DLP vs LCD Dental 3D Printing — Which Technology Is Right for Your Lab or Dental Practice?
With dental 3D printing adoption growing over 20% annually, choosing the right technology has never been more important. Whether you’re a lab technician, a dentist, or a practice owner, understanding the difference between DLP and LCD printing can save you hours in workflow and money in wasted materials.
While both technologies use UV light to cure resin layer by layer, how they do it makes all the difference — especially when it comes to print speed, precision, and product longevity.
The Concept Is the Same: Light Cures Resin
Both Digital Light Processing (DLP) and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) are used for resin polymerization. In dental 3D printing today, these are the two predominant technologies.
The principle is based on turning a liquid into a solid printed application – today this covers a range of dental applications from non-biocompatible dental models for crown and bridge work, aligner production and more to biocompatible printed applications such as restorations, dentures, orthodontic appliances and more.
Both DLP and LCD make use of a UV light source that transforms photosensitive liquid resin into a solid material through a chemical bond reaction that shapes the photopolymer resin into different applications layer by layer. While in principle, that makes them sound similar enough, each technology achieves this in different ways.
The Technology behind DLP and LCD printing
Digital Light Processing (DLP) – Speed & Precision with Projection Technology
Originally designed by Texas Instruments (1987), DLP was conceived as the technology behind projectors. The exact same technology as used in projectors used to play TV shows, present presentations and more.
- Uses a digital projector paired with a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) to project an entire layer at once.
- Cures resin uniformly and rapidly, offering exceptional accuracy and minimal calibration needs.
- As a mature, proven, and fast technology , DLP is perfect for demanding dental workflows.
Key Advantage: Each flash of light cures an entire layer in seconds, leading to faster builds with consistent quality.
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) – Budget-Friendly and Readily Available
When it comes to 3D Printing, the technology works by projecting UV lights via an array of LEDs that shine through an LCD “filter” that lets the light pass in the areas of the layer that are meant to be cured (Similar to your smartphone screen controlling which pixels light up).
LCD Key Features
- Uses an array of UV LEDs behind an LCD screen to selectively cure areas.
- Cheaper to produce and widely available, LCD printers are a popular entry point for new users or practices just beginning to integrate 3D printing.
Benefit: Lower upfront cost and accessibility make LCD an option for small clinics, orthodontic practices, or as a secondary printer.
Downside: The higher the number of LEDs employed, the higher the risk of lacking light uniformity over time resulting in inconsistent print results.
How do DLP and LCD 3D Printers differ?
The key difference, as described in the previous paragraph shows that DLP and LCD are two fundamentally different technologies achieving the same goal: turning liquid resin into solid printed parts.
Now we take a closer look at how this affects the reality of dental labs and dental offices using 3D printing technology.
Product and Component Longevity – LCD vs DLP
LCD 3D printers have a key disadvantage. The highly intense light needed to cure through an LCD screen will deteriorate both the LCD panel and LEDs with each usage.
This results in 2 common issues with LCD printers:
- Replacement of the LCD panel – how soon this happens depends on the quality of the components and the frequency of use. LCD panels can be exchanged quickly and inexpensively. However, if not diagnosed right away, they will cause print failures.
- Inconsistent light source – today, LCD 3D printers employ often more than 50 LEDs at a time (depending on build size). The more LEDs are utilized the higher the risk of inconsistency between the individual LEDs. This will result in failed prints and in most cases the 3D printer will need to be replaced when this issue occurs.
DLP has a key advantage: using a single light source (1 LED built within the projector) removes the risk of light inconsistency. The projectors built into dental 3D printers have continuously improved over the last 15 years and are known for long-lasting performance.
Given the long story of DLP, there’s plenty of research that can back up the superior results it offers for precision-dependent applications such as dental restorations. Peer-reviewed research confirms: ” DLP 3D printers are more accurate in terms of dental model printing than LCD 3D printers.” (MDPI, 2022).
How do we ensure consistent light intensity with DLP:
DLP printers, like the D50+, and D90+ provide a calibration sensor that enables users to recalibrate the light source and ensures continued consistency in the print results. The process takes up only 10 seconds each time. It guarantees accuracy and consistency in the final results that outperform LCD printers.
3D Printing Speed Comparison
The reality of today’s dental office and dental laboratories is that fast 3D printing is crucial to ensure patients and customers have a comfortable experience and receive treatment as quickly as possible.
DLP has a clear edge in this case. Let us explain why.
Why is LCD 3D printing slower than DLP?
In an LCD 3D printer light has to move through an LCD panel before reaching the resin in the resin reservoir. The light has to travel through the panel with every layer that is printed, per dental model this process happens around 200-250 times. This additional obstacle makes LCD 3D printing slower than DLP as it reduces the power efficiency in order to preserve the LEDs life cycle. Tthis additional strain is also the reason why LCD 3D printers will require maintenance or replacement of the light source (LEDs) and the LCD panel with absolute certainty.
DLP Printing enables High Speed Turnaround Times
The projector inside the DLP 3D printer creates the mask while also creating the light within. No additional layer needs to be passed. This makes DLP 3D printing incredibly efficient and is the reason why DLP printers are across the board faster than LCD printers.
For example, the Rapid Shape PRO 20 prints 2 Crown & Bridge Models in just 15 minutes at 50μm with Force Feedback Technology + RS Turbo.
By comparison, most currently available LCD 3D printers will need more than 90 minutes for the same print jobs at the same layer thickness.
Final Thoughts – DLP vs LCD – Which One to Go For?
As mentioned throughout the article, there are several factors to consider when choosing which way to go: budget, precision requirements, time constraints, CAD design knowledge, and workflow volume all carry significant decision-making weight.
If you prioritize speed, precision, and reliability, DLP is the clear winner — especially for high-volume dental labs or clinics scaling their digital workflows.
LCD may still be suitable for entry-level users, smaller practices, or as a cost-effective backup device.
While both DLP and LCD printers can get the job done, finding the right printer for your specific needs is best done by talking to an expert and guide you towards the right decision to kickstart your digital workflow journey.
DLP 3D Printers vs LCD? Quick Comparison Overview
| Feature | DLP Technology | LCD Technology |
|---|---|---|
| Light Source | Single projector with DMD | Array of UV LEDs + LCD screen |
| Print Speed | Faster (15 min for C&B models) | Slower (90+ min for same job) |
| Light Uniformity | Consistent across build platform | Variable, degrades over time |
| Maintenance | 10-second calibration | LCD panel + LED replacement needed periodically |
| Precision | Superior accuracy (research-backed) | Good accuracy, but less consistent |
| Initial Cost | Higher upfront investment | Lower entry price |
| Long-term Value | Better ROI, less waste, higher production | Higher ongoing maintenance costs |
| Ideal For | Labs and Dental Clinics that need High capacity and clinical accuracy | Entry-level users, cost-effective backup |
References: Peer-Reviewed Research:
- Comparison in Terms of Accuracy between DLP and LCD Printing Technology for Dental Model Printing – MDPI Journal, September 2022. DOI: Available at PubMed (36285991) and PMC (PMC9600557)
- Accuracy of 3D Printer Technologies Using Digital Dental Models – Turkish Journal of Orthodontics, 2024
