Best Resin 3D Printers UK 2026
Resin 3D printing is the fastest way to go from a model file to a finished part with detail that FDM machines cannot touch. A £170 printer now produces miniatures, jewellery, and small mechanical parts with layer lines you need a magnifying glass to find.
We compared seven resin printers and essentials that cover the whole journey, from a £17 bottle of resin to the 16K flagship that makes £500 FDM machines look clumsy. Here is what is actually worth your money in the UK in 2026.
Key Takeaways
- ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16K - Best Overall - 16K detail, tilt-release speed, and a heated tank for cold UK workshops
- ANYCUBIC Photon Mono M7 - Best Large Format - 10.1-inch 14K screen for terrain and batch printing
- ANYCUBIC Photon Mono 4 Ultra - Best Compact - 10K detail in a small footprint with a touchscreen
- ELEGOO Mars 4 Ultra - Best Value - 9K miniatures at around £189
- ELEGOO Mercury XS Bundle - Essential Companion - the wash and cure station every resin owner needs
Suggested Reading: How to Start 3D Printing · Best 3D Printers for Beginners · Best 3D Printer Accessories
Quick Picks
Short on time? Here is the bottom line.
~£449
~£329
~£219
~£169
~£189
~£169
~£17
Quick Comparison
| Product | Price | Rating | Type | Key Spec | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16K | ~£449 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Resin MSLA | 10" 16K LCD, tilt-release, heated tank | Makers who want flagship detail and speed |
| ANYCUBIC Photon Mono M7 | ~£329 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Resin MSLA | 10.1" 14K LCD, 150mm/h | Large builds, terrain, batch miniatures |
| ANYCUBIC Photon Mono 4 Ultra | ~£219 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Resin MSLA | 7" 10K LCD, 17x17µm, touchscreen | Compact desks and detail-first printing |
| ANYCUBIC Photon Mono 4 | ~£169 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Resin MSLA | 7" 10K LCD, 17x17µm | First resin printer on a budget |
| ELEGOO Mars 4 Ultra | ~£189 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Resin MSLA | 7" 9K LCD, auto-leveling, ACF film | Miniature painters on a budget |
| ELEGOO Mercury XS Bundle | ~£169 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Wash & Cure | 7000ml wash tank, rotating cure turntable | Every resin printer owner |
| ELEGOO 8K Standard Resin | ~£17 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Consumable | 405nm, 1kg, standard photopolymer | First bottles and everyday prints |
In-Depth Reviews
1. ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16K
~£449 | Resin MSLA | 10" 16K LCD | Tilt-release | Heated tank
The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K is the machine that makes older resin printers feel like museum pieces. Its 10-inch screen runs at 16K resolution, which is the sharpest panel on any mainstream resin printer in the UK, and the tilt-release mechanism separates each layer by tilting the vat instead of peeling with a heavy FEP pull. That change cuts print time dramatically and removes the suction failures that plague cheap machines.
The smart tank heater is the feature UK buyers notice most. Resin prints best at around 30 degrees, and an unheated garage in January sits at half that. The Saturn holds the vat at temperature, so your first layer cures consistently whether you print in August or December. Auto-leveling means the build plate levels itself, and the AI camera watches for failures and pauses the print when something goes wrong.
The trade-off is price and footprint. At around £449 it costs more than double the Mars 4 Ultra, and the 10-inch machine takes up real bench space. Buyers who print miniatures every week will wear the cost off fast; buyers who print once a month should save the money and buy a smaller machine. Amazon UK buyer ratings sit around 4.5 out of 5, with the heated tank and print speed the most praised features.
✅ Pros
- 16K screen is the sharpest mainstream option
- Heated tank keeps prints consistent in cold rooms
- Tilt-release prints fast with fewer failures
❌ Cons
- Overkill for occasional printing
- Large footprint for a small workshop
- Premium price tag
2. ANYCUBIC Photon Mono M7
~£329 | Resin MSLA | 10.1" 14K LCD | 150mm/h
The Photon Mono M7 is the answer for UK makers who keep hitting the size ceiling on a 7-inch machine. Its 10.1-inch screen runs at 14K resolution, which is enough detail for tabletop miniatures and enough area for terrain, large busts, or a full plate of parts in one run. The 150mm/h print speed means a plate of twenty miniatures finishes in an evening rather than a weekend.
The M7 is the middle child of Anycubic's 2026 line-up, and it shows in the price. It costs around £329, which undercuts the flagship Saturn 4 Ultra by over a hundred pounds while still delivering a 14K screen and high speed. Anycubic buyers consistently rate the M-series machines around 4.2 out of 5 on Amazon UK, with the large build area the most common reason for purchase.
The main weakness is the same one every large-format resin printer shares: a bigger vat needs more resin to fill, and a full plate of models uses a lot of it. Budget for resin bottles, and pair the M7 with a wash and cure station that can handle the larger prints, because the standard Mercury XS tank fills up fast with terrain pieces.
✅ Pros
- 10.1-inch build area for large prints
- 14K detail at a mid-range price
- Fast 150mm/h printing
❌ Cons
- Big vat guzzles resin
- Needs a larger wash station
- No heated tank option
3. ANYCUBIC Photon Mono 4 Ultra
~£219 | Resin MSLA | 7" 10K LCD | 17x17µm | Touchscreen
The Photon Mono 4 Ultra takes the proven Mono 4 and adds the two upgrades that matter: a touchscreen and a faster light matrix. The 7-inch 10K screen with a 17x17 micron pixel pitch produces detail that looks identical to printers costing twice as much, and the compact footprint slides onto a desk without rearranging the room.
Anycubic's LighTurbo light source is the quiet star here. It spreads UV light evenly across the whole screen, so corners cure as reliably as the centre. That matters for miniatures, where a dim corner shows up as a soft, rounded detail on the first print. The touchscreen interface is genuinely pleasant to use, which is more than most budget resin printers can claim.
Amazon UK buyer reviews put the Mono 4 Ultra at around 4.6 out of 5, and the complaints are mostly about the small build area, which is the point of a compact machine. If you print miniatures and jewellery and never plan to print terrain, this is the best value high-detail machine in the UK right now.
✅ Pros
- 10K detail in a small footprint
- Even UV coverage from LighTurbo
- Touchscreen makes setup easy
❌ Cons
- 7-inch build area limits large parts
- No Wi-Fi on the base model
4. ANYCUBIC Photon Mono 4
~£169 | Resin MSLA | 7" 10K LCD | 17x17µm
The Photon Mono 4 is the machine that finally makes resin printing a budget hobby. At around £169 it delivers a 10K screen with a 17x17 micron pixel pitch, which is the same resolution class as machines that cost £100 more a couple of years ago. For a UK beginner who wants to paint miniatures, it is the cheapest honest entry point.
The print quality is indistinguishable from the Mono 4 Ultra for most models. You lose the touchscreen and some speed, and the physical buttons are fine once you set your first print. The 105 percent precision boost over the older Mono 2 shows in fine details like face sculpts, chainmail, and small text on jewellery pieces.
The one thing to budget for is the full resin workflow, because the printer itself is only half the cost of getting started. Add the Mercury XS wash and cure station, nitrile gloves, and a couple of bottles of resin, and the real first-year cost is closer to £300. That is still less than a mid-range FDM setup, and the detail is in a different league.
✅ Pros
- 10K detail under £180
- Proven, reliable platform
- Huge community for settings help
❌ Cons
- Buttons instead of touchscreen
- Small 7-inch build volume
- No heater for cold rooms
5. ELEGOO Mars 4 Ultra
~£189 | Resin MSLA | 7" 9K LCD | Auto-leveling | ACF film
The Mars 4 Ultra has been the default resin printer for UK miniature painters since it launched, and for good reason. The 7-inch 9K screen delivers detail that is overkill for tabletop models, and the auto-leveling system removes the fiddliest part of resin printing, which is getting the build plate exactly parallel to the screen.
The ACF release film is the hidden upgrade. Older resin printers use FEP film that sticks hard to the print, which causes failed layers and annoying peeling sounds on every print. ACF peels cleanly, which means fewer failures and smoother bottom surfaces on your models. Combined with the 9K screen, the Mars 4 Ultra produces miniatures that look injection-moulded after a quick cure.
At around £189 it sits just above the budget Photon Mono 4, and the extra money buys the ELEGOO ecosystem: the same brand wash station, resin, and spare parts that all work together. Amazon UK buyers rate it around 4.5 out of 5, and the main criticism is the small build volume, which is fine if you paint miniatures and frustrating if you want to print anything bigger than a fist.
✅ Pros
- 9K detail for under £200
- Auto-leveling removes the hardest step
- ACF film means fewer failed prints
❌ Cons
- Small build volume
- Needs a separate wash and cure setup
6. ELEGOO Mercury XS Bundle
~£169 | Wash & Cure Station | 7000ml tank | Rotating cure turntable
The Mercury XS bundle is the single most recommended resin accessory in the UK, and the Amazon rating tells you why: 4.7 out of 5 from over 650 buyers. It combines a washing station with a 7000ml sealed tank and a separate post-curing station with a 360-degree rotating turntable, plus a handheld UV lamp for the parts that need a targeted blast of light.
Every resin print comes off the build plate covered in uncured resin, and handling it without washing is how beginners end up with sticky fingers and ruined models. The washing station swirls the part in isopropyl alcohol for a set time, and the curing station rotates it under UV light so every face hardens evenly. The two-station design means you can wash one part while curing another, which matters when you print in batches.
Buyers with 10-inch printers like the Saturn 4 Ultra and the M7 should check the tank size, because terrain pieces fill the XS basket fast. For 7-inch machines like the Mars 4 Ultra and the Mono 4, it is the perfect size, and the handheld lamp is genuinely useful for curing supports and drainage holes before disposal.
✅ Pros
- Wash and cure in one tidy unit
- Handheld UV lamp for tricky parts
- Proven by 650+ UK buyer ratings
❌ Cons
- Basket too small for 10-inch prints
- Needs isopropyl alcohol to run
7. ELEGOO 8K Standard Resin
~£17 | 405nm photopolymer | 1kg | Standard resin
Resin choice matters more than most beginners expect, and ELEGOO 8K Standard is the safest first bottle you can buy. It is a 405nm photopolymer that works on any modern resin printer, from the 8K Mars through to the 16K Saturn 4 Ultra, and it cures fast with low shrinkage, which means your prints keep their dimensions instead of warping.
The Amazon UK rating of 4.6 out of 5 from over 2,700 buyers is the strongest signal on this list. Resin is a repeat purchase, so those ratings come from people who have used multiple bottles, not one excited first print. The consistent cure time makes it easy to dial in a new machine, and the low odour formulation is a genuine comfort in a small UK flat.
One bottle prints a surprising amount: a typical 32mm miniature uses around 8 to 15ml, so a 1000g bottle covers a serious painting army. Start with standard resin in a neutral colour like grey or black, because it photographs well and hides minor layer lines better than white. Move to water-washable resin only when you want to skip the isopropyl alcohol bath, and accept the higher price per bottle.
✅ Pros
- Works across 8K to 16K machines
- Low shrinkage keeps parts accurate
- Proven by 2,700+ UK buyer ratings
❌ Cons
- Still needs isopropyl alcohol to clean
- Standard resin is brittle for moving parts
How to Choose a Resin 3D Printer
Screen resolution is the headline spec, but it is not the whole story. A 10K screen on a 7-inch machine and a 10K screen on a 10-inch machine have different pixel pitches, and pixel pitch is what determines visible detail. Look for micron pitch (µm) rather than just the K number: 17x17µm is sharp on a 7-inch machine, while large-format screens need higher K counts to keep the same detail.
Think about print speed and the peeling mechanism. Tilt-release machines like the Saturn 4 Ultra print faster and fail less because the vat tilts away from the cured layer instead of yanking it off FEP film. Cheaper machines peel, which is fine, just slower and slightly more failure-prone.
Heated tanks change the hobby in the UK. Resin wants to sit at 25 to 30 degrees, and a cold garage in winter gives you failed first layers and stringy supports. The Saturn 4 Ultra has a built-in heater; every other machine on this list expects you to warm the room or use a belt-style vat heater.
Budget for the workflow, not just the printer. A £169 printer still needs a wash and cure station, nitrile gloves, isopropyl alcohol, and resin. The complete first-year cost for a budget setup is around £300. That is still cheaper than a mid-range FDM printer, and the detail is a generation ahead.
Where will it live? Resin printers are not silent or odour-free. They need a ventilated space, and the 10-inch machines need a proper bench. Measure your space before you buy, because a Saturn 4 Ultra on a cramped desk will annoy you every single day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Verdict
For most UK makers, the ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16K is the resin printer to buy if the budget stretches. The 16K screen, tilt-release speed, and heated tank remove every frustrating part of resin printing, and it is the machine you will still be happy with in five years. If you want the same detail for less money, the Photon Mono 4 Ultra is the best value high-detail machine, and the Mars 4 Ultra is the budget pick for miniature painters.
Whatever you choose, do not skip the workflow. Add the Mercury XS wash and cure station and a couple of bottles of ELEGOO 8K resin, and you have a complete resin setup that produces stunning parts from the first weekend. Still deciding between resin and FDM? Our guide to starting 3D printing walks through the difference, and the beginner FDM roundup covers the filament side of the hobby.
Alex has been building things - both digital and physical - for over 15 years. He's built home servers, restored classic cars, renovated a Victorian terrace, and once 3D-printed a working clock. When he's not covered in sawdust or solder, he's writing about the tools and tech that make it all possible.
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Last reviewed: August 14, 2026 · Evidence-based content · Contains affiliate links