The Anycubic Photon M3 Premium is the 3D printer released by Anycubic in the later part of 2022. It’s a machine released intending to be beginner-friendly, being easy to set up and operate while being available at a competitive price.
I decided to give the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium a review to provide insight into how well it works and help people make informed decisions. I’ll go through the features, specifications, benefits, downsides, other customer reviews, unboxing & assembly process, then print results.
Stay tuned for this review and I hope you find it useful.
Disclosure: I received an Anycubic Photon M3 Premium by Anycubic for review purposes, but opinions in this review will be my own and not bias or influenced.
A great feature of the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium is its 7680 x 4320 resolution on a 10-inch monochrome screen. This gives it a high XY resolution of 28.5 microns (0.0285mm) and improves print details and dimensional accuracy. To put this in context, it’s almost double the XY resolution on the Photon M3 Max at 46 microns (0.046mm).
This puts it up there as one of the top printers as regards to print details and resolution.
This is in part due to concentrating the light on a smaller 10-inch screen and also part due to the improved Light Turbo 2.0 which employs COB lighting technology.
This feature gives your print the extra detail and clarity you look for in a good resin 3D printer.
Light Source
The new Light Turbo 2.0 has a COB light source, a concave mirror, and a cooling system. Its concave mirror ensures the light reflected on it is aligned and consistent, improving your print consistency.
It also improves uniformity when printing and produces better texture and accuracy on larger prints.
The average uniformity of the Light Turbo 2.0 is 90%, significantly higher than 3D printers using the Fresnel lens. You can also expect less light deviation, which will help add those razor-sharp details to your print.
The improved lighting system ensures better quality and detailed print, which is a win for us all.
Cooling System
The Anycubic Photon M3 Premium has an upgraded cooling system built at the back of the COB lighting system helps to keep it from overheating.
The cooling system has a temperature sensor that allows it to track the temperature of the lighting system, turning on the fan to cool it. There are also two large heat sinks on the sides of the COB lights to disperse the heat.
It ensures the lighting system doesn’t exceed 65 degrees, giving you longer print time and improving the life span of the lighting system.
Larger Volume
The Anycubic Photon M3 Premium has a print size of 120 x 220 x 250mm with a build volume of 6.7 liters, which is identical to the Saturn 2 printer.
It’s large enough to accommodate large prints but also small enough not to compromise the detail quality of larger prints.
If we compare the Photon M3 Premium to the 122 x 197 x 245mm build volume of Photon M3 Plus, it’s slightly bigger and can take in more volume but still has a better XY resolution of 28.5 (0.0285mm) microns compared to Photon M3 Plus of 34 microns (0.034mm).
The larger size doesn’t sacrifice print quality, which makes this 3D printer special.
Double Threaded Rods
Another feature that sets the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium apart from its predecessors is its double-threaded rods. The double-threaded design gives your print better structural accuracy by reducing the layer line effect on them.
The double-threaded rod feature also works well with the Dual Z-axis by providing additional stability for heavier and larger prints.
When compared to the T-Shaped rod, it minimizes lifting resistance on your Z-axis better, improving your printing speed.
Anycubic Smart Cloud Service
A feature expected in the first Quarter of 2023, it promises to be a feature that enables its users to monitor and control their 3D printer remotely while having access to over 20,000 STL files.
For now, the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium comes with a Wi-Fi antenna that can easily be attached to the printer’s base.
When this feature becomes available, it will make 3D printing more comfortable for its users and a welcome addition to the Anycubic brand.
Efficient Air Purification
Anycubic Photon M3 Premium printer comes with two air purifiers with USB ports that plug into a cradle at the back of the printer.
The air purifiers come with high-density embedded carbon inside them that helps to purify the resin in the air, and their purifier outlets are 1.5 times bigger than their predecessors.
The air purification device can remove up to 80% of the odor within 10 minutes. This is a needed feature to keep the resin smell and fumes away from your nose.
Larger Vat
The Anycubic Photon M3 Premium vat can hold up to 1350ml of resin, which is mind-blogging when compared to its processors or pairs, which have an average size of 810ml. It also has a height of 50mm, almost twice the size of its predecessors at 30mm.
To put this into context, the vat can take 1kg of a resin bottle, which is about 1000ml – meaning you can pour an entire bottle and a bit more to print.
A larger vat means less interruption in printing time to refill. It also means you can print larger prints in one go. It also means it makes the resin harder to filter out since there’s a lot of it.
Anycubic also changed the standard Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) film at the base of the vat with a treated nFEP film which provides less suction force during printing. The nFEP is suitable for a fast-curing printer like Anycubic’s Photon M3 Premium.
4.3-Inch LCD Screen
The 4.3-inch LCD screen at the base of the printer has some welcomed addition to the item list.
One of them is the move Z-axis by 50mm feature, which is a feature not included in previous models. This feature allows you to move the Z-axis with one touch when you want to level your bed.
The 4.3-inch screen is easy to use and straightforward.
Laser Engraved Print Plate
A feature of the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium is its improved print plate. The step up from the aluminum plate of its predecessors gives your print better adhesion and the design allows for residual resins to flow down into the resin vat.
Combination of a high resolution 7680X4320 pixels 10.1” screen and an X/Y resolution of 28.5 microns produces razor-sharp detailed prints.
Printing dimensions allow for large prints while maintaining excellent print quality.
The ball screw double-threaded rod provides stability, layer accuracy, and improved speed.
Light Turbo 2.0 system makes your print uniform and more detailed.
Easy to unpack and assemble
A large vat makes it easier to print large prints at once and saves time on adding more resin to print.
New NFEP system ensures you experience fewer print failures when you print.
Menu system is simple to use and straightforward to navigate.
Cooling system which came with the COB lighting system extends the life of the lighting system.
Downsides of the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium
It is large and needs a lot of working space to operate.
Photon Workshop software is still clunky and slow compared with similar software in the market, but should work with other slicers.
Some have called for heaters to be added so the resins don’t cool down too quick.
Customer Reviews of the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium
At the time of writing, the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium (Amazon) is still fairly new, so there aren’t many customer reviews.
One user complimented the introduction of a ball screw double-threaded rod as opposed to the ACME threaded rod used by Phrozen Sonic Mighty 8K and Saturn 2. He stated the rod for the Mighty 8k and Saturn 2 are at the limit of what a regular steeper can do.
Another user who received his new printer complained his firmware allowed him to move his build plate past the maximum Z-point height. He said there was no check in the firmware preventing anyone from accidentally moving past the max height.
The user said he would contact the company, and he is yet to update his comment. This problem may likely be a one-off problem because other reviews haven’t pointed this problem out.
A user who owns two Anycubic 3D printing machines said he loves the Photon M3 Premium, but it was a bit too pricey for him. He commented the Saturn 2 was cheaper than the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium. Another user replying to this comment said he purchased his own for a cheaper price using a special promo.
One user who owns a Mighty 8k printer said he prefers the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium for larger prints or prints between 9-10 inches but prefers the Mighty 8K for smaller prints.
There are some great video reviews on the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium you can check out.
One of them is a review by Geek Gaming Scenics.
Another good review is one by Vogman.
Unboxing & Assembly of the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium
The unboxing and assembly process of the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium was relatively simple and straightforward. The 3D printer comes in a well-packaged box weighing around 19KG.
The parts nicely fit into the box and are arranged in layers of foam in-between. You can take out the pieces and match them up with the pieces in the instruction manual to ensure you aren’t missing anything.
Assembling the Anycubic Photon M3 Premium is fairly simple and can be done in these steps.
Step 1: Unpack the 3D printer and pieces, then plug in the power and turn it on.
Step 2: Install the print platform
Start by removing the resin vat, then remove the protective layer from the LCD screen. Go to the Menu screen and select move Z by 50mm upwards to create space to install your print platform.
Put your print platform on the platform arm and screw in the black thumbscrew at the top to hold it in place. Once done, use the biggest Allen key to loosen the four sides of the print platform. You want the bed to move freely when leveling.
Step 3: Level the bed
Grab the leveling paper and place it on the LCD screen and select the home button from the tools menu. Once it homes down, apply a little pressure on the top of the print platform and tighten the four screws on the base.
Then give the paper a bit of a tug to ensure it isn’t moving. Head to Z=0 and hit enter. The print platform will rise, giving you enough room to install the resin vat.
Step 4: Re-install the resin vat and use the two large screws to tighten them down.
Step 5: Install the air purifiers by plugging them into the slots at the back of the printer.
Turn the purifiers on manually by pressing the button in the center or using the tools menu. Ensure you remove the plastic wrapping around the carbon filters before installing them.
You can do this by popping up the head of the purifier, removing the carbon cartridge, and taking off the plastic wrapping. They can be dusty, so wash your hands well after installing them.
Drop it back into the purifier, and that’s it. The purifiers last for approximately 3 months, but you can get a replacement on the Anycubic website.
You can carry out your exposure and print test after these steps. There is also a Wi-Fi antenna to plug in at the back of the printer that gives you Wi-Fi connectivity.
This video by Studio Zombie 3D goes through the assembly process really well.
You can see plenty of details in the Venom Snake model below by Fotis Mint, from the hair to the eyepatch and accessories.
Pennywise
An amazing model from Fotis Mint, this Pennywise bust looks very frightening but impressive.
Harley Quinn
Another great model by Fotis Mint is the Harley Quinn model. The results speaks for itself!
V (V for Vendetta)
I changed up the color to a lovely Magenta for the V model from V for Vendetta. You can find this model by subscribing to Fotis Mint’s Patreon.
Squid Game
Last but not least, we have the Squid Game model of the guards, which makes sense in this color. It was also created by Fotis Mint and has excellent details from the mask, to the body and even the stand.
Verdict
The Anycubic Photon M3 Premium (Amazon) is a 3D printer I will highly recommend to beginners and people with plenty of 3D printing experience. Not only is the quality amazing, but the features are great, and the price is surprisingly competitive.
Michael Dwamena is the founder of 3D Printerly, a platform dedicated to simplifying 3D printing for hobbyists and professionals alike. Owns over 20 3D printers (filament and resin) and has plenty experience 3D printing. Michael has authored over 900 articles, helping millions navigate the exciting world of 3D printing.
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