Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra is the best resin printer that I have ever used. Hands down.
That is not to say that it is perfect by any means, but the fact that I am saying this right up front is a testament to how well I think Elegoo have listened to the market and have delivered something worthy of recommendation.
I’ve tested and used many printers over the years, and as mentioned in previous articles, I have been a fan of Elegoo printers for ages.
The original Saturn is still going strong in my workshop even after all this time.
This new Elegoo Saturn stands out for ease of use, printing speed, and capacity, without sacrificing quality.
There are a few niggles, but overall, this machine sets the standard.
Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra Design and Build
The Saturn 4 Ultra retains the cool, modern aesthetic Elegoo is known for. In all the ways that matter, it is essentially a bigger version of the Mars 5 Ultra that I enjoyed so much.
It features an up-and-over lid design, making print access far more convenient than traditional lift-off covers. For anyone running the printer in a farm, the lid can be removed.
Keep in mind though the additional space needed when the lid is fully open. You’ll need about 51–52 cm in depth and 76–78 cm in height to fit it comfortably.
While the machine is mostly plastic, it feels substantial with a hefty metal base, and has a better-sealed lid than many recent printers, though it lacks a built-in heater unlike it’s new stablemate, the 16K.
This lack of heat is the main gripe I have with this machine, and accounts for all but one of the print failures I had testing it.
Saturn 4 Build Volume and Resolution
The build volume is excellent at 218.88 x 122.88 x 220 mm, perhaps a downer for people needing maximum height, but for most users, this is an excellent medium-size capacity for the reasons people tend to buy resin printers.
The Saturn 4 Ultra features a 12K display with a resolution of 11,520 × 5120 pixels, though, like other “12K” printers, that resolution only applies to the X-axis.
That said, print quality remains excellent, and is more than sufficient for detailed tabletop fare, such as wargames or roleplaying miniatures.
Surprisingly, there’s no included screen protector?
Tilting Vat & Speed
The Saturn 4 Ultra features the tilting vat mechanism that we saw on the Prusa SL1 and the Mars 5 Ultra. This significantly reduces peel force between layers and that means faster printing, fewer failures, and potentially finer support points.
It’s one of the best advancements in resin printing and works exceptionally well here.
The resin vat is deeper than previous models to accommodate the tilt and it also features molded spouts in the corners for fewer accidents while pouring.
Another major change is that Elegoo has switched from ACF (fast-release) film back to crystal-clear PFA film, prioritizing fine detail over speed. With the tilting mechanism compensating for the increased release force, this change makes sense and results in high-quality prints without slowing things down.
Saturn 4 Ultra Build Plate and Mechanics
The build plate has a laser-textured surface familiar from other models, supposedly improving adhesion. Personally, I would prefer they go with a magnetic flex plate and I will likely be getting a third-party one sooner rather than later.
This build plate is held in place using a clamp rather than a knob, which I prefer. However be warned, there’s a sizable gap between the plate and its upper frame, meaning resin can annoyingly collect there.
One small downgrade is that Elegoo has reverted to a lead screw instead of the ball screw though it doesn’t seem to noticeably impact print quality.
There’s also no built-in carbon filter, but the printer does have a vent hole for external exhaust systems.
Saturn 4 Ultra Usability
Saturn’s touchscreen UI is very nice, though interesting choice of going with portrait orientation means for my tired, old eyes the text is small. As well as giving nice calibration and testing features it also provides features like real-time exposure adjustment.
Elegoo has also switched back to Chitubox Basic as the included slicer, and the software now supports network connectivity, allowing remote print management, camera monitoring, and time-lapse downloads. While convenient, Chitubox still has its quirks, and personally, I could not get the network printing feature to function.
The Saturn 4 Ultra does include 6.3 GB of internal storage which is handy for repeated printing.
Not Quite Ready for Prime Time: AI Camera and Failure Detection
The AI-powered camera is meant to detect print failures, but I haven’t found it useful, especially as the dark interior of the printer with the lid closed.
When a print failure occurs on the far side of the plate, the camera doesn’t see it.
None of the temperature-inflicted failures were detected. If they were I could have saved a lot of time and resin, so it is a shame.
In fact the only thing that stopped the failures was blasting the printer with a fan heater, which unfortunately killed my wifi antenna in the process.
(After failing to get network printing to work so no big loss)
Oops.
Saturn 4 Ultra Wins: Print Speed and Quality
The Saturn 4 Ultra is significantly faster than previous models. Thanks to the tilting vat, layer releases take a couple of seconds, even in the less-than-ideal temperatures of my workshop.
Compare this to the 7 seconds or more on previous printers, an incredible improvement all while maintaining excellent details in the results.
Elegoo’s exposure testing feature allows for quick resin calibration by printing four models at different exposure times in a single run.
Don’t believe the hype and go buying $100 resins – I tested the printer with basic, cheap ABS-like resin and got very satisfactory results.
Pros and Cons
While one of my favourite things about this printer is the value for money (Warhammer fans especially will soon make more than their investment back), the machine has a LOT going for it.
Pros:
- Good capacity for large prints plus the tilting vat speeds up printing significantly.
- Excellent print quality on par with top 12K printers.
- Auto exposure calibration for easy resin tuning.
- Chitubox network features for remote management.
- Nice design touches (eg. colour screen and up-and-over lid design).
Cons:
- No built-in heater, despite a sealed design.
- No screen protector included.
- AI camera’s usefulness is questionable.
- Lack of a built-in light.
- Fixed build surface, would prefer removable magnetic flex plates.
Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra Review Conclusions
The Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra is the best resin printer currently available, at a great price, offering speed without sacrificing detail, and without forcing you to use proprietary and expensive resins.
It’s the best choice for anyone looking for a great value, high-quality resin printer, or even to build a print farm.
I’ll be testing Elegoo’s optional heater when it’s available, as well as comparing the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K if/when I get the opportunity.
