3D printing with the Form 3

The Form 3 printer and its accessories

The Form 3 is a resin-based 3D printer that can produce very high-resolution prints. It is especially good for printing detailed anatomical models, creating molds, prototyping devices where high precision is required, and other applications. The printer uses a liquid resin instead of the plastic filament used by the FDM printers. It has a build volume of 145 × 145 × 185 mm.

The FormLabs printing tools

• The Form 3 printer
• The Form Wash
• The Form Cure

Materials needed

• Printer resin
• Isopropyl alcohol (IPA)

Preparing the file

• Export or download your model as an STL or OBJ file.
• Open the file in PreForm (installed on our computers).
• Adjust the settings to your preferences
  • Choose the layer thickness (thinner layers will take longer but look smoother).
  • You can use one-click print, or you can manually adjust the settings.
  • Check the "printability" sidebar for warnings about whether your print will fail.
• Send file to the Form 3 over USB, Ethernet, WiFi, or Remote Print upload.

Get ready to print

• Make sure that the build platform, resin cartridge, and resin tank are prepared properly. Follow the onscreen warnings to help with this.
• Press print

Post-processing

• Use the Form Wash to rinse your print in isopropyl alcohol (IPA).
• Remove the supports and cure the object in the Form Cure.