With Open Material Mode, you can print with any type of 405 nm photopolymer resin on Formlabs SLA printers. Open Material Mode is available for a one-time lifetime fee per printer.

Follow the steps in this article to print with Open Material Mode on your Formlabs SLA printer.

• A printer with Open Material Mode activated
• Form 3 generation: version 2.5.0 and later
• Form 3L generation: version 2.5.0 and later
• Form 4 generation: version 1.6.0 and later
• The latest version of PreForm installed
• Form 3 generation: version 3.37.1 and later
• Form 3L generation: version 3.37.1 and later
• Form 4 generation: version 3.38.1 and later

Para imprimir con el Open Material Mode, primero hay que crear un ajuste de impresión utilizando el Editor de ajustes de impresión de PreForm:

1. Abre PreForm.
2. Haz clic en Edit > Print Settings Editor (Editar > Editor de ajustes de impresión). Aparecerá la ventana Print Settings Editor (Editor de ajustes de impresión), que muestra una lista de los ajustes de impresión personalizados ya existentes.
3. Haz clic en New Print Setting (Nuevo ajuste de impresión). Aparecerá una lista de ajustes de impresión de Formlabs.
4. Selecciona tu tipo de impresora en el menú desplegable del filtro por tipo de impresora.

5. Pick a Formlabs material that has the closest properties to the resin you want to print with. A list of validated print settings for that Formlabs material appears.

6. Selecciona un ajuste de impresión. Haz clic en Copy & Edit Selected (Copiar y editar la selección). Aparecerá una pantalla con el nuevo ajuste de impresión.

7. Pon la opción Open Material en ON. El botón se pondrá azul.

8. Edit any other parameters you want to modify.
9. Give the setting a custom name, edit print parameters, and then click Save. Your custom print setting is saved and the My Settings list appears.

The print setting is now available to set up jobs using any 405 nm photopolymer resin.

Una vez creado un ajuste de impresión personalizado con la opción Open Material, puedes utilizarlo para dividir trabajos en capas y enviarlos a una impresora con el Open Material Mode activado.

1. Si la ventana del Editor de ajustes de impresión sigue abierta, haz clic en X para cerrarla. Aparecerá el espacio de trabajo principal de PreForm.
2. En el panel Job Setup (Configuración del trabajo), haz clic en Edit Job Setup (Editar configuración del trabajo). Aparecerá la pantalla Job Setup (Configuración del trabajo).
3. Selecciona o añade una impresora que tenga activado el Open Material Mode. Una cinta azul junto al nombre de serie de la impresora indica que el modo se ha activado.

4. Desplázate hacia abajo hasta la sección Choose Material (Elegir material). Selecciona Open Material.

5. Scroll down to the Choose Print Settings section. Select the print setting you created earlier.

6. Click Apply. The main PreForm workspace reappears.
7. In the Job Setup card, confirm that the resin has been set to Open Material V1 and your custom print setting has been selected.

8. Set up your job and upload it to your printer, as you would with a Formlabs print setting.

Insert a new resin tank and manually pour in the resin you want to print with. When printing with a job with Open Material Mode, automatic resin dispensing is disabled.

When printing with Open Material Mode, the printer behaves differently than when printing with a Formlabs resin. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. The printer will not automatically dispense resin from the cartridge. Manually pour resin into the tank before starting a print. Pour enough resin to cover the tank film.
2. The printer will not detect the resin level in the tank automatically and will not warn you if the resin is too low or if the tank is overfilled. Monitor the resin level in the tank during the print and manually refill the tank as needed.
3. Normally, Formlabs SLA printers warn you about resin tank and resin cartridge mismatches to avoid dispensing incorrect resin. For jobs set up with Open Material Mode, this check is disabled. If you’re printing with different resins in different tanks, mark them appropriately to avoid mixing resins.
4. The printer will not provide automatic tank lifetime warnings for tanks used with non-Formlabs resins.

Printer and consumable performance may also change depending on the third-party resin you are using.

Depending on the non-Formlabs resin you are printing with, the tank lifetime may be shortened. Performance may degrade significantly and lead to tank failures and damage to your printer. You are responsible for monitoring lifetime and performance of the resin tank.

Formlabs SLA printers heat resin while preparing for a print. For non-Formlabs resins, this may lead to evaporation of volatile components. Ensure appropriate ventilation when printing with third-party resins.