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Quick Start Guide (Form 4L)

Quick Start Guide (Form 4L)

This guide illustrates the various components of the Form 4L, the initial setup, and how to begin printing. Review the unboxing support article for more detailed instructions on how to unbox, install, and connect your Form 4L.

Read and understand the instruction manual and its safety instructions before using the Form 4L.

Printer components

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Required for printing

  1. Build platform
  2. Resin cartridges
  3. Resin tank
  4. Mixer

Printer components

  1. Door
  2. Camera
  3. Mesh filter
  4. Tank latches
  5. Touchscreen
  6. Tool caddy
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Rear ports

  1. Power switch
  2. Power port
  3. Optional fume exhaust port
  4. USB and Ethernet ports
  5. Wi-Fi antenna port
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Included accessories

  1. Power cable
  2. Leveling disc
  3. USB cable
  4. Wi-Fi antenna
  5. Parallelism shims (located in tool caddy; see item 10)
  6. Hex keys (located in tool caddy; see item 10)

Unboxing

Note:

The original packaging is designed to be kept and reused for transporting or shipping the machine for service. Save the complete packaging including any inserts for your convenience.

  1. Position the Form 4L packaging near the designated location, leaving enough room for two people to comfortably maneuver throughout the area. Stand the Form 4L packaging upright to ensure it is level.
  2. Cut the shipping straps securing the printer box.
  1. Lift the outer box off the printer.
  2. Remove the power cable and accessories box from on top of the printer.
  3. Remove the two foam inserts from the top of the printer.
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  1. With two people on opposite sides of the printer, use the provided handles on the lifting straps to lift the printer out of the lower box.
  2. Carefully move the printer onto its workspace.
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Caution:

If you need to readjust the Form 4L, use the lifting straps to pick the machine back up. Do not pick up the Form 4L without the lifting straps.

  1. Remove the lifting straps from under the printer.
  2. Remove any additional wrapping and packaging from outside of the printer before connecting the machine to power.
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  1. Connect the external Wi-Fi antenna to the jack at the back of the printer.
  2. Connect the power cable to the printer and a power outlet and turn on using the rear power switch.

Setting up

Follow the prompts on the touchscreen to complete the setup procedure:

  1. Connect your printer to the internet to complete setup and install firmware with all available features.
  2. Level your printer.
  3. Insert consumables: the resin cartridges, resin tank, resin mixer, and build platform.
  4. Login to Dashboard or make an account at formlabs.com/setup.
  5. Add your printer to Dashboard to track print progress, manage printers, and more.

Contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller for additional product support.

Next steps

Once you’ve set up your Form 4L, download PreForm to your computer and start printing.

Prepare a file for printing

After downloading PreForm, read the support articles on designing successful 3D models and using PreForm to learn more about the software and preparing models for printing on Formlabs SLA printers.

If this is your first time using PreForm, an onboarding tutorial will appear and walk you through the software’s capabilities. Click Help > Show Onboarding Tutorial to review this information at any time.

Send your file to the printer

When you’re ready, send your print to your Form 4L or print a job remotely and start printing.

Start a print

If you inserted a resin tank, resin cartridge, and build platform into your Form 4L during the setup process, the printer should be ready to print and will start automatically. If not, confirm the print on the printer touchscreen to start.

Finish your printed part

Once the print is complete, remove the build platform from the printer, wash any remaining liquid resin off your printed part, and post-cure and remove supports as necessary. Read the support article on SLA basic finishing steps to learn more.

Between prints

Between prints, be sure to keep your Form 4L clean, paying particular attention to spilled resin. Handle the Form 4L resin tank with care to ensure print success and printer reliability.

Notice:

If you leave the build platform on its mount and power off the printer, the build platform will slowly lower under its own weight. This includes power cycling during a firmware update. If the build platform has any sharp printed parts on it, this could damage the resin tank or Light Processing Unit. To prevent this, remove the build platform from the printer before turning it off, particularly if there are still any parts on the build platform.