Resin printers are known for their fine detailing and high-resolution prints, and Anycubic has been a powerhouse in resin 3D printing for quite a few years now.
As a household name in resins, Anycubic’s resin selection is extensive, and it can be hard to know which one is right for you.
For 80% of general prints, the best resin to buy is Anycubic’s Standard Resin+. It’s the most versatile resin, with an impressive shelf-life and a variety of colors available.
However – for more specialized prints, you’ll need to be more specific in your choice.
I’ll compare each Anycubic resin across their ideal use cases. We’ll cover price, cure time, and shelf life, so you can pick the right resin for the job.
Most of the resins we’re going to talk about are optimized for Anycubic LCD printers, but they largely boast high compatibility and should be fine with whichever resin printer you have.
While most of Anycubic’s resins are suitable for home hobbyist printing, a few are mostly for professionals. But don’t worry, we’ll point these out clearly so you’ll know which is best for you.
Best Anycubic Resins – Full Round-Up
Anycubic Resin Reviews – A Buyer’s Guide
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Standard Resin+
- Price: $40/kg — Available at Anycubic here
- Color Options: White, black, translucent green, aqua blue, grey, beige, and clear
- Wavelength: 365 – 405nm
- Curing Time: 5 – 15s
- Shelf Life: 18 months
- Best Used For: Standard resin printing for miniatures and high-resolution projects
Anycubic Standard Resin+ is an everyday use resin that comes in a variety of colors and is perfect for you if you’ve either had bad luck with unreliable resins in the past, or are just starting out and want to get off on the right foot.
As the plus sign indicates, this is an upgraded version of the first resins Anycubic released. These upgrades include higher compatibility with DLP printing and an extended shelf life without compromising print quality.
For those of you who find you let your resins expire too often, you’ll be happy to know that the Anycubic Standard Resin+ has a shelf life of 1.5 years, which is 6 months longer than your run-of-the-mill resin types.
If you want to buy in bulk and have a few more options, you can opt for one of Anycubic’s colored UV resins that are of excellent quality at a reduced cost. Buying one of these bundles even lets you randomize which color you get if you’re not too picky.
Plant-Based Eco UV Resin
- Price: $35/kg — Available at Anycubic here
- Color Options: Gray, black, white, pink, blue, yellow, clear, translucent green
- Wavelength: 355 – 410nm
- Curing Time: 8 – 10s
- Shelf Life: 12 months
- Best For: Good quality prints for people wanting to be more eco-friendly while 3D printing
With plastics and resins being some of the main 3D printing materials, there are naturally some environmental concerns involving wastage and sustainable materials.
Anycubic does its bit to address these concerns with its plant-based UV resin selection. Made from soybean oil, they’re completely biodegradable and free from toxic oil-based chemicals. This means they’re completely recyclable and compostable for a completely green lifecycle.
You may be concerned that greener solutions mean spending more or sacrificing quality, but that isn’t the case here. Anycubic’s plant-based UV resins are just as reliable and sturdy as their traditional counterparts, and at only around $35 per kilogram, it’s actually on the cheaper end of the scale too.
Please note that the color options available depend on the package you buy, as some colors including translucent green and pink aren’t available in the larger 3kg bottles as of writing.
It’s also worth noting that while the plant-based resins boast low shrinkage, they are optimized mainly for the Anycubic Photon range, and will have better results if used with that or similar 3D printers. This is not to say you’re limited to only the Anycubic Photon 3D printers, but you may lose some reliability if you branch out with your hardware.
Water-Wash Resin+
- Price: $38/kg — Available at Anycubic here
- Color Options: White, black, gray, clear, aqua blue, and clear
- Wavelength: 365 – 405nm
- Curing Time: 2 – 6s
- Shelf Life: 18 months
- Best For: Long-lasting prints with incredibly high detail and durability
One of the reasons to go for FDM over resin printing is that resin is generally less durable and likely to crack or wear faster.
Anycubic’s Water-Wash Resin+ massively increases the shelf life of your creations with a new formula that lets you wash and cure your prints without worrying about breakage. Effectively, the water-wash resin is perfect for those of you who want something that lasts and is easy to care for without compromising detail.
This resin differs from most resins by being incredibly easy to wash. While most other resins require chemical treatments or wash and cure machines to post-process, Water-Wash resin can be treated with a standard faucet and some scrubbing.
This also means that resin spills or wastages are significantly easier to clean than standard resins, which will need some chemical-based solutions to scrub off. All-in-all, Water-Wash resins make cleaning and post-processing your prints so much easier.
Because of its incredibly low shrinkage, water-wash resins are capable of remarkably high detailing and accuracy, making them perfect for intricate figurines like anime and Warhammer models that you want to make as realistic as possible.
The low viscosity also makes for faster printing times, which is great news for those of you who are sick of waiting around for quality results.
While optimized for Anycubic LCD printers, the water-wash resins are compatible with a wide variety of printers, so there’s no need to feel limited. And while you can wash them with simple tap water, the Anycubic Wash and Cure machine or an ultrasonic washer are both great ways to ensure the best results.
Don’t worry, this resin can take it.
Special UV Resin for Casting
- Price: $79.99/500g — Available at Anycubic here
- Color Options: Green only
- Wavelength: 405nm
- Curing Time: 15 – 20s
- Shelf Life: 12 months
- Best Used For: Professional casting applications like dental casting and jewelry
Using special UV resin for casting has had a lot of applications used in professional fields like medicine and jewelry making. Designed to be a more malleable and accurate alternative to wax, it’s mainly used for practical purposes rather than just simple modeling.
In essence, this is not the resin for hobbyists. It’s designed for professional and educational applications and should be overlooked if you’re here strictly as a casual 3D printing enthusiast.
While manipulatable, Anycubic’s special resin for casting is very tough and reliable, though is still prone to fracturing if you’re not careful with your settings. The strong adhesion also balances a solid attachment to the mold while still being easy to pry off without risking breakage.
One of the best reasons to use Anycubic’s resin for casting is the high-speed solidifying. This is perfect for those of you who need a good cast made in record time for higher turnover rates.
UV resin for casting is also a lot more durable than other resins. Where most resins will fade and wear with exposure to the elements, UV resin for casting is a lot stronger, meaning there are fewer storage concerns.
Flexible Tough Resin
- Price: $45.99/kg — Available at Anycubic here
- Color Options: White, black, gray, clear, and translucent green
- Wavelength: 365 – 405nm
- Curing Time: ~10s
- Shelf Life: 18 months
- Best Used For: Anything from models to DIY parts and anything that needs to be strong but flexible
Anycubic flexible tough resin certainly lives up to its name by being an incredibly resilient resin that’s easily manipulatable. It can bend without breaking and can still stand up to some tough treatment due to its high tensile strength.
It’s a little pricier than most other resins available, but it can’t be beaten in terms of reliability. It’s also a highly compatible resin that most LCD printers should be able to handle with ease.
The best thing about the flexible tough resin is the scope of what you can make. Unlike other resins, it isn’t strictly limited to aesthetics, and so has some practical potential too. Resins that are both flexible and strong are ideal for things like moving parts, action figures, and even home repair.
Hobbyists will appreciate the high reliability and scope of things you can make with flexible tough resin, and professionals will be happy to know that the strength and flexibility lend themselves well to the manufacturing of DIY parts and usable tools.
These benefits don’t cost any quality, either. Like all Anycubic resins, the flexible tough resin has low shrinkage and is capable of incredible detail and high-resolution prints. So you won’t have to worry about trading aesthetics for strength.
Dental Non-Castable UV Resin
- Price: $53.99/500g — Available at Anycubic here
- Color Options: PeachPuff only
- Wavelength: 405nm
- Curing Time: 4 – 6s
- Shelf Life: 12 months
- Best Used For: Dentistry teaching where castable resins don’t apply
Dental non-castable UV resin is mainly used as a teaching tool for dentistry. Its strength and high resolution lend themselves well to detailed models that are perfect for educational purposes.
Much like the castable resin, this kind balances high adhesion for more accuracy while also being easy to remove without damaging the finished model. It’s also just as resilient and easy to store, making it ideal for long-term use without having to worry too much about environmental effects.
The high solidification lends itself well to educational purposes by increasing how many different models you can make over a given time. This means it can be used to quickly make models of different kinds of teeth formations showcasing genetic and environmental factors that affect dental health and care.
Be advised that non-castable UV resin is designed only for use with LCD machines and is not recommended for other printer types.
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