Hello crafty friends, from today I’ll be sharing my Xtool M1 journey with you. Here are my first attempts to create using this tool so grab a cuppa and scroll down!
First, let me tell you what is the Xtool M1.
Xtool M1
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/M1-Xtool-Laser.jpg)
The Xtool M1 is the world’s first dual-cutting machine.
It integrates laser processing and blade-cutting so it cuts, embosses, and engraves a wide variety of materials.
***It comes with a 2-year guarantee and financing.
***To use the Xtool M1 laser you might need a vent or an air purifier if you work in enclosed spaces.
***There is a variety of accessories, designed to use with the Xtool M1 (You can have a look here).
I read that we can use nearly 300 material types to create with the Xtool M1.
I’m more than happy with less than a dozen.
To name a few materials
- Blade Cut: Paper, cardstock, vinyl.
- Laser Cut: cardstock, plywood, MDF, cardboard, leather, some types of plastics, acrylic, felt, and fabric. Click here to see the complete laser-cutting material list.
- Engraves: metal, wood, rubber, glass, rocks and even food…
Look at this engraved piece of bread from the Xtool Project Gallery Here
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Bread-1024x1024.jpg)
What makes the Xtool M1 unique is that it is a hybrid. It is beginner-friendly and it works with a free software that is super easy to use!
It is on SALE Here + you get £50 off with the code BibiM150 (valid till Dec 26th-2013)
Who makes it?
The manufacturer is as important as the product.
The Xtool M1 is a Makeblock product.
I love the story behind this business because there is incredibly talented young blood behind it.
The founder and CEO of Makeblock is a robotics enthusiast and has been once ranked as one of the 30 top entrepreneurs under the age of 30 by Forbes China… He is about 28 – 29 years old!
Since 2012, this young but fast-growing company has been developing technology to help people turn their ideas into real physical objects.
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Makeblock-Robots-Laser-engraving--1024x859.jpg)
Xtool Creative Space
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Xtool-Creative-Space-1024x686.jpg)
The Software
To use the Xtool M1, you will need to Download the Xtool Free Software here.
This is free, user-friendly software and it has been designed for dinosaurs like me.
As I have an iMac I can just open the folder that contains the files and drag them into the in the Xtool Creative space.
Once there, it is easy to separate the different layers, and move, and resize objects.
Blade-Cutting with the Xtool M1
The power of this tiny blade
This is one of the five 45° blades that come with the machine. It will cut paper up to 250 grams and all kinds of vinyls.
There are 60° blades that you can purchase to cut thicker materials.
The Samples
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Xmas-Cards-Scandinavian-Style-M1-Xtool-Bibi-Cameron-1024x1024.jpg)
All the projects below showcase the Xtool M1 blade-cutting capabilities.
Today I have several samples.
All Blade-Cut. A good starting point.
I wanted to test sizing, layering, and intricacy, as well as some basic materials.
So I made 6×6 inches cards, a couple of boxes and tags.
All the artwork for the cards was scaled at 5-1/2″.
You can scale it at any size ( up to 12 x 12 inches).
A big plus of using the Xtool M1 is the large format and endless possibilities to create using free or affordable digital files.
The real challenge is to choose a file… There are thousands!!! Not all of them are good or ideal thoughts and it might take a while for you to build up a project library.
So I’ll advise you to start from there!
Where I can Download Free Files?
- I have been using Creative Fabrica files here. You can try it for free!
- Alternatively, you can explore projects and download Xtool free files here.
Papercraft
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Scandinavian-Hat-Blade-Cut-M1-Xtool-1024x1024.jpg)
Download the template here – Scandinavian Hat.
Estimate processing time 13 minutes
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Reindeer-Card-SVG-M1-Xtool-Bibi-Cameron-1024x1024.jpg)
Here I found a simpler design meaning is quicker to process.
Download the template here – Scandinavian Deer
Estimate processing time from 4 to 8 minutes
I made 2 of these and I’m still not sure why the processing times were so different, one took double to process (cut)
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Nordic-Bells-SVG-M1-Xtool-Bibi-Cameron-1024x1024.jpg)
This artwork has many little details, the candy canes are stunning.
Download the template here – Nordic Bells
Estimate Processing time 11 minutes.
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Hexgonal-box-SVG-M1-Xtool-Blade-Cutting-1024x1024.jpg)
I also wanted to try 3D, testing and understanding template accuracy and cutting options.
So I used this box design to fit a 12×12-inch sheet of textured cardstock. As with any other SVG file, it can be scaled to any size.
Download the template here – Xmas Boxes.
Estimate processing time: 8 minutes
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Pizza-Boxes-Xtool-M1-blade-cut-1024x1024.jpg)
Clever SVG format allows one pass to cut and emboss scoring lines.
Processing time 4 minutes.
Download the template here – Pizza Box
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Xmas-Tags-M1.-Xtool-Blade-cuttingjpg-1024x1024.jpg)
Here is another experiment.
sometimes the blade doesn’t cut to the very edge and I think that is due to the way the template has been drawn.
Gift Card Holders – Download the template here
Estimate processing Time – 8 minutes
Iron-on Vinyl T-Shirt
![](https://bibicameron.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/iron-on-vinyl-for-T-shirts-design-Xtool-M1-Bibi-Cameron--1024x1024.jpg)
My First Thoughts
I have been resisting a Cricut or any scan and cut machines because I’m not a digital person or should I say: I wasn’t.
All that seemed to require a learning curve and I wasn’t sure if I would ever be interested in other cutting machines.
I love my manual die-cutting machines but those are designed to do completely different things.
When I saw what you can create with this machine, I couldn’t resist and I couldn’t reject collaborating to share educational content with you.
The software was really easy to use. There was no learning curve to be able to use it if it could talk it would!
As mentioned above, the biggest worry was setting correctly the device.
For blade cutting, I found it easier to work with SVG files ( didn’t even know what they were before) but now I look for artwork that offers the SVG format.
Designs with simple lines, not many whimsical shapes and intricate detail can be done faster and too elaborate will take longer to process/ cut (logically)
In a future post, I’ll explore laser cutting and engraving… I know you will love that.
That’s all for today.
Thanks for stopping by
x
Bibi
Leave a Reply