Formlabs was founded out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011 to bring high-resolution, low-cost 3D printing to the world. The first Formlabs 3D printer, the Form 1, was announced in October 2012 through a Kickstarter campaign. The campaign raised a record $2.95 million in funding and the first Form 1 3D printers started shipping in 2013.

The Form 1+ and the Form 2 are the latest-generation 3D printers from Formlabs. They were released in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Like their predecessor, the Form 1, the Form 1+ and Form 2 are stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers. They use a high precision optical system to direct a laser across a tank of liquid resin. The laser causes a very thin layer of resin to solidify. This process is then repeated until the object is printed. The results are amazing – models printed with a Formlabs 3D printer are super-detailed and parts are end-use worthy.

The Form 2 boasts a 42 per cent bigger build volume than the Form 1+ and it is also up to 50 per cent faster. The 2 also boasts a sliding peel mechanism and a new automated and heated resin tank, all of which makes the Form 2 the best Formlabs 3D printer ever made. If you are torn between a lower-cost fused filament fabrication 3D printer and the fanciness of a stereolithography printer, we recommend SLA if your application requires highly-detailed and super-consistent parts. SLA produces higher quality prints than FFF in most applications.