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Quick Start Guide (Form 4)

Quick Start Guide (Form 4)

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

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

Form 4 generation onboarding and training videos

Printer components

Form 4 components

Required for printing

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

Printer components

  1. Printer touchscreen
  2. Tank latches
  3. Camera
  4. Cover
  5. Tool caddy
Printer components rear.

Rear ports

  1. Optional fume exhaust port
  2. Power switch
  3. Power port
  4. Rear mesh filter
  5. USB and Ethernet ports
Form 4 accessories

Included accessories

  1. Power cable
  2. Leveling disc
  3. Parallelism shims (located in tool caddy; see item 9)
  4. USB cable
  5. Hex keys (located in tool caddy; see item 9)

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 4’s packaging near the designated location, leaving enough room for two people to comfortably maneuver throughout the area. Stand the Form 4’s 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.
Lift the outer box off the printer.
  1. Remove the top protective foam from the printer.
Remove the top protective foam from the printer.
  1. With the printer still in the lower box, lift the lower box by its handles and place it on your work surface.
  1. Lift the printer out of its packaging. Place the printer on a flat, leveled surface.
Lift the printer out of its packaging.
  1. Remove the microfiber shipping cover from the printer.
  2. Remove any additional wrapping and packaging from outside of the printer before connecting the machine to power.

Powering on

Connect the power cable to the printer and a power outlet and turn on using the rear power switch.

Connect the power cable to the printer.

Note:

If the printer does not initialize and display the onboarding prompts, ensure that the cover is closed. If it is closed, open the cover and check for the two round interlock magnets located along its bottom edge. If one of the magnets has detached from the cover, it may have attached itself to the printer shell or become lodged underneath one of the resin tank latches. Readhere the magnet to the cover with an adhesive, then close the cover once dry to continue.

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 cartridge, 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.
Form 4 touchscreen.

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

Next steps

Once you’ve set up your Form 4, 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 4 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 4 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 4 clean, paying particular attention to spilled resin. Handle the Form 4 resin tank with care to ensure print success and printer reliability.