Formlabs Form Studio One: Video Summary

What it is

• The Form Studio One is a resin 3D printer aimed at makers and prosumers, priced at $699.
• It offers much of the convenience and print quality of Formlabs’ professional Form 4, at a substantially lower cost.
• The companion Studio Wash + Cure station costs $199. The presenter estimates a practical setup at roughly $1,000.
• The printer was provided by Formlabs; the reviewer says his opinions are his own.

Printer and workflow

• Build volume: 200 × 125 × 235 mm—25 mm taller than the Form 4.
• Pixel size: 35 micrometers, compared with 50 micrometers on the Form 4. The reviewer notes that optics and resin matter too, so pixel count alone doesn’t determine detail.
• Features include a heated light-processing unit, a Z-axis force sensor, Wi-Fi and LAN connectivity, remote monitoring, and automatic resin dispensing with compatible cartridges.
• Prints can be sent through Formlabs’ free PreForm software or transferred by USB. PreForm handles orientation, supports, hollowing, drain holes, and other preparation.
• Printing time depends mainly on resin and layer height—not the number of parts, provided they fit on the same build plate and are the same height.
• The reviewer typically printed at 50 or 100 micrometer layer heights. The tested Gray and Clear resins reached about 40 mm of print height per hour at 100 micrometers; Alpha Fast is rated around 90–130 mm/hour at coarser layer heights.
• The Flex Build Platform makes removing parts cleaner and easier. It is a $50 upgrade, which the reviewer strongly recommends.

Washing and curing

• The $199 Wash + Cure combines washing and curing in one unit. It uses a 10-liter isopropyl alcohol (IPA) container with a magnetic stirrer, plus a turntable for curing.
• After printing, let excess resin drain back into the tank, wash the parts, dry them thoroughly, and cure them for about five minutes.
• The reviewer found a few design issues: small parts can slip through openings in the wash basket, its rough prototype surface scratched some prints, and the build platform can occasionally interfere with the front cover. Formlabs said it was working on fixes.
• Wear gloves and eye protection, and handle resin and IPA with appropriate ventilation. When using compressed air or an air duster, work outside and protect your eyes.

Print quality and limitations

• The printer produced detailed miniatures, smooth-looking parts, fine threads, and highly defined surface textures.
• Lowering the layer height from 100 to 50 micrometers improved fine detail.
• Resin prints can still warp or deform, particularly on large, complex parts. This is not unique to the Studio One; orientation, supports, resin, and post-processing can affect results.
• Resin printing can produce an elephant-foot-like effect on the bottom layers, so part geometry or slicer settings may need adjustment.
• Take PreForm’s print warnings seriously: ignoring them was the reviewer’s main cause of unsuccessful results.

Resins and open materials

• New Alpha resins start at $29 per liter: Gray, White, Black, and Clear cost $36; Model costs $42. Tough 1500 costs $79.
• The reviewer found the tested Alpha Gray and Clear resins had very little noticeable odor, but stresses that low odor does not mean they are harmless. He recommends gloves, eye protection, and ventilation.
• Formlabs resins are designed for the printer, come with detailed technical documentation, and worked reliably in the reviewer’s tests.
• Open Material Mode is free on the Studio One, unlike the costly licenses required on other Formlabs printers. It requires the $79 Resin Tank Pro, and users must manually fill the tank and tune settings themselves; automatic dispensing is lost.
• At launch, only three engineering resins had validated Studio One settings: Tough 1500, Flexible 80A, and True Cast. Biocompatible resins are unsupported, and other engineering resins may print more slowly or less reliably.
• Unlike the Form 4, the Studio One lacks a tank mixer, which is useful for filled or highly viscous resins.

Who should consider it?

• Studio One: A strong fit for makers and prosumers printing miniatures, visual prototypes, and functional parts with standard resins.
• Form 4: Still better suited to professionals who need specialized engineering or biocompatible materials, validated processes, or the capabilities offered by its tank mixer.

Overall verdict

The reviewer praises the Studio One’s design, print quality, and polished workflow—especially the Flex Platform and lower-cost washing and curing setup. Resin printing still involves solvents, disposable supplies, and some mess, so he won’t use it for everything. But for fine detail and parts that need consistent strength across orientations, the Studio One has made him more willing to choose resin printing.