WHITE PAPER
Formlabs Logo

Selecting a material in PreForm

Selecting a material in PreForm

Formlabs makes a wide variety of 3D printing materials. Each material has its own applications, formulation history, and associated print settings. Select your desired material, material version, and print setting in PreForm before setting up your print.

Selecting a material

Different materials are appropriate for different applications and are compatible with different Formlabs 3D printers. Read the support article Choosing the right material or visit the Formlabs material selector to learn more about different materials and determine which is right for you.

Note:

Different materials are compatible with different Formlabs 3D printers. If a material is not compatible with your printer, it does not appear for selection in PreForm. For example, Ceramic Resin is incompatible with the Form 3. If you have selected a Form 3, Ceramic Resin does not appear as a selectable material.

To select a material for a Formlabs SLA printer:

  1. Open the latest version of PreForm (Version 3.21.0 or later).
  2. Click Edit Job Setup. The Job Setup window opens.
  3. Select a Printer Type. A blue box appears around your selection.
  4. Select the material you wish to print in. A blue box appears around your selection.
  5. Click Apply.

Selecting a material version

Formlabs reformulates its materials periodically. Different material versions are compatible with different Formlabs 3D printers. To learn more about past formulations of Formlabs SLA resins, read the support article Resin version history.

Note:

Different material versions are compatible with different Formlabs 3D printers. If a material version is not compatible with your printer, it does not appear for selection in PreForm.

To select a material version:

  1. Open the latest version of PreForm (Version 3.21.0 or later).
  2. Click Edit Job Setup. The Job Setup window opens.
  3. Select a Printer Type. A blue box appears around your selection.
  4. Scroll down to the Choose Material section. Hover your cursor over your desired material to view the available versions for that material type. Click to select a material and version. A blue box appears around your selection.
    • If only one version of the selected material is compatible with the selected printer, other material versions are not available.
  5. Click Apply.

Selecting a material setting

Certain materials have multiple print settings available. Certain material settings may be targeted at specific uses or be used to test print process improvements. If a material has multiple print settings available, the Print Setting dropdown appears on the Job Setup screen.

Note:

Print settings labeled Beta are not fully validated. Parts printed with these print settings may not print consistently or perform the same as parts printed with default print settings.

Other print settings have an option labeled Legacy. When a print setting is promoted from Beta to Default, the previous Default setting becomes the Legacy setting. Use Legacy settings to ensure compatibility with older print jobs.

Each print setting has a version number, displayed next to its name in the format Major.Minor. A new major revision denotes an improvement in reliability, supports, or print time. A new minor revision denotes a smaller change to the print settings between major releases.

Keep track of which print setting versions produce good results for you, particularly in validated or controlled workflows. Minor revisions within the same major revision are similar, but a new major revision may require that you revalidate your workflow or stay on the previous print setting version.

To select a material setting:

  1. Open the latest version of PreForm (Version 3.21.0 or later).
  2. Click Edit Job Setup. The Job Setup card opens.
  3. Select a Printer Type and a material in the Choose Material section. A blue box appears around your selections.
  4. Scroll down to the Choose Layer Thickness section. Select the desired layer thickness. A blue box appears around your selection.
  5. Scroll down to Choose Print Setting. Select Beta, Default, or Legacy print settings. A blue box appears around your selection. Note that if only one print setting is available for the selected material and selected printer, Choose Print Settings is not clickable or may not be available.
  6. Click Apply.