What materials can M1 xTool cut?

I have had my M1 xTool for nearly a month and I haven’t stopped trying out new projects with it. You may know that it is a hybrid laser and blade cutter. But do you know what materials can the M1 xTool can cut?

*See the unboxing of the M1 and my review here

If you are looking for information on it’s engraving capabilities. Please check out my other post – what materials can the M1 xTool engrave?

Materials for laser cutting

This is the current list of supported materials. The M1 also offers you user defined material settings so you can experiment with other materials as well.

I cut all the materials with my own ‘crafty’ design SVG

You can download the file for free to make your own.

Wood: laser plywood. Cherry, mahogany, pine, walnut and basswood 3mm

Kraft paper: This can be both laser and blade cut

Cardboard up to 3.5mm

Plastics: acrylic, green, yellow, dark red, blood red, red, orange, black, green transparent, brown, deep green, fluorescent yellow, red transparent, chrome yellow up to 3mm

Not currently supported with the laser are materials such as Textiles / Fabrics which is where it differs from my other laser cutter the Mr Beam

A great range of materials are available from the xTool store

Materials for blade cutting

This is where the M1 xTool differs from a lot of other laser cutters as it has the blade cutting capability like a Cricut.

These are the current supported materials, but just like the laser settings you can input your own user defined material.

• PU heat transfer vinyl

• Self adhesive PVC sheet

• White sticker paper
• PU leather

• Coloured glossy PVC sheet

• Transparent frosted PVC

• Brown kraft paper

Do not laser cut

These materials listed can produce harmful chemicals when cut so should not be used with laser cutters

Plastics / Synthetic materials:

• PVC (e.g. vinyl, foils, credit cards, hard protective luggage case, specific foams, shoe soles, rubber gloves, pipes, etc.)

• PVB

• Polycarbonat (PC)Epoxy- or phenol

• resin

• PTFE / TeflonGlass fiber

• ABS plastic (e.g. lego, housing of electric appliance)

• PC Plastic (e.g. CDs, solar panels, plastic glass)

• Plastic reinforced with carbon fibre (e.g. tennis racket, wind surfing gear, etc.)

Textiles / Leather:

• Leather or artificial leather which contain chrome

• Neopren (containing chlorine)

• textiles containing pvc (e.g. raincoat)

How to laser cut

Import your choice of SVG, you will see it appear on the centre of the screen which is a camera view of the cutting plate.

Then decide if your material needs laser or blade cutting.

For laser cutting, you can use the triangle prisms to raise it from the bed of the machine, making for better air flow. Ensure your pipe is out of a window or attached to an air filter. Then select the material from the drop down list.

The user interface is really simple and easy to use, even if you haven’t used a laser cutter before.

Just be mindful to ignore the cutting time it tells you the project will take. This is wildly inaccurate. Ensure you stay with the machine at all times because there is a risk of fire with flammable materials.

You can find find lots of free svg cut files here to get you started.

How to blade cut

You start the same way by importing the svg you would like to cut. Just remember if you are cutting heat transfer vinyl you will need to mirror it.

Then just like a Cricut machine you need to apply your material to a cutting mat. The difference with the M1 and a Cricut is that the cutting mat is sticky on both sides and you have to stick it down to the floor of the machine.

Then select blade cut and the material you want to cut.

I liked the fact the the material is flat to the floor of the machine when cutting rather than rolling in and out like a Cricut, but it did take longer to cut than my maker.

All the materials I tested came out cleanly and this is a great added feature. Especially if you are drawn to both options of cutting like I was.

The M1 has become a great added tool in my studio for quick table top projects.