Stereolithography VS Deposition

The 3D Printing Industry as whole encompasses a vast umbrella of technology however; when you narrow it down to a specific section like consumer printers’ the options become less daunting. This section will review the two basic methods that 3D Printers use to build their structures and will help guide you in your decision of Which Printer To Buy.

	Stereolithography (SLA)	Deposition (FDM)
Cost	High	Low
Resolution	High	Medium
Mechanical Strength	Medium	Medium
Speed	High	Low

*FDM shown on left and SLA shown on the right

(Flickr Creative Commons)

As you can see in the table shown above SLA excels in most categories, which unfortunately includes the price. While its competition FDM method may not achieve a high ranking in any category it is quite well rounded and is budget friendly. However, each consumer is different will have their own preferences. For me personally the two key factors are price and resolution. On that basis FDM appears to be the better value.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the review!