Formlabs Alpha Resins for Form Studio 1 — 6 Colours

Formlabs Alpha Resins — six resins made for the Form Studio 1

Alpha Resins are the material family Formlabs developed alongside the Form Studio 1. Six are available: Alpha Grey, White, Black and Clear for general-purpose work, Alpha Model for the finest detail and Alpha Fast for speed. Each comes in a 1 L cartridge that the printer dispenses automatically, ships with factory-tuned, accuracy-verified print settings and runs in the standard Form Studio 1 Resin Tank. The Alpha family uses low-odour components, post-processed parts meet the safety requirements for long-term skin contact, and Alpha Resins are the first 3D-printing materials certified UL GREENGUARD Gold when printed on the Form Studio 1 with the VOC Extractor.

Note: Alpha Resins run only on the Form Studio 1, not on the Form 4 / 4B / 4L / 4BL. Form 4 owners use Grey / White / Black / Clear Resin V5 instead.

Formlabs Alpha Grey Resin 1 L cartridge for Form Studio 1 — Alpha Grey

Formlabs Alpha White Resin 1 L cartridge for Form Studio 1 — Alpha White

Formlabs Alpha Black Resin 1 L cartridge for Form Studio 1 — Alpha Black

Formlabs Alpha Clear Resin 1 L cartridge for Form Studio 1 — Alpha Clear

Formlabs Alpha Model Resin 1 L cartridge for Form Studio 1 — Alpha Model

Formlabs Alpha Fast Resin 1 L cartridge for Form Studio 1 — Alpha Fast

Which one to choose

Alpha Grey / White / Black — general-purpose resins balancing speed, detail and a smooth matte finish. Formlabs rates them stronger and tougher than comparable ABS-like resins without giving up fine features: concept models, form-and-fit prototypes, jigs and fixtures. Grey is the usual starting point for parts that will be painted.
Alpha Clear — optically clear and colour-neutral with an acrylic-like surface, for transparent enclosures, lighting prototypes and moulds. Formlabs states it is clearer than Clear Resin V5.
Alpha Model — the finest detail and the most matte surface in the family, with 50 and 30 µm settings; thin features flex instead of snapping, so models survive painting, transport and drops. For miniatures, figurines and sculpture.
Alpha Fast — up to 130 mm/h (90 mm/h average) at 150–250 µm layers, filling the whole build volume in under two hours. For rapid prototypes, jigs and fixtures at 46 MPa tensile strength and 34% elongation.

Mechanical properties compared (Formlabs data)

	Alpha Grey	Alpha White	Alpha Black	Alpha Clear	Alpha Model	Alpha Fast
Ultimate tensile strength (MPa)	43	35	42	38	40	46
Tensile modulus (MPa)	2,150	1,690	2,020	1,870	1,980	2,230
Flexural strength (MPa)	75	63	65	63	57	78
Flexural modulus (MPa)	2,080	1,770	1,830	1,800	1,660	2,110
Notched Izod (J/m)	39	34	33	39	35	37
Elongation at break (%)	34	26	36	32	24	34
HDT @ 0.45 MPa (°C)	55	51	55	57	49	59
Primary layer height (µm)	100	100	100	100	50	150
Average print speed (mm/h)	40	40	40	40	13	90

Workflow

Insert the cartridge and the printer tops the tank up as the level sensor requests (shake cartridges periodically). Pick the material in PreForm and print. Afterwards wash in IPA, TPM or Formlabs Resin Washing Solution and cure in the Form Studio Wash+Cure, which defaults to 5 minutes wash and 5 minutes cure for Alpha Resins with no heat. Keep one tank per colour to switch materials instantly.

Safety

Read the safety data sheet before use and wear gloves while the resin is liquid. All resins release VOCs during printing; with the VOC Extractor on the Form Studio 1's vent port, the printer-plus-Alpha-Resins setup is certified UL GREENGUARD Gold, which Formlabs describes as the only resin printing setup with that certification.

Buying Alpha Resins from Print My Design

Pick a colour above; each cartridge is its own product. Full tax invoice on every order; our team at True Digital Park, Seacon Bangkae and Central Sriracha can help you choose the right resin.

Common questions

Do Alpha Resins work on the Form 4?

No. Formlabs developed them specifically for the Form Studio 1 and they are not compatible with the Form 4, 4B, 4L or 4BL. Form 4 printers use Grey, White, Black and Clear Resin V5.

Which tank do I use?

The standard Form Studio 1 Resin Tank, whose film is tuned for Alpha Resins. Printing them in the Resin Tank Pro is possible but not recommended: Formlabs provides no settings for it and expects roughly 60% of the standard tank's speed.

Which Alpha resin should a beginner start with?

Alpha Grey: the general-purpose balance of speed, detail and strength, with a neutral matte surface that takes paint well. Choose Alpha Model for miniatures and sculpture, Alpha Fast when iteration speed matters most, and Alpha Clear for transparent parts.

How do I wash and cure Alpha parts?

Wash in IPA, TPM or Formlabs Resin Washing Solution, then cure. The Form Studio Wash+Cure ships with 5-minute wash and 5-minute cure defaults that suit Alpha Resins, and no heat is needed; after a print the printer's screen shows the recommended times.

Are they safe to use indoors?

Alpha Resins are low-odour, post-processed parts meet long-term skin-contact requirements, and printed on the Form Studio 1 with the VOC Extractor they are certified UL GREENGUARD Gold for low chemical emissions. Gloves are still recommended for liquid resin, and the SDS applies.

How much does one cartridge print?

Each cartridge holds 1 litre. Consumption depends on part volume and supports; the printer tracks usage per cartridge and warns when it runs low, so you can keep a spare of your most-used colour.

What 3D-printing resin is

Resin is a light-sensitive liquid that an LCD/MSLA or SLA printer cures layer by layer with 405 nm light. It gives far finer detail and smoother surfaces than filament, which is why it is the standard for figures, jewellery and dental work.

What it is good for

Standard resin suits models and figures; ABS-like resin is tougher for functional parts; water-washable resin is the convenient choice at home; flexible, high-temperature, castable and dental lines are specialist materials chosen per job.

Which printer

Use a resin printer whose screen size and resolution match the part — ELEGOO Mars and Saturn series for general work, Formlabs or HeyGears professional machines for dental and engineering parts. Take exposure settings from the printer's profile for the resin brand.

Storage and care

Wear nitrile gloves and work with ventilation. Wash parts in IPA or water as the resin type requires, then cure fully under UV. Store resin in its opaque bottle away from sunlight and heat.