug 2026[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 J1s differs from the original J1 by an additional part-cooling fan. Usable volume depends on the print mode: 300 x 200 x 200 mm in default and backup modes, 160 x 200 x 200 in copy mode, 150 x 200 x 200 in mirror mode[2][3] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 353 x 196 x 350 mm (Formlabs quotes 24.2 litres)[1] | 300 x 200 x 200 mm in default and backup modes[2] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 664 x 528 x 794 mm[1] | 539 x 401 x 464 mm[2] |
| Net weight (kg) | 58.5 kg[1] | 25 kg net[2] |
| Frame construction & material | Not documented | Aluminium-alloy frame with one-piece die casting and linear rails; Snapmaker quotes rail repeatability of +/-0.03 mm in X/Y and +/-0.02 mm in Z[3] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Enclosed cabinet with a UV-blocking cover. Operating temperature 18-28 C[1] | Not documented |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | Masked stereolithography (MSLA) with the Low Force Display engine; straight-lift peel[1] | IDEX — two independently driven extruders[2][3] |
| X-axis guide type (rods / linear rails / V-wheels; size) | Not documented | Linear rails[3] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | Not documented | 350 mm/s maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | Not documented | 10,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Not documented | 300 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | Not documented | 100 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[2] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | Custom dual-sided PEI glass plate: glossy glass on one face, PEI coating on the other[2][3] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Not documented | 3-point bed levelling, which Snapmaker contrasts with 9-16 point systems; assisted calibration quoted at about 10 minutes[3] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Host computer (SoC, RAM, storage) if firmware runs on embedded Linux | Not documented | 1 GB RAM, 8 GB eMMC; the 5-inch display runs Android[2] |
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | 100-240 VAC, 9 A, 50/60 Hz, 900 W[1] | AC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 4.4 A max input; DC 24 V, 400 W max output[2] |
| Total rated power draw | 900 W[1] | 400 W maximum output[2] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Proprietary; print preparation is PreForm[1] | Not named by Snapmaker; the supplied slicer is Luban, with third-party software supported[2] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 7-inch interactive touchscreen, 1280 x 800 (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1] | 5-inch Android display, 1280 x 720[2] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Dual-band Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, USB-C 2.0[1] | Wi-Fi, USB cable, USB flash drive[2] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Formlabs resin range as for the Form 4; biocompatible materials require a B-series machine[1] | PLA, ABS, HIPS, PC, TPU, TPE, PETG, ASA, PP, PVA, PA, PA-GF, PA-CF[2] |
| Noise & Power Consumption | ||
| Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method) | Not documented | Less than 50 dBA claimed by the manufacturer. No independent measurement; distance and method not stated[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
- Snapmaker J1S High Speed IDEX 3D Printer listing matterhackers.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Snapmaker J1s product page snapmaker.com · 2026-08 · vendor