Lychee Slicer — Complete and Updated Guide

At 3Dwork we have been official Lychee Slicer partners for over two years. We have watched it grow from a promising slicer into what is today the most complete software for resin printing.

This guide is not a summary of the official documentation: it is what you need to know to get the most out of Lychee, from the first time you install it to the settings that make the difference between a perfect print and a failed one.

Any questions? Join our community (Spanish-language): Instagram, YouTube, TikTok. On Telegram: general group 3Dwork, Lychee-specific group Lychee — all in Spanish.

What is Lychee Slicer?

Lychee Slicer is a slicing software for resin and FDM printers, developed by the Mango3D team. It converts your 3D models into files that the printer can execute layer by layer, controlling each UV exposure. The current version is v7.6.5, available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Unlike most resin-focused slicers, Lychee also works with FDM printers, making it a unique environment for those who work with both technologies.

But its strongest point remains resin: it features tools like the suction cup detector, 3D verification of drain holes and community resin profiles, already calibrated and ready to use with small adjustments for your setup.

---

Lychee in 2026: what’s new

Version 7.x has brought significant changes that many users have not yet explored. These are the updates that have the most impact on daily use:

Feature	What’s new in v7.x
Auto-Supports 3.0	Completely redesigned ML algorithm in v7.5 — analyses the model in 3D and categorises each support type separately
TSMC with tilt	Restored with a specific toggle for printers with tilt mechanism (Saturn 4 Ultra, Mars 5 Ultra, Saturn 4 Ultra 16K)
750+ profiles	Over 750 compatible printers: resin and FDM. New ones are added every week
Drag & drop multiplate	Improved multi-plate organisation: drag models between plates with your preparation intact
Library 3D preview	Improved 3D preview in the model library — faster and with correct thumbnails
Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K	Official support added in v7.2.2, with profile validated by Mango3D

---

Lite, Plus and Library: which one you need

The question we get in every resin printer review. The honest answer: Lite is enough to get started and for 60% of users. Upgrading to Plus is justified if you print regularly or need the ML Auto-Supports.

Feature	Lite (Free)	Plus (€9.99/mo)	Plus & Library (€19.99/mo)
Basic slicing	✅	✅	✅
Manual supports	✅	✅	✅
Island detection	✅	✅	✅
Anti-aliasing	✅	✅	✅
Community profiles	✅	✅	✅
Basic hollow	✅	✅	✅
Auto-Supports ML	❌	✅	✅
Suction Cup Detector	❌	✅	✅
Hollow 3D + blockers	❌	✅	✅
Full multiplate	Limited	✅	✅
Support painting	❌	✅	✅
Grid & Projection support	❌	✅	✅
Pre-supported models (2,500+)	❌	❌	✅ 120+ libraries
Annual price	Free	€99.90/yr	€199.90/yr

---

How to download and install Lychee Slicer

The official download is at mango3d.io/downloads. The current version is v7.6.5. Available for Windows, macOS and Linux (Deb + AppImage).

• 🔗 Download Lychee Slicer 7.6.5 — Lite free, with 30-day Plus trial included
• 📚 Lychee Academy — free official tutorials to learn at your own pace
• 💬 Discord Mango3D — community of over 29,000 members with real-time support

System requirements

	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	Intel i5 / AMD Ryzen 5	Intel i7 / AMD Ryzen 7 (or Apple M1 Pro)
RAM	16 GB	32 GB or more
GPU	GTX 960 / RX 580 (1 GB VRAM)	RTX 3060+ / RX 6700+ (4 GB VRAM)
Storage	10 GB free	SSD with 20+ GB
Display	1280×800	1920×1080 or higher
OS	Windows 10 64-bit / macOS / Ubuntu	Windows 10/11 64-bit or macOS with M1+

---

First setup: printer and resin profile

The first time you open Lychee, the initial wizard asks you to configure your printer and your resin. These are the two parameters that define everything else: the build volume, resolution, and starting exposure times. Without these two correctly configured, nothing will work well.

---

The Lychee Slicer interface explained

The interface is organised into logical zones. Once you know them, the workflow becomes very fast:

• Left panel: main tools — import models, supports, hollow, cut and measurement tools.
• Central viewport (3D view): this is where you manipulate the model. Right-click to rotate camera, scroll wheel to zoom, middle-click to pan.
• Right panel — Printer: active printer selector and resin settings.
• Right panel — Settings: all slicing parameters. The most important.
• Bottom bar: plate information — estimated time, resin volume, layer count.
• Slice + Preview button: slice and review layer by layer using the Picture View and Slice View panels.

Viewing modes you need to know

• Overhang mode: colorea las zonas que necesitan soporte antes de generarlos. Úsalo siempre antes de añadir soportes.
• WireFrame: shows the polygonal mesh of the model — useful for detecting geometric issues.
• Normals mode: detects inverted normals that can cause slicing issues.
• Flip Camera: simulates the real print orientation (build plate up, resin below). What you see is exactly what your machine prints.
• Picture View: 2D view of each sliced layer — the level of detail the LCD screen actually sees.
• Slice View: 3D layer-by-layer view of the sliced model. Drag the slider and look for islands and weak zones.

---

Complete workflow: from 3D model to print file

This is the process we follow at 3Dwork. The steps are ordered by dependency — skipping one or changing the order causes 80% of the problems we see in the community.

Step 1 — Import and orient the model

Drag your STL, OBJ, 3MF or LYS/LYT file directly into the viewport. Orientation is the most important decision of the entire process — poor orientation can ruin a perfectly modelled part.

• Enable Overhang mode before orienting — you will see in real time which zones are unsupported.
• Tilt the model 30–45° relative to the build plate to reduce the maximum contact surface per layer.
• Place the surfaces with the most detail facing upwards — layers that form away from the FEP come out better defined.
• Avoid flat surfaces parallel to the build plate — they create enormous suction when peeling and can pull the part off.
• The Auto-Orient button is a good starting point, but always review manually — the algorithm does not know which surface matters most to you.

Step 2 — The Magic Button (and when not to use it)

Lychee has the Magic button — one click that does automatic orientation + automatic supports + hollow (if enabled). It is tempting, but you need to know when to use it:

• When to use it: quick prototypes, parts where orientation and support marks do not matter, first pass to check if a part is printable.
• When NOT to use it: miniatures with visible faces, jewellery, parts with critical surfaces, or when you want to control where supports go.
• The Magic Button uses the active support presets — before using it, make sure you have the right preset selected (Light for fine details, Medium/Heavy for large parts).

Step 3 — Setting up supports

Lychee Plus Auto-Supports are the most differentiating feature of the software. The ML algorithm in v7.5 analyses the model in three dimensions and classifies zones into categories: flat overhangs, angled overhangs, floating islands, fine detail zones. For each category it applies a different strategy.

Support type	When to use it	Key parameters
Auto-Support (ML)	Organic models, figures, complex parts	Preset Light/Medium/Heavy according to size
Manual	Spot corrections, critical zones the auto does not cover	Tip: 0.2–0.4 mm; Mid: 0.8–1.2 mm
Support Painting	Large surfaces with continuous overhangs	Medium-high density, long brush strokes
Projection Support	Flat or mechanical surfaces with regular geometry	Grid spacing: 1–2 mm
Grid Support	Wide bases or high-density rafts	Spacing 2–4 mm

Step 4 — Hollow and suction cup detection

For large solid parts, hollowing them out can save 50–70% of resin. Go to Tools → Hollow.

• Wall thickness: 1.5–2 mm for decorative figures; 2–4 mm for functional parts.
• Add a minimum of 2 drain holes — one at the bottom zone (so resin can escape during printing) and one at the top (for ventilation).
• Minimum hole diameter: 3–4 mm for standard resins; 5–6 mm for dense resins.
• Use Interior/Exterior view mode to verify there are no closed cavities.
• The 3D Drain Holes Verification tool (Plus) checks in real time whether the holes are correctly placed before slicing.

Step 5 — Slicing parameters

The Settings panel is where you decide the quality and reliability of the print. See the full parameters section below.

Step 6 — Anti-aliasing

The parameters we use at 3Dwork: Smooth Surfaces enabled, radius 2 px, grey offset 40%. This setting smooths the edges between pixels without blurring fine detail, although depending on the XY resolution and layer height you use, it is often advisable to simply leave it disabled.

Step 7 — Slice, review and export

Click Slice. The time ranges from 10 seconds to several minutes depending on size and your hardware. When done, two complementary views appear:

• Picture View (2D): what the LCD screen actually sees on each layer — the most faithful representation. Navigate layer by layer looking for islands (areas without contact with the previous layer).
• Slice View (3D): volumetric view of the sliced model. Useful for verifying the overall support structure.
• Use the Simulator to see the print animated layer by layer — you spot risk zones much faster visually.
• Once satisfied, click Save to export in your printer’s format (.ctb, .goo, .photon, etc.) or send directly via WiFi if your printer is on the same network.

---

Slicing parameters: definitive guide

This is where you win or lose. Every parameter matters. We explain what each one does and the starting values we use at 3Dwork — but again, this is a guide to introduce you to what these settings do. The ideal approach is to experiment and learn to use them for your own printer, resin, printing conditions, and preferences.

A feature we love, for getting reference values, is the community profiles section where we can search for values from other users for our specific machine/resin/layer height combination — always helpful.

Layer height/thickness

Resin or filament printers work in a simple way — they deposit material layer by layer to build the object being printed. In resin printing, layer height mainly affects the final quality on one hand, and print time on the other.

Another important aspect for selecting our optimal layer height is to look at our machine’s pixel size, and since we are aiming for the best definition, use a layer height value that gives us the squarest voxel possible. For example, if our machine has a pixel resolution of 29 µm, the optimal layer height will be 30 µm (0.03 mm).

For reference: the human eye supposedly cannot distinguish layer heights below 0.02 mm, so if you want to play with this parameter the typical floor is 0.03 mm.

Finally, we must also consider the quality and design of the object to print. A figure that lacks good design resolution or fine details probably does not warrant a low layer height since we will not gain any benefit from it.

Thickness	Ideal use	Relative time
0.02 mm	Display quality: showcase pieces, macro photography	Very slow — only for extreme cases
0.03 mm	Maximum detail: miniatures, jewellery, dental parts	Slow — ~3× compared to 0.05
0.05 mm	Standard — the best quality/speed balance	Reference
0.08 mm	Quick prototypes, functional parts without fine detail	Faster
0.10 mm	Maximum speed — noticeably lower quality	~2× faster

Burn-in layers (base layers)

In Lychee they are called burn-in layers (not “bottom layers”). These are the first overexposed layers that ensure adhesion to the build plate.

• Recommended count: 4 layers. From the 4th–5th burn-in layer onwards, adding more does not improve adhesion — the part is already well stuck. What it does do is increase LCD screen wear, which has to withstand high exposure times for more layers. More than 6 burn-in layers is counterproductive: more wear, same results.
• Burn-in exposure time: 25–40 s for small-medium parts; up to 40 s for large parts.
  • Too low → the part does not stick.
  • Too high → elephant foot (expansion in the first layers).
• Lift distance for burn-in: 25% more than for normal layers (e.g. if you use 4+4 mm normally, use 5+4 mm for burn-in).
• Lift speed for burn-in: never exceed 40 mm/min. Too fast on these layers can pull the part off.

Transition layers

In Lychee we have a very useful function, largely unknown to many people, that some printers include by default in their firmware or can adapt intelligently: transition layers.

Essentially, transition layers gradually adapt the exposure time between the burn-in layers (which have high exposure times) and the normal layers, in order to avoid adhesion problems between layers or in some cases line artefacts.

The number of these layers depends on each case, but a good rule of thumb is to divide the burn-in exposure time by X until you get a number close to the normal layer exposure time.
Example: burn-in time is 35 s and normal layers are 2 s… 35/X≈2… 35/17=2.05 → we would use 17 transition layers.

Normal layers

If the previous layers were critical for adhesion to the build plate, normal layers are important for providing consistency as the part builds up and achieving good detail definition in our prints.

The most delicate parameter to calibrate. It varies according to the resin, screen model and layer thickness:

Screen type	Typical range (0.05 mm)	Starting point
Monochrome 4K (35 µm)	2.0–3.0 s	2.5 s
Monochrome 6K-8K (20–28 µm)	1.8–2.8 s	2.0 s
Monochrome 12K-16K (16–22 µm)	1.5–2.5 s	1.8 s
RGB (models before 2021)	7–12 s	9 s

• Under-exposure signs: layers separating, holes in solid zones, brittle parts, supports that break when removed.

• Over-exposure signs: loss of detail in holes and slots, part dimensionally larger than expected, fine details disappearing.

The table values are just a starting point. The correct time for your printer/resin/temperature combination can only be found with an exposure test — there is no universal value. See the calibration section below.

Light-Off Delay (LOD)

The LOD is the time the printer waits from switching off the UV light until lowering the build plate for the next layer. It gives the resin time to flow and stabilise.

• Starting point: 2 seconds for 10″ printers with standard resins.
• 3–4 seconds for large printers (13″+) or very viscous resins.
• Never set LOD below 2 seconds — layer failures increase.

TSMC (Two-Stage Motion Control)

TSMC uses two speeds in the lift cycle: very slow for the first few millimetres (to peel the layer without sudden force) and fast for the rest (to avoid wasting time).

• First stage: 40–45 mm/min, distance 3–4 mm. Gentle FEP peel.
• Second stage: 150–250 mm/min, distance 4–6 mm. Fast rise to return point.
• Retract (downward): 200 mm/min is safe; 60 mm/min on the last stretch before touching the resin.
• If your printer has a tilt mechanism (Saturn 4 Ultra, Mars 5 Ultra), enable the TSMC toggle for tilt — the algorithm changes to adapt to that motion.

In the following image you can see exactly how the TSMC cycle works and the difference in behaviour between the two stages:

---

Calibration: the exposure test is mandatory

Community profiles are an excellent starting point, but the definitive calibration has to be done by you with your printer, your resin and at your working temperature. One hour of calibration saves you dozens of print failures.

Test	What it measures	Recommended configuration
MCC Test (J3D-Tech)	Exposure + lift parameters in a single test — the most complete	4 burn-in layers, 3 transition layers, 2 s rest time — download on Cults3D
J3D Boxes	Dimensional tolerances — nested cubes 4/6/8 mm with calipers	Free — download on Cults3D
Cone Test (TFF v3)	Exposure time via cone geometry	3 s starting point for mono; 9 s for RGB
RERF (Anycubic)	8-exposure matrix in a single print	Included in Anycubic firmware — most convenient if you have an Anycubic

---

Lychee vs CHITUBOX: comparison

We have been using both at 3Dwork for years. This is our unfiltered opinion, knowing that we are Lychee partners — that does not stop us from being fair:

Criterion	Lychee Slicer	CHITUBOX
Base price	Free (Lite)	Free (Basic)
Auto-Supports	✅ ML avanzado (Plus)	✅ Básico (Basic) / Magic (Pro)
Suction Cup Detector	✅ Plus	❌
3D drain hole verification	✅ Plus	❌
Community resin profiles	✅ on all tiers	❌
FDM support	✅	❌ (resin only)
Printer compatibility	750+ models	200+ models
UX / Learning curve	Very intuitive	Somewhat more technical
Discord / Community	29,000+ active members	Forums, more scattered
Pro/Plus price	€9.99/mo	€15.99/mo

Conclusion: for most users who print resin regularly, Lychee Plus outperforms CHITUBOX Pro on price and exclusive tools. CHITUBOX has more history and more forum documentation.

Lychee has improved considerably and for us it is now the reference for this type of slicing. If you are starting from scratch, start with Lychee.

Common issues and how to fix them

Nothing prints and there are no residues in the VAT

Sometimes we can send a print and find nothing on our build plate or in the VAT. We suggest checking:

• Check the screen — remove the VAT and build plate and run a screen test that most printers include. If yours does not have one, with the VAT and plate removed and the screen protected with a sheet of paper, launch a test print. Check that the image displays correctly and that the UV power is correct. If the screen or UV has issues, check whether your printer has a UV power adjustment and whether it is set correctly; it may be necessary to replace the UV components.
• Check the USB — it is advisable not to use the USB drives that typically come with printers, but regardless, if you have this failure try a different USB drive. Remember that printers normally support USB drives formatted as FAT32 with 8–16 GB partitions and USB 2.0.
• Check the resin condition — if the above checks out, another source of failure may be the resin itself. To verify this, expose a few drops of resin to sunlight or a UV torch for a few seconds to see if it solidifies.

Print stays in the VAT/resin tank, does not stick to the build plate

A fairly common failure is lack of adhesion in the first layers, which can cause the print to stay on the FEP or hang partially, affecting the finish of the part:

Example of total lack of adhesion in the first layers

• Incorrect build plate levelling — redo the levelling following your manufacturer’s instructions. If failures always occur on one side or corner, this is usually a sign of poor levelling.

• Damaged or defective build plate — sometimes the plate is not completely flat. Using a reliable ruler and a light source, you can verify the condition of your plate.

• Insufficient plate adhesion — modern build plates have laser-engraved patterns to improve adhesion. If yours does not have them, you can lightly scuff the surface with a nylon scrubbing pad. It is also advisable to clean the surface thoroughly with IPA between prints.

• Temperature — as mentioned, temperature and printing conditions are very important, so ensure the resin temperature is at least above 20°C.

• Adjust the burn-in layer exposure by increasing it by 2 to 5 seconds to see if it improves — the burn-in time is typically 6–10× the normal layer value. It is important to note that the exposure time and count of these first layers can significantly reduce the lifespan of the optical components.

• On other occasions, due to the tension of the printing process itself, supports and bases can give way, in which case
  • Check that the FEP is well tensioned and in good condition
  • Apply a layer of PTFE lubricant to the FEP to reduce stresses
  • Review the slicing for aspects such as part angle, hollowing, correctly placed drain holes…
  • Adjust lift and retract speeds below 40 mm/min, or test progressively lower speeds in 5 mm/min increments for burn-in layers

Base layers do not adhere to normal layers

Although not a very common failure, sometimes we can observe that our burn-in layers do not adhere to the normal layers, as shown in the following images:

Only the burn-in layers adhere

The burn-in layers do not adhere to the normal layers.

This type of problem usually originates from the abrupt change in exposure time between the burn-in layers and the normal layers, or because the latter use a very low exposure time.

In these cases it is important to keep in mind:

• make sure our burn-in layers are between 6 and 10
• enable transition layers — normally we set the same count as the burn-in layers

• adjust lift and retract speeds below 40 mm/min, or test progressively lower speeds in 5 mm/min increments for burn-in layers
• Increase the normal layer exposure time by 20%
• Adjust the light-off delay for your machine — there is a calculator with recommended times here
• Check the condition of your VAT film (FEP, nFEP, PFA, ACF) to ensure it is not loose or damaged

Only supports print, the rest stays on the VAT film

Another very common failure is that our objects can stay on the VAT film totally or partially while the bases and supports adhere to the build plate:

This problem usually occurs because the supports are not strong enough to keep the object anchored.

There are different things to check in this case:

• Resin profile adjustments:
  • Increase the exposure time by 10%
  • reduce retract and re-entry speed to 40 mm/min or less
  • Adjust the light-off delay for your machine — there is a calculator with recommended times here
• Adjust the support options in your slicer:
  • Increase support density and tip diameter
  • avoid placing supports on flat surfaces, rotate the model to prevent this
  • avoid model placement angles that can cause deformation from FEP tension, and always hollow parts where possible, being generous with correctly placed drain holes
  • For hollowing, make sure you use no less than 1.5 mm wall thickness, at least 2 mm for large prints, and have at least 2 drain holes of 3 mm at the bottom of the part

Vertical lines or gaps throughout the Z axis

If our prints come out with vertical lines or columns, or with holes throughout the part on the Z axis.

• Check the screen — remove the VAT and build plate and run a screen test. If your printer does not have one, with the VAT and plate removed and the screen protected with paper, launch a test print. Check that the image displays correctly.
  If the on-screen image is not correct, check whether it is a dead pixel (would leave a resin line or column on prints) or resin residue (would leave gaps in parts).
  For a dead pixel, the ideal is to replace the screen or try to avoid using that area for printing. For resin residue on the screen, check for VAT leaks and carefully remove the resin residue by applying a little IPA for a few seconds and wiping with a microfibre cloth… a plastic glass-ceramic cutter can also help. There can also be intermittent screen failures leaving some print areas cured and others not; in these cases check the screen condition and its connections.
• Check the USB — it is advisable not to use the USB drives that come with printers, but regardless, if you have this failure try a different USB drive. Remember that printers normally support FAT32-formatted USB drives with 8–16 GB partitions and USB 2.0.
• Check the slice file — sometimes we can see resin gaps or columns, or even a thin layer covering all or part of the print surface, related to a bad slice that can appear in random parts depending on the figure. Run the screen test as described above to see if it fails, or use the UVtools analyser.

Horizontal lines on our prints

Sometimes completely horizontal lines appear on our prints that can originate from:

• A mechanical problem due to wear or lack of maintenance on the Z axis — they usually appear in a pattern and at the same heights
• Sudden temperature changes during printing can cause lines or bands on our parts — for example, opening the cover or pausing the print.
• The condition of the film can also cause horizontal lines or bands in certain zones of our prints

Prints stick too hard to the build plate

Although we do not consider this a truly bad thing, sometimes very strong adhesion to the build plate can cause us to damage the plate or the figure when removing it.

• One way to avoid damaging the parts is not to remove them from the build plate until curing. Pre-wash/wash the parts while still on the plate, remove the supports with the help of a heat gun on the plate itself, and once the parts are removed and cured we will have fewer opportunities to damage them. When removing base and support remnants, a heat gun and a plastic spatula or cutter can make the task easier.
• We can progressively adjust our burn-in exposure by reducing it by 5 s with each test to find a balance between low adhesion (parts do not stick) and high adhesion (parts are hard to remove).

For more troubleshooting reference, the excellent Lychee documentation by J3D-Tech or the Ameralabs guide can be very helpful.

Compatible printers and our reviews

Lychee is compatible with over 750 resin printers. These are the ones we have thoroughly tested at 3Dwork and used to validate the settings in this guide:

Anycubic

• Anycubic Photon P1 — dual VAT, 14K, Wave Release, the most innovative of 2026
• Anycubic Photon Mono 4 Ultra — 10K, 7″ monochrome screen
• Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro — integrated heater, high speed
• Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Max — huge build volume (298×164×300 mm)

Elegoo

• Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K — the best large-format MSLA available
• Elegoo Saturn 4 — speed, precision and reliability in a compact package
• Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra — the best budget MSLA of 2025

---

Frequently asked questions

Is Lychee Lite really free?

Yes, completely free. It includes basic slicing, manual supports, island detection, anti-aliasing and community resin profiles. The only paid features are ML Auto-Supports, the Suction Cup Detector, advanced Hollow 3D and full multiplate.

What is the difference between Lychee 7 and earlier versions?

v7 unified the interface and redesigned the rendering engine. v7.5 brought Auto-Supports 3.0 with ML. v7.6.5 (current) is the most stable. If you are on version 5.x or earlier, the difference in speed and support quality is enormous.

Are the community resin profiles reliable?

The most downloaded profiles with the most positive ratings are very reliable as a starting point. Use them to get 80% of the work done, then fine-tune with an exposure test for the remaining 20%. Do not confuse a community profile with the “definitive setting” — every printer has its small differences.

Can I use Lychee with my Anycubic/Elegoo/Creality printer?

Yes. All major brands are supported: Anycubic (all Photon series), Elegoo (Mars, Saturn), Creality (HALOT, MAGE, RAY), Phrozen, Flashforge, NOVA3D, Voxelab and many more. Check the full list at docs.mango3d.io.

What about the free 30-day Plus trial?

When installing Lychee for the first time or with a new account, a free 30-day Plus trial with all features activates automatically. No credit card required. Use it to try out Auto-Supports, the Suction Cup Detector and Hollow 3D.

Does Cloud Slicing work?

Yes, for Plus subscribers. Cloud slicing sends the model to Mango3D servers so that slicing is processed there. It is useful for very complex models that crash the local PC. The result is identical to local slicing.

How do I update Lychee?

Lychee updates automatically. On launch, if a new version is available it notifies you with a banner. Click “Update” and it downloads and installs without losing your profiles or projects. On Linux (AppImage) you need to download the new AppImage manually.