Some months ago, I reviewed the Selpic P1 or what the company called ‘the world’s smallest handheld printer’. Being a pretty nifty and versatile device, especially considering its size, it left a positive impression. As such, when the company reached out regarding their new product, a 3D printer that also features a laser engraver, I was quite excited to check out what they came up with; especially since it’s targeted at beginners. And having never used a 3D printer myself, I’m as a beginner as it gets and looked forward to getting into printing with an added dimension.

Contents & Specs

After unpacking the box that the Selpic Star A comes in, you’ll find the following items:

• Selpic Star A 3D Printer
• 10m PLA Filament
• USB-A Cable
• Power Adapter
• Screwdriver
• microSD Card Reader
• microSD Card
• Screws and Screw Caps
• Filament Shelf

And below you’ll find specs:

The Star A 3D printing beginner experience

One thing that beginners would look for after unboxing is a setup/instruction guide. However, none is to be found in the Star A’s package. This might be the case for pre-retail versions as this product recently completed its crowdfunding campaign and started shipping after reviewer units were sent. The reviewer kit might not contain all of the accessories as in the retail version (my unit also lacked a spool for the filament). Thankfully, I found a PDF set up guide in the included microSD which helped me assemble the 3D printer. It is also very much needed in order to understand the process to level the heat bed⁠—a crucial step before starting to print as otherwise the base of the printed model will lift off the heat bed. The guide also helped me to properly operate the printer as the four unlabelled buttons aren’t intuitive to use without a proper introduction to their functioning. Here a simple screen (even a retro calculator-like LCD one) would have gone a long way.

The microSD however did not include a guide to set up the free Cura software for the Star A and appropriately configure settings and slice designs for printing. Thankfully I found that elsewhere on the internet, which saved me headache-inducing trial-and-error sessions, more so given I am very much new to this world.

EDIT: Selpic confirmed that all that customers will get a paper version of all required guides, including laser engraving. So you likely won't experience the same headscratchers I initially faced, but even then I managed to set up the Star A to work correctly.

But I still came across such unwanted sessions as I learnt that I had to keep some settings fixed in Cura (Layer Height: 0.1mm, Wall Thickness: 0.8mm, Print temperature: 200, Print speed: 30) and only change the bottom/top layers according to what a model’s designer suggests. Otherwise, no filament would extrude while the printer runs normally, as if it is printing.

By-products of my trial-and-error sessions due to the fact that I did not level the heat bed before each print

I hope that both a hardware and software setup guide is indeed included in the retail version or customers might not print correctly. Without these two guides, beginners like me will definitely feel lost, if not frustrated. What’s more, these guides aren’t available on the official website nor are the official videos any instructive to handle the software or hardware.

But once I got those two guides, I was able to proceed properly and came back to them for reference even after my first print. So before printing with the Selpic Star A, be sure to get a copy of those guides! Unfortunately, there were no instructions to be found regarding the setting up of the laser engraver. As such, I did not test this module (which can somehow be swapped with the extruder module).

Printing 2020 fashion

After learning how to operate the printer (with guides), the printing process is fairly easy. Load up the design to be printed onto the microSD card in .GCODE format after slicing it with the Cura app, power on the printer, level the heat bed, load the PLA filament, run a test extrusion, start printing and wait… and wait… and wait... and wait! 

Yes, the Star A isn’t the fastest 3D printer out there. For my first print, I went with 2020 fashion, or the face mask. I used a popular model from Thingiverse and while Cura estimated it would take some 7-ish hours to print the body, it took the Star A almost 24 hours to do so. The other two parts for the filter also took more than the 40-ish minutes they were supposed to take according to Cura.

Even with the overbearingly long time it took to print all the components, I was satisfied with the output. It was accurate and the pieces fit together as they should. I did have to scrape a bit to get some parts off the heat bed but they came out fine. 

  

Selpic details that the Star A’s X-axis and Y-axis accuracy can reach 100 μm, and its Z-axis accuracy is 50 μm. Printing resolution is ±0.1 mm and the layer thickness is 0.1~0.2mm. This means that you can decently print models with fine details, given that you have enough patience to see the printing process through.

While I did have an issue with the need to keep some Cura settings fixed for slicing and proper printing as mentioned before, the printing process (once launched with the proper settings) takes place without any supervision. In this way, it’s adequate for beginners as they can let the printer do the printing and take the printed model once the process is over. Selpic even says that the Star A can resume printing from where it left off in case of a power outage. I did not risk testing this feature but it’s a nice-to-have one (if it works).

Additionally, the company says that the Star A’s working noise is below 60dB. Selpic even markets that you can sleep soundly with Star A working in your bedroom. I wouldn’t recommend this as the 3D printer emits an audible buzzing sound if you are in the same room as it is in. But if it’s in an adjacent room, the noise is less pronounced and you can effectively sleep, as I did while my mask was getting printed.

The 3D printer for beginners?

At the time of writing, the Selpic Star A is priced at $189. It’s not exactly cheap, but entry-level enough to be usable by hobbyists and those thinking of trying to get into 3D printing. It comes with everything needed to get started (hopefully including some instructions for wider release) and to get you acquainted with the process. It can help you print some small accessories or designs you’ve made or found cool online. If you have the patience, you can even print larger models.

It’s not going to win any awards on the design front and there are even wires dangling in the open. If exposed, it will inevitably accumulate dust and might be susceptible to damage. The filament shelf is very badly designed and falls off more often than it should. But on the plus side, these design hiccups make the Selpic Star A a less space-occupying and rather light 3D printer.

But if you already own a 3D printer or are knowledgeable enough about the process, there’s not much reason to invest in the Star A. The other 3D printer we reviewed, the Anycubic Photon, is currently priced at $169 and has a better design but requires extra steps and precautions to operate. This one might be better suited for those looking to get more serious about 3D printing. 

In this regard, the Selpic Star A is easier to use, relatively affordable and can act as an entry to 3D printing to eventually help users determine if this is indeed a hobby they can get into and invest in a better performing one in the future. Alternatively, it can also be used for educational purposes in schools to introduce students to the possibilities of 3D printing. It did help me print what I set out to print and I will continue using it to print some smaller tchotchkes or useable 3D printable items that catch my eye. It’s not initially as user-friendly as it claims to be nor does it pack the best design out there, but it gets the job done (eventually).

Limited-time discount 

If you are interested in getting a Selpic Star A 3D printer of your own, you can purchase one now and enjoy a limited-time discount. Until December 25th, you can get 20% off the printer. Check it out via the official store below:

Online store link