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Glossary · Processes

3D printing

MSLA

The most common type of resin printer for home use: a screen lets light through only where the resin is to solidify in that layer.

Explained in more detail

MSLA stands for masked stereolithography. A flat LED light source shines from below through a monochrome LCD, which acts as a mask and lets through only the cross-section of the current layer. Above it sits the resin vat with a transparent film bottom. Because the whole layer is exposed at once, print time depends mainly on the number of layers, not on the number of parts on the plate. Monochrome LCDs let more light through than colour displays and shorten exposure to as little as one to two seconds per layer in some cases. Figures such as 8K, 12K or 16K roughly describe the number of pixels along the long side of the display; the pixel size in micrometres is more meaningful.

Where does the term come from?

The M stands for masked. SLA (stereolithography) is the older process in which a laser traces each layer. Many manufacturers also simply call MSLA LCD printing.

In practice

  • Fill the plate with several parts: a full plate takes hardly any longer than a single part.
  • When comparing resolution, compare the pixel size, not the K number: a large screen with the same K number has larger pixels.
  • The LCD is a wear part. Anycubic, for example, gives 6 months' warranty on the display of the Photon Mono M7, so check the terms before buying.
  • After a failed print, remove cured residue from the vat before the platform lowers again, otherwise it presses on the film and display.

Not to be confused

MSLA is not SLA: in SLA a laser beam traces the cross-section, and in DLP a projector exposes it. All three belong to resin printing, and MSLA is by far the most common in the hobby sector.

Frequently asked questions

What does 16K mean on a resin printer?

The number roughly describes the pixels along the long side of the display. More pixels on the same area mean smaller pixels, for example about 14 × 19 µm on the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K. Real details are usually coarser than one pixel, though.

Is MSLA worse than SLA?

Not necessarily. MSLA exposes whole layers at once and is therefore fast and inexpensive. Laser SLA is found mainly on professional devices.