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{{#seo:description=Formlabs charges $875-$11,899 per printer to use third-party materials, acquired & killed a $2,999 SLS competitor, and obsoleted the Form 2 via resin DRM.}}
{{CompanyCargo
{{CompanyCargo
| Type =
|Founded=2011
| Founded =
|Industry=3D printing
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|Logo=Formlabs logo.svg
| Official Website =
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}}[[wikipedia:Formlabs|Formlabs]], a Massachusetts based 3D printing company started in 2011 founded by Maxim Lobovsky, David Cranor, and Natan Linder, all three MIT Media Lab students. The company got it's start by raising nearly $3 million on it's Kickstarter campaign to release the Form 1 as their first 3D printer.  
|Type=Private
|Website=https://formlabs.com
|Description=Charges $875-$11,899 per printer to use third-party materials; acquired & canceled a $2,999 SLS competitor to protect its $28,989 Fuse 1+
}}
 
'''Formlabs''' is a 3D printing company that charges its customers $875 to $11,899 per printer for the permission to use third-party materials on hardware they already own.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store">{{Cite web |title=Open Material Mode |url=https://formlabs.com/store/materials/open-material-mode/ |website=Formlabs |access-date=2026-04-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260116171208/https://formlabs.com/store/materials/open-material-mode/ |archive-date=2026-01-16}}</ref> In July 2024, Formlabs acquired Micronics, a startup building a $2,999 desktop SLS printer funded on Kickstarter, & immediately canceled the product.<ref name="formlabs-acquires-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs Acquires Micronics to Develop the Next Generation of Accessible SLS |url=https://formlabs.com/blog/formlabs-acquires-micronics/ |website=Formlabs |date=2024-07-11}}</ref><ref name="3dprint-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs Buys Nascent SLS 3D Printer Competitor Micronics |url=https://3dprint.com/311327/formlabs-buys-nascent-sls-3d-printer-competitor-micronics/ |website=3DPrint.com |date=2024-07-11}}</ref> The cheapest SLS printer Formlabs sells starts at $28,989; the Micron would have cost roughly 1/10th that price.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing">{{Cite web |title=How to Compare SLS 3D Printer Prices |url=https://formlabs.com/blog/selective-laser-sintering-sls-3d-printer-price/ |website=Formlabs |access-date=2026-04-04}}</ref><ref name="3dprint-micronics" /> Founded in 2011 by MIT Media Lab students Maxim Lobovsky, David Cranor, & Natan Linder, the company raised $2.95 million on Kickstarter for its first printer & has since raised over $230 million in venture funding.<ref name="wikipedia-formlabs">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formlabs |website=Wikipedia |access-date=2026-04-04}}</ref>
 
== Consumer-impact summary ==
 
* Formlabs charges a per-printer license fee ranging from $875 (Form 4) to $11,899 (Fuse 1 series) for the permission to use third-party materials on hardware the customer already owns.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" />
* The company acquired Micronics in July 2024 & canceled the Micron, a $2,999 SLS 3D printer that had raised over £1 million from 431 Kickstarter backers.<ref name="3dprint-micronics" /><ref name="develop3d-micronics" /> Formlabs' own SLS printer, the Fuse 1+ 30W, starts at $28,989.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing" />
* The Form 2 uses proprietary DRM-chipped resin cartridges. Formlabs committed to supplying consumables through 2023, then left the end date ambiguous; by September 2024 consumables were still available but with no guaranteed supply timeline.<ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-support">{{Cite web |title=Ongoing Support for the Form 2 |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/ongoing-support-for-the-form-2/22871 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2019-04-02}}</ref><ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-consumables">{{Cite web |title=Form 2 availability of consumables |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-availability-of-consumables/39108 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2024-09-17}}</ref>
 
== Incidents ==
 
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:Formlabs|Formlabs category]].
 
=== Acquisition of Micronics ===
 
Formlabs acquired Micronics on July 11, 2024, & canceled the Micron desktop SLS 3D printer the same day.<ref name="formlabs-acquires-micronics" /> The Micron had launched on Kickstarter in June 2024 at a starting price of $2,999.<ref name="3dprint-micronics" /> The campaign raised over £1 million from 431 backers.<ref name="develop3d-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Desktop SLS start-up Micronics acquired by Formlabs |url=https://develop3d.com/3d-printing/desktop-sls-company-micronics-acquired-by-formlabs/ |website=Develop3D |date=2024-07-11}}</ref>
 
SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) printers use a laser to fuse nylon powder into parts without support structures. Traditional industrial SLS machines from manufacturers like EOS & 3D Systems cost $200,000 to $500,000 or more.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing" /> Formlabs' own SLS offering, the Fuse 1+ 30W, starts at $28,989.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing" /> The Micron at $2,999 would have undercut the Fuse 1+ 30W by roughly 10x.<ref name="3dprint-micronics" />


The company provides software and consumables as well as entire machines, and has branched into the industrial sector providing full machine service as well as a "Pro Service Plan" that includes training videos and prioritized customer support options.  
Formlabs CEO Max Lobovsky acknowledged this price gap in an interview with TechCrunch, stating that Formlabs had achieved a "5x leap in starting price" with the Fuse 1 & that Micronics was "trying to do another 5x beyond that."<ref name="techcrunch-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs acquires 3D printing startup Micronics mid-Kickstarter campaign |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/11/formlabs-acquires-3d-printing-startup-micronics-mid-kickstarter-campaign/ |website=TechCrunch |date=2024-07-11}}</ref> Per Tom's Hardware, "Boppart will join the software side of Formlabs while Chan will lead the development of Formlabs next generation printers."<ref name="tomshardware-micronics">{{Cite web |title=David vs Goliath: Desktop SLS Kickstarter Ends with Acquisition |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/david-vs-goliath-desktop-sls-kickstarter-ends-with-acquisition |website=Tom's Hardware |first=Denise |last=Bertacchi |date=2024-07-11}}</ref> The Micronics brand was discontinued & the Kickstarter was canceled.<ref name="techcrunch-micronics" />


Initially championed as an underdog fighting to bring 3D printing to the hobbyist, the company has since changed their business model and have taken a live service approach to their machines as well as choosing to make their systems more proprietary, as well as including a paid "Open Material Mode".  
Tom's Hardware headlined its coverage "David vs Goliath" & reported that the Micronics branding would be discontinued.<ref name="tomshardware-micronics" /> 3D Printing Industry reported the acquisition as producing "new accessible SLS 3D printers forthcoming," but no such product has shipped as of April 2026.<ref name="3dprintingindustry-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs acquires Micronics, new accessible SLS 3D printers forthcoming |url=https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/formlabs-acquires-micronics-new-accessible-sls-3d-printers-forthcoming-231608/ |website=3D Printing Industry |date=2024-07-11}}</ref>
==Consumer-impact summary==
3D printing has always been a consumer first field, with many of the first printers available for home use were RepRap machines, a printer created with the express purpose of being able to replicate itself with minimal external hardware that is commonly available. Much like coding bases such as Github, being open source and creating communities that work together to further 3D printing for the home user as a method to fight back against anti consumer practices has been a key tenet of 3D printing for home users. 


Formlabs has been accused of many negative business practices that harm their initial goal of creating a low cost way to create high precision parts , however these will require more research to confirm before addition. Listed below are verified anti-consumer practices.  
Formlabs offered backers a full refund plus a $1,000 credit toward any current or future Formlabs printer & a free Open Material License.<ref name="formlabs-press-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs Acquires Micronics to Further Advance Accessible SLS 3D Printing |url=https://formlabs.com/company/press/formlabs-acquires-micronics/ |website=Formlabs |date=2024-07-11}}</ref><ref name="formlabs-forum-backer-breach" /> By December 2024, backers reported on the Formlabs forum that the promised $1,000 credit had not been delivered months after submission. Some backers who attempted to use their credit toward a Fuse 1 purchase were denied a $5,000 discount for unspecified reasons. The forum thread was auto-closed in July 2025.<ref name="formlabs-forum-backer-breach">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs' breach of promised Open Material License and $1000 credit to Micronics Kickstarter Backer |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-breach-of-promised-open-material-license-and-1000-credit-to-micronics-kickstarter-backer/40715 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2024-12-27}}</ref> A $1,000 credit toward a $28,989 SLS printer represents a 3.4% discount for backers who had pledged for a $2,999 machine.


==Incidents==
=== Open Material Mode ===
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Open Material Mode (''November, 2024'')===
{{Main|link to the main article}}
Open Material Mode was initially launched in 2024 with the Form 3, and featured the ability to pay for a license to use your own materials. Virtually unheard of in 3D printing, this license does not change the function of the machine in any way and only gives you permission to use your own materials. If you do not pay for this license you will only be able to use Formlabs proprietary pre-filled resin cartridges. As a point of reference, the cheapest material offered by Formlabs (as of 7/14/25) is $79 for 1L of material, and ABSlike 3.0 by ELEGOO on Amazon is $16 for 1L (which you cannot use on the Form 4 without paying a $2,499 license fee for each printer owned).


https://formlabs.com/store/materials/open-material-mode/?srsltid=AfmBOoooEm4ZLVUdLqd0mcpV7l5SNh81dgHLQpUnv5b5nOSz0p1dtjMj
Formlabs requires a one-time per-printer software license to unlock the use of third-party resins & powders on its printers. The license, called Open Material Mode, costs $875 for the Form 4, $1,999 for the Form 3 series, $2,499 for the Form 4B, $3,999 for the Form 3L series, $4,999 for the Form 4L, & $11,899 for the Fuse 1 series.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" /> Without the license, users can only load Formlabs' proprietary DRM-chipped resin cartridges.
<!-- I will get back to writing this article to give more information, when I do I will link it here --><!--  Comparison between printed parts is difficult to do, so I will request a sample from Formlabs to compare against my own machines and materials as a point of reference -->
===Purchase of Micronics ''(July, 2024)''===
In July of 2024, Formlabs announced that they had purchased Micronics, another small Kickstarter powered 3D printing startup. In a video released by Formlabs the co-founder of Micronics Henry Chan, he admits that they will be canceling their Kickstarter and moving to Massechusets in order to work for Formlabs directly, offering a $1000 credit to anyone who supported the original campaign as well as refunding all donations. The Micron was immediately canceled, and subsequently the  
https://formlabs.com/blog/formlabs-acquires-micronics/?srsltid=AfmBOoolvJMRly8Ibc0KdBvAGKRVHmfxbB4C9d7GMyV_Ifdq5mlTZ92z


https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-spring-2025-product-announcement-coming-march-24th/43884/14
On the Formlabs community forum in September 2023, Form 3 pre-order customer rkagerer stated that paying "$6k (per printer!) for the capability" might "expose them to litigation risk given the original marketing and sales assurances" that Open Mode on the Form 3 had been promised pre-release. Another user, Reine, asked "Is Formlabs idea to charge me three times the cost of a printer to use 3rd party resins?!" Other commenters wrote that "no normal person is going to buy a 6k add on" and questioned who would buy the $6k option.<ref name="formlabs-forum-oml-6k">{{Cite web |title=Open Material License $6k per printer |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/open-material-license-6k-per-printer/36905 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2023-09-12 |access-date=2026-04-08}}</ref> Formlabs' current tiered pricing on its store lists $1,999 for the Form 3 series and $875 for the Form 4.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" />


===Deprecating support for the Form 2 ( )===
The license is free for accredited educational institutions.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" /> As of January 2026, Open Material Mode is included with new Form 4B & 4BL purchases, but owners who bought the same printers before that date must pay the full license fee.<ref name="formlabs-forum-4b-omm">{{Cite web |title=PSA to All form Form 4B & 4BL owners (Open material mode) |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/psa-to-all-form-form-4b-4bl-owners-open-material-mode/46199 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2026-03-27}}</ref> Formlabs' warranty terms state that failure modes caused by third-party materials are excluded from standard warranty coverage, adding financial risk on top of the license cost.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" />
Soon after the release of the Form 3 product line, Formlabs announced that they would be ending updates for the Form 2. Deprecating machines is expected over time, but because the Form 2 uses proprietary resin cartridges you can only use Formlabs provided materials, that notably are only optimized for their newest machines.  
https://forum.formlabs.com/t/what-formlabs-offers-when-form-2-is-dead/30572/15


https://formlabs.com/blog/formlabs-acquires-micronics/?srsltid=AfmBOor3O8NKchgjxAUCyx7YHbDv-fxHGBbckZ6oRjKaz2oByCq8O-xi
=== Form 2 deprecation ===


===Build Quality concerns (2015-2025)===
Formlabs announced the end of active support for the Form 2 in April 2019, following the launch of the Form 3 series. The company committed to selling resin tanks, cartridges, & build platforms through at least 2023.<ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-support" /> The Form 2 uses proprietary DRM-chipped resin cartridges. Without an authorized cartridge, the printer runs in a limited mode that disables the heater & wiper functions, reducing print quality.<ref name="protoart-cartridge" />


By September 2024, nine months past the stated deadline, Form 2 consumables were still available but Formlabs hadn't provided a firm end date. Users requested concrete timelines to plan investment decisions; Formlabs didn't respond in the thread.<ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-consumables" /> Once Formlabs stops selling Form 2-compatible cartridges, owners of the $3,500 printer will have no official consumable supply. The printer becomes unusable even though the hardware itself still works.<ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-support" />


https://forum.formlabs.com/t/debilitating-issues-with-formlabs-despite-investing-20-000/35322
Third-party developers attempted workarounds. ProtoART produced a Universal Cartridge, a DIY modification kit installed into an existing cartridge that allowed third-party resin use with heater & wiper functions enabled.<ref name="protoart-cartridge">{{Cite web |title=A Universal Cartridge For Form 2 3D Printers, But Should You Use It? |url=https://www.fabbaloo.com/2019/09/a-universal-cartridge-for-form-2-3d-printers-but-should-you-use-it |website=Fabbaloo |date=2019-09-12}}</ref> The Universal Cartridge is compatible only with Formlabs firmware versions through 2.2.0; the product reached end of life & is available only while supplies last.<ref name="protoart-site">{{Cite web |title=Universal Cartridge Module for Formlabs |url=https://www.lectronz.com/products/universal-cartridge-for-formlabs-form-2-form-3 |website=Lectronz |access-date=2026-04-04}}</ref>
 
== Products ==
 
* '''SLA printers:''' Form 1, Form 1+, Form 2, Form 3 series (Form 3, 3+, 3B, 3B+, 3L, 3BL), Form 4 series (Form 4, 4B, 4L, 4BL)
* '''SLS printers:''' Fuse 1, Fuse 1+ 30W
* '''Software:''' PreForm (slicing & print preparation)
* '''Post-processing:''' Form Wash, Form Cure
* '''Automation:''' Form Auto, Form Cell
 
== See also ==
 
* [[Bambu Lab]]
* [[Creality]]
* [[MakerBot]]
 
== References ==


==See also==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Formlabs]]
[[Category:3D printing]]
[[Category:Planned obsolescence]]
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