You can print, slice, and engrave using this desktop crafting machine

Andrew Liszewski is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.xTool has announced a new multi-purpose crafting machine that could potentially be one of the most affordable ways to start an Etsy shop. Its modular design facilitates a CMYK print head that works on multiple materials including paper, wood, and felt. It can later be swapped with laser-based cutting and engraving tools. You can use the M2 to both print and cut stickers, for example, but it’s versatile enough to also be used to etch designs onto metal water bottles. The machine’s upgradeable functionality justifies its footprint, which is much larger than your typical desktop printer.The xTool M2 Color Craft Laser, which will be priced at $599, is available starting today, temporarily discounted to $549 for the first week. However, that base price only gets you a version of the machine with a 10W laser diode capable of cutting over 300 thinner materials. If you also want to print, you’ll need the more expensive $749 bundle that includes the CMYK Inkjet Printing Module, which can churn out about 400 pages before a new ink cartridge is needed. For printing and cutting thicker materials an $1,149 bundle with a 20W laser is needed, while for an extra $499 you can add an infrared laser module that’s even better at engraving metals.What really sets the M2 apart from the M1 Ultra, an earlier entry-level version of this crafting machine, is the addition of a 5-megapixel panoramic camera and a 2-megapixel close-up inside the new model. These cameras photograph the material you place inside the machine so you can accurately position designs and cutting patterns using the xTool Studio desktop software. To make the process even easier for novices, the M2 leverages AI to detect the type of materials inserted and automatically adjust the settings for cutting, engraving, or just scoring to make thinner materials easier to flex and fold.More powerful laser cutters often need to be paired with external air pumps and filtration systems. While the M2 has its own integrated air pump, the exhaust is simply pumped out into a room. If you’re regularly doing a lot of cutting, xTool recommends pairing the M2 with an accessory like its SafetyPro AP2 Air Purifier, but at $999 it’s more expensive than the crafting machine itself.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Andrew Liszewski