I tested the xTool F1 Ultra laser engraver and was blown away by the technology!
The xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine brings the power and precision of a professional laser machine into a compact enclosed design with a small footprint that is effortlessly simple to use. I spent some time getting to know this machine and its capabilities to see how easy it really is.
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Summary
The incredible speed combined with the compact size makes the xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine a brilliant machine for all sorts of creatives and small businesses.
Its streamlined production and the ability to store and process project files without being connected to a computer means it’s perfect for small businesses and shops that want to quickly repeat or add custom engraving to products.
The ability to emboss, engrave on curves and a wide range of materials makes it an inspiring and easy-to-use tool for all kinds of makers.
Even though I spent a fair amount of time testing the xTool F1 Ultra with a variety of materials and designs, it still feels like I’ve only just scratched the surface of what can be achieved with this incredible machine.
How we tested
xTool sent me their new xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine to review, with an included material pack which I used to test the machine.
Upon receiving the xTool F1 Ultra, I unboxed and set up the machine on a standard office desk next to a window for ventilation. Unlike some of the larger engraving machines I have reviewed, I felt that I was able to safely lift and set up the F1 by myself.
I have previously reviewed the xTool P2 laser cutter machine and xTool S1 laser engraving machine.
The results
xTool F1 Ultra laser engraver machine review
Key features
- Laser power (Watts): 20W Fiber and 20W Diode dual laser
- Working area dimensions: 220mm x 220mm (220MM x 500mm with conveyor)
- Product dimensions: 273 x 373 x 492mm
- Product Weight: 14.7kg
- Camera: 16MP smart camera
- Compatible materials: Engraving on most materials. Cutting on thin metal sheets (0.4mm brass, 0.3mm stainless steel. 0.2mm aluminium), 15mm wood and 12mm acrylic.
- Max working speed: 10000mm/s
- Laser Spot Size: 0.08 x 0.1mm (20W Diode Laser)/0.03 x 0.03mm (20W Fiber Laser)
- Software compatibility: Android / iOS / iPad / Windows / MacOS
- Connectivity (USB, Wi-Fi): USB/Wi-Fi
- Offline features: 7GB Offline-use Control Panel
- Warranty: 30-Day Return Service, 24-month Warranty
1. Functions 5/5
Engraving and Cutting
From my very first test project and throughout my review of the xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine, I was quite frankly astounded by the speed of this machine. It’s not an exaggeration – adding a custom engraving onto a metal pendant took precisely one second!
Obviously, the speed will differ depending on your material and design, but overall I found the xTool F1 Ultra to be incredibly fast and precise. I tested it with a variety of materials provided, and found it consistently created clear engravings, with even more complex designs only taking a matter of minutes – the only exception being with embossing which I will cover shortly.
The precision of the engravings on the xTool F1 Ultra blew my mind!
Matt Spiers
Straight away I was impressed with how small it could engrave fonts, so I wanted to put it to the test to see how small it could really go. I engraved some text onto a 15mm diameter circular rose gold pendant – the letters were a mere 2mm high but still looked incredibly crisp and clear!
Cutting on supported materials was equally fast and precise, and the ability to process engraving and cutting in one single process makes it simple to complete a project from start to finish with just the click of a button.
Curve Engraving
xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine features their exclusive 3D Curve™ technology, allowing you to engrave onto curved surfaces without your designs getting warped or distorted. We previously explored the 3D curve technology in our xTool P2 laser cutter machine review.
Whether you’re engraving onto a material with a slight curvature, or using the RA2 Pro rotary add-on to enable you to engrave on cylinders or spheres, the process is easy.
You simply use the software to frame your material and then set the measurement density, where the laser measures the distance for multiple points laid out in rows or columns. This allows the software to build a 3D map of your material, which will then be taken into account when engraving your design.
There are limitations to this feature, for example, the curves need to be gentle without abrupt height changes, and there is a limit to the size of materials you can apply the curve technology to, but it’s a neat feature that is especially useful for product design and branding.
Embossing
The ability to not only engrave but also emboss designs is a new feature included with the xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine, and one that I was excited to try.
Rather than engraving at a single standardised depth, the embossing feature engraves multiple layers at different depths, allowing you to essentially create 3D engravings. Because this process requires many passes of the laser, it does take considerably longer than conventional engraving processes (although it’s still ridiculously fast when you watch the laser working).
I started by using a stock embossment image included with the XCS software and used one of the included rock slate coasters as my material. As the slate coaster was an option in the Material EasySet Library (more on this later), this automatically added the optimum settings for this material.
When I went to process this embossed image, I found that rather than the usual seconds or minutes, this embossed image would potentially take hours. This was because the pre-set settings had the number of layers as the maximum of 256, so by reducing this down to around 50, I would have a shallower emboss but a far quicker time - in the end it took approximately 40 minutes.
Even with reducing the layers, the result was impressive, so I decided to try creating my own embossed image from scratch.
To do this I used the included AI feature of the XCS software. I started by generating a black and white line drawing, and then again used the AI feature to create a depth map from that image. The AI depth map did the job but wasn’t perfect, so I had to clean up the design a bit with editing.
Then I put it to the test. I wanted to use a wooden keyring, and while I couldn’t find that specific product in the Material Easyset Library, I did find the optimum settings to enter for that particular type of wood. The tricky part was the number of layers – I had no idea what to pick. I kept the number of layers low at around 10, and although the result wasn’t bad for a first attempt, I imagine with a bit of practice, the embossing feature could be used to create some amazing effects.
2. Instructions 4/5
Setup
I can’t fault the xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine when it comes to setup – it was effortless.
You essentially take it out of the box and remove the stickers and protective packaging. Then remove the field lens protector and plug in some parts (the USB key, power supply, touch screen controller and exhaust pipe) – that’s all there is to it, you’re ready to get started!
Calibration
It’s recommended to calibrate your machine before first use just to correct any movements that might have happened in shipping. This is very simple and you’ll find a video guide on the xTool support website.
Essentially, you place a piece of the provided black art scratch paper onto the base plate, and the machine will then engrave two sets of crosshairs onto the paper, one for each laser type. You then use these crosshairs to determine any measurements on an x and y axis that the lasers need to be adjusted for. Once you've done this, you manually remove the black art scratch paper and your blue and red laser dots should be overlapping each other.
If they don’t quite overlap, you will need to manually calibrate the lasers. To do this you lift up the protective cover, and near the field lens you will find a screw which you need to loosen (but not remove). Then you insert your provided hex screwdriver into a hole near the screw and gently sway the screwdriver back and forth, moving the red laser spot until it overlaps the blue spot.
This isn’t technically difficult to do and gets easier with practice (and certainly easier than calibrating some other machines), but it is quite fiddly and difficult to access. As the protective cover doesn’t go completely up and the insides of the machine are all dark grey or black, it is quite hard to actually see the screw and hole.
xTool Creative Space (XCS) software
xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine uses the same free xTool Creative Space (XCS) that’s used across xTool’s range of machines.
It’s simple to download and install, and although there is a huge range of tools, parameters and settings that can be controlled, the software is laid out in a relatively simple style. If you’re already familiar with image editing software you’ll quickly get to grips with XCS, but if you’re struggling there is a full user guide in the software section of the support site.
Within the software, you can easily access the Material Library Set to automatically apply the best settings for your material. If your material is unsupported, you can also find suggested settings and how to do a material test on the xTool support site.
The XCS software also allows you to use AI to generate images, as well as access the DesignFind area where you can find project files uploaded by the xTool community.
Manuals and Support
A basic quick start manual is provided in a physical format, with more in-depth information and video guides provided online.
Within the support section of the website, you can find helpful guides that are specific to your machine, including getting started, troubleshooting and maintenance.
This is handy for complete beginners, and the xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine includes a beginner’s project where you make a metal business card – great for getting stuck straight in. However, once you go beyond the basics it does get a bit trickier.
There is a wealth of information available that can be accessed by searching the knowledge base and community support – but for that, you do need to know what you are specifically searching for, and it’s not always the easiest to find the answer to your question.
While the xTool F1 Ultra can achieve a wide range of engravings and effects on different materials, it’s not always straightforward for a beginner.
For example, the product page states that the xTool F1 Ultra can do colour engraving, but finding out how you do this isn’t obvious. Searching the support section for ‘colour engraving’ didn’t find the results I wanted. However, looking at a free project file made by a community member from the DesignFind area showed me that different colours are achieved through different engraving power and speed settings. The experience could be improved if the software included links to tutorials when applying specific parameters.
That said, the XCS software is constantly being upgraded and improved, and the amount of information on the support site is huge.
3. Compatibility 4/5
Materials
The xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine claims to be capable of engraving on ‘almost’ all materials, and from what I found that is largely true. The combination of the dual lasers also means it has the power to cut through thin metals such as steel and brass, and can cut wood up to 15mm thick and acrylic up to 12mm thick.
If you’re not using material presets, you will need to carefully study your settings or do material tests to ensure you get the best results for each material. For example, while the lasers could easily cut through paper, if the power setting is too high it could lead to a fire risk.
It’s also worth noting that while acrylic sheets can be used, other plastics should be avoided due to the risks of toxic fumes, fire and melting – PVC, vinyl, or any material starting with ‘poly’ should not be used. Even if your material is safe to use, you should always have a fire extinguisher suitable for electrical fires nearby.
Settings
When it comes to selecting the best settings for your chosen materials, there are a few variations that make a big difference.
Firstly, if you’re using a material provided by xTool, such as one from your material pack, then it couldn’t be simpler. You just search for that material in the Material Library Set, then select to open that material in the XCS software, and it will automatically apply the optimum settings – easy as pie!
However, if you’re using your own materials, it gets a bit trickier. I’ve even found occasions where I can’t find xTool's own supplied materials in the library, or have found them only to find they say they’re not suitable for my machine. This can be a little frustrating, but keep in mind that this library is being updated all the time.
To define your own settings, you can either find a similar product in the material library set and use those settings as a guide, or you can do a material test array. This is where the machine will engrave a grid of squares at different power and speeds, which you can then use to determine the best settings for your material – it does however require having a spare material to test with.
There are many posts and guides on the xTool support site on how to achieve the best results with more complicated settings, for example when engraving using a bitmap photo image. Again though, this does require researching, so it’s worth doing this before starting a complicated project to avoid too much trial and error.
Upgrades
If you’re thinking of investing in the xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine as a way of expanding your business and want to streamline your production process or create branded goods, there are plenty of external parts and upgrades that are perfect for that.
To start with the xTool F1 Ultra includes a small display control panel, which helps you to see the current job, focus the laser and start processing a job, as well as acting as a fire safety alarm and stop.
But that’s not all – the control panel also includes 7GB of storage and can be used offline. This means that if you have regular designs that need engraving, you can simply save it to the control panel and start engraving or cutting without the need to connect a laptop or computer.
There are also additional parts which you can buy to further enhance your production. The xTool RA2 Pro module can be used to support 90% cylinder engraving, enabling you to engrave items such as mugs or bottles. You can also expand your working area with the xTool conveyor, which can be used to batch engrave multiple products or to increase your engraving width from 200mm to 500mm.
You can also get an extra pedal and button switch to make batch processing even easier, and there’s even an xTool smoke purifier for if you’re working in a small space and are particularly concerned about fumes.
4. Maintenance and safety 5/5
Cleaning
The maintenance required for the xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine is remarkably simple – in effect, it’s just a case of keeping it clean. The machine comes with a lint-free cloth for cleaning the field lens, but other than that it’s just a case of giving the machine a wipe-down if it gets particularly dusty.
I did find that after embossing the slate coaster, there was an awful lot of dust generated, so different materials create more dust and debris than others. Most of this thankfully went out through the exhaust pipe, but the machine was still quite dirty.
If you need to give your machine a full clean, it’s best to remove the protective cover which requires unscrewing the back panel and fan, but this is pretty easy and there is a video on the xTool support site.
Safety
The idea of using lasers can still seem pretty scary, but the protective cover keeps things nice and safe with xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine.
The cover ensures that the laser unit is completely enclosed, creating effective smoke and dust ventilation via the extraction fan. It also helps to protect your eyes from the harmful laser light, and if you do happen to open the cover midway through a job, the laser power will automatically drop to a harmless light.
The smart camera doubles up as a fire detector, and will automatically shut off the laser and alert you via an alarm if necessary. There is also a manual emergency stop button in case you spot a problem before the machine does.
There is also a very minor but effective feature that I particularly appreciated with the exhaust tube. Many of the tubes on other engraving machines that I have tested are floppy and flexible, but the one on the xTool F1 Ultra is a ‘stay-put’ style tube that is a bit more rigid. This means that you can bend and manipulate it to suit your needs, so it’s easy to curve it over and out of a window, rather than having to try and use something to trap or fix it in place.
5. Value for money 5/5
What’s in the box:
- xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine
- External control panel
- Cutting panel
- Test project material (metal business cards)
- Basic material set
Our verdict: Should you buy the xTool F1 Ultra engraving machine
For most people, the xTool F1 Ultra laser engraving machine is the perfect tool for discovering the exciting world of laser crafts. The size and small footprint make it perfect for both home and small business use, and once I got started I found that it only inspired me to try more and more engravings.
The only people the xTool F1 Ultra would not be suitable for are those who wish to laser cut or engrave larger objects, such as signage or custom parts.
Looking for more laser engraving machines?
If you need a laser engraving machine with a larger working area, check out our xTool P2 laser cutter machine and xTool S1 laser engraving machine reviews.
