xTool has launched the C1 Color Cutter, entering the craft cutter market with a desktop machine that combines colour printing, scanning and blade cutting in one product.
The C1 is aimed at home crafters, experienced makers and small business operators producing items such as stickers, apparel, labels and personalised gifts. In Australia, customers can reserve the machine with a A$15 deposit before final payment, while the basic model is priced at A$779.
The product expands xTool beyond the laser engravers and digital printers on which it has built its presence. The company is positioning the device as a way to reduce the need for separate machines in full-colour craft projects, where users often print designs on one device, then transfer and align materials on another before cutting.
That workflow has long led to wasted material and alignment problems, particularly in multi-step projects involving vinyl, heat transfer materials and paper crafts. The C1 is designed to simplify the process by handling printing and cutting in one sequence.
Integrated workflow
The machine uses CMYK inkjet printing alongside a cutting system, allowing users to print directly onto a substrate and cut the design immediately afterwards. This removes the need for boundary registration marks and can free up more printable surface area.
A built-in scanner based on Contact Image Sensor technology lets users scan materials on the cutting bed and view a full-scale preview in the software. xTool says this is designed to help users place designs accurately, use offcuts more efficiently and generate contour cuts from scanned items.
The C1 also connects with xTool's Atomm design software, which includes tools for converting prompts or images into cut-ready artwork. Features include background removal, text generation, line-art conversion and papercraft template creation.
Target users
xTool has identified two main customer groups for the product: advanced DIY users and small side-hustle businesses. For hobbyists, the machine is intended to reduce manual layer transfers and errors when making detailed, multi-colour projects.
For micro-businesses producing custom merchandise, packaging and apparel, xTool is presenting the machine as a way to increase output from a single desktop unit. It brings together several crafting processes that would otherwise require separate tools.
The device supports multiple tool attachments, including fine-point, deep-point, rotary and 3mm cutting blades, as well as foil-transfer tips and detail pens. With optional accessories such as an electrostatic mat or a roll holder with a built-in trimmer, it can process paper, cardstock, vinyl, heat transfer vinyl, leather, balsa wood and fabrics.
xTool says graphics printed with its Duraproof ink are waterproof and fade-resistant, and that prints on textiles can withstand up to 30 home washes. In Australia, it is also offering pre-order incentives including an Exclusive Material Kit with more than 10 crafting materials and a 20% discount card for materials.
The launch gives xTool an entry point into a market where crafters and small sellers increasingly want compact equipment that can handle more than one production stage. Final payment and shipping for the new machine will begin globally in November.