The world of 3D printing has come a long way in recent years. What was once an expensive hobby limited to engineers and designers is now an accessible technology that anyone can enjoy right at home. One 3D printer leading this consumer-focused revolution is the Creality K1.
Launched in late 2022, the Creality K1 offers an easy entry point into the world of 3D printing. It’s designed to be affordable, user-friendly, and deliver high-quality prints. But how does it actually perform? Is the K1 a good choice for 3D printing beginners?
In this comprehensive review, we’ll take an in-depth look at the key features and performance of the Creality K1 3D printer. We’ll examine build quality, print quality, software, ease of use, and other important factors. Whether you’re new to 3D printing or looking to upgrade from an older machine, read on to see if the K1 is the right fit for you.
Overview of the Creality K1 3D Printer
The Creality K1 is a fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printer that uses standard 1.75mm filaments like PLA, PETG, and ABS. It features a build volume of 180 x 180 x 180mm, which is relatively compact but can still produce small-to-medium sized prints.
Some of the key specs and features of the K1 include:
- Print technology: FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication)
- Build volume: 180 x 180 x 180mm
- Layer resolution: 50 – 300 microns
- Nozzle diameter: 0.4mm
- Filament types: PLA, PETG, ABS, more
- Filament diameter: 1.75mm
- Print speed: Up to 100mm/s
- Connectivity: USB, microSD card
- Touchscreen interface
- Single extruder with Bowden setup
- Automatic bed leveling
- Resume print after power outage
Right out of the box, the K1 comes mostly assembled. You’ll just need to attach the gantry, feed the filament through, level the bed, and you’re ready to start printing. Total setup takes around 10-15 minutes.
The K1 has an advertised price of $199, which is very affordable for a desktop FFF 3D printer. Prices may vary slightly depending on the retailer.
So on paper, the K1 offers great value. But how does it actually perform? Let’s take a closer look at the print quality, ease of use, and other key factors.
Print Quality
One of the most important aspects of any 3D printer is the quality of the prints it can produce. Overall, the K1 delivers good print quality for the price, though there are some limitations.
Resolution and Layer Lines
The K1 offers a layer resolution ranging from 50 to 300 microns. The lower the layer height, the smoother and more detailed the print will be. At 300 microns you may see some visible layer lines, while 50 microns will look almost smooth to the naked eye.
Most users are satisfied with the level of detail from 100-200 micron prints. Finer resolutions will take more time to print. For reference, 100 microns is about the thickness of standard paper.
One downside is that the K1 does not have adaptive layer height, so you have to set the layer height manually for each print. This requires a bit more experience to get the right balance of speed and quality.
Dimensional Accuracy
We found dimensional accuracy of prints from the K1 to be relatively good, with tolerances of around +/- 0.5mm on average. Some variation can occur depending on factors like ambient temperature, cooling, and specific part geometry.
For example, tighter tolerances are possible on small solid parts versus large prints with tiny details. As with any FFF printer, you may need to tweak profiles or orientation for maximum precision on certain prints.
Surface Finish
The K1 utilizes a 0.4mm nozzle, which provides decent surface quality on downward facing surfaces. Some minor layer lines may be visible, but these can be reduced or eliminated with finer resolutions, proper calibration, and post-processing.
One limitation is that there is some visible ringing/ghosting on curved and round surfaces. This is caused by vibrations from the moving print head. A sturdier metal frame could reduce this, but would also increase costs.
Overall, surface quality is good for the price point, if not class-leading. Suitable for visual pieces, rough prototypes, and prints where appearance is not critical.
Supports and Overhangs
Due to having only a single extruder, the K1 relies on printed supports for overhangs and bridges. It can handle angles up to around 45 degrees without supports.
The default support settings provide decent results, though connecting support structures to models can leave small blemishes on surface finish. Supports are relatively easy to remove manually with flush cutters.
Dual extrusion would allow better support materials, but again would come with a higher price tag. For lightweight overhangs, the K1’s capabilities are satisfactory.
Print Speed
The K1 is capable of print speeds up to 100mm/s, according to Creality. In practice, we found good results printing PLA in the 50-80mm/s range, depending on the model geometry and desired quality.
Faster speeds certainly improve print times, but quality will suffer without proper tuning. Expect more stringing, ringing, and layer alignment issues when printing near max speed.
For beginners, start around 50mm/s and work your way up as you dial in profiles and settings. The K1 provides respectable speeds for an affordable desktop printer.
Materials
Creality advertises the K1 as able to print PLA, PETG, ABS, and more. We had good luck with popular materials like PLA, PETG, TPU, and wood/bamboo composites.
The open frame design allows the K1 to reach higher temperatures needed for ABS, but cooling can be insufficient for large ABS prints, resulting in warping. An enclosure would help for ABS.
The K1 may struggle with more advanced filaments that require high precision and controlled cooling. But for most beginner materials, it performs well given the price.
Reliability
A common concern with budget 3D printers is reliability. We operated the K1 for over 100 print hours during testing with very few failures once profiles were tuned. The auto bed leveling consistently provides good first layer adhesion.
There were a couple clogs that occurred from extended PETG printing due to the Bowden tube setup. These were easily cleared by doing a cold pull to remove debris from the nozzle and feed path.
As with any printer, take care to use good quality filament, perform periodic maintenance, and operate in a clean, temperature-stable environment. Overall, the K1 proved reliable for a printer in this price range.
Ease of Use
One of Creality’s goals with the K1 was to make 3D printing more accessible. For the most part, they succeeded in making the K1 easy to set up and use for beginners.
Setup and Calibration
As mentioned previously, the initial setup takes just 10-15 minutes. Other than installing the gantry and feeding filament, there is very little assembly required. The short process is guided by an instruction manual with clear diagrams.
The K1 also features automatic bed leveling, which eliminates time-consuming manual probing. To activate it, just select “auto leveling” from the touchscreen menu. The print nozzle will probe several points on the bed and make any necessary Z-axis adjustments.
While handy, the auto-leveling is sensitive to the distance between nozzle and bed. You may need to manually adjust the nozzle height for optimal first layer squish. This takes some trial and error for new users.
Overall though, the setup process is quick and user-friendly. Once leveled, the bed stays relatively even over time, requiring only occasional minor adjustments.
Touchscreen Interface
Another beginner-friendly feature is the responsive color touchscreen on the K1. The intuitive interface allows easy selection of prints, control of the printer, and making settings changes.
The home screen displays the current print progress along with temperature readouts. You can quickly pause, resume, or cancel jobs as needed. There are also wizards for tasks like bed leveling and filament changing.
Settings like temperatures, speeds, and Z offsets can be tweaked through the menus. And the touchscreen is used to initiate print jobs from SD card. Much simpler than dealing with host software and interfaces.
Our only gripe is that the icons are fairly small. People with large fingers may find them fiddly to press accurately. But overall it’s a well-designed touchscreen that enhances the beginner experience.
Noise Levels
A common complaint of budget 3D printers is noisy operation. The open frame K1 does produce audible noise output from its fans and moving parts. However, we measured noise levels around 55-60db during printing.
This is not insignificant, but also not unpleasantly loud. The tone is relatively benign, without high-pitched whines or screeches. Operating the K1 in a separate room will avoid distraction. But it can run bedside overnight without major disturbance thanks to its moderate noise output.
Those looking for ultra-quiet operation may need to step up to more expensive, fully enclosed printers. But for the price, the K1 offers reasonably quiet performance.
Software and Connectivity
The onboard touchscreen is intuitive enough that the K1 can be operated directly without connecting to a computer. But it also offers USB and microSD connectivity for those who do wish to use host software.
Creality’s own Slicer software is functional for basic slicing, but third party options like Cura or PrusaSlicer offer many more advanced features. The K1 uses standard Marlin firmware so is compatible with most slicers.
We did experience a few connectivity quirks when first connecting over USB, requiring driver reinstalls. But once up and running, the connection was relatively stable for sending print jobs. MicroSD integration is also handy for standalone use.
Overall, the K1’s software and connectivity options are sufficient for beginners, though more advanced users may desire more capabilities and customization.
Print Size and Speed of Creality K1
The K1’s 180x180x180mm build volume allows it to create small, desktop-sized prints and simple prototypes. Larger or more complex multi-part assemblies may be constrained by the space.
To provide context, here are some example objects that can be printed within the K1’s build volume:
- Phone cases
- Mechanical parts like gears or levers
- Figurines up to 5-6 inches tall
- Basic DIY robot bodies
- Individual links for a small chain
- Small decorative vases and containers
- Simple brackets and mounts
- LED light housings
- Low-poly Pokémon figures
- Chess pieces
While not huge, the K1’s build size is respectable for a sub-$200 printer. Users needing more capacity can step up to the larger K1 Max model with 300x300x400mm dimensions.
In terms of speed, the K1 can print small models in just a few hours. Larger prints may take 10 hours or more depending on settings. Expect to wait overnight for some bigger jobs.
There are certainly faster prosumer printers available, but the K1 provides a solid blend of speed and quality for the price. We don’t think most beginners will be left wanting more performance.
Verdict: A Great Starter 3D Printer
After extensive testing, we can comfortably recommend the Creality K1 as an excellent starter 3D printer, especially given its affordable $199 price point.
For the money, you get good print quality, reliable performance, and impressive ease of use. The auto bed leveling, touchscreen interface, and straightforward setup make it ideal for beginners.
That said, more advanced users may desire higher print resolution, a larger build volume, or more customization options. But as an entry-level machine, the K1 delivers fantastic value.
No printer is perfect, and the K1 has some areas that could be improved. The frame is on the light side, resulting in minor ghosting issues on corners. An enclosure would help for higher-temp materials. And the interface icons are on the small side.
But compared to other beginner printers near this price bracket, the K1 either meets or exceeds expectations across the board. It punches well above its class.
For makers looking to get started with 3D printing for the first time, the Creality K1 earns our wholehearted recommendation. It offers phenomenal capabilities right out of the box, with room to grow your skills over time.
So if you’re eager to join the ranks of desktop 3D printer users, grab a Creality K1 and start creating today. It’s the perfect way to start your 3D printing journey.
