Resin and filament 3D printers have dominated tabletop games and cosplay workshops for the last decade. While printing excels at producing lots of miniatures, it falters when a project demands many terrain types, architectural accuracy, or lightweight armour panels. Laser cutters process flat stock, including plywood, leather, acrylic, and high-density EVA foam in seconds rather than hours, delivering crisp edges and structural repeatability that additive manufacturing cannot match.
Hardware has traditionally forced makers to navigate awkward compromises between workshop footprint, safety clearances, and restrictive software ecosystems. Recent developments in enclosed desktop units, hybrid multi-laser modules, and native vector imports suggest laser cutting is maturing into a practical domestic companion for the hobby bench. Geek Native asked xTool to examine how their technology might work for the average gamer or occasional cosplayer, including the practical realities of crafting inside a modest flat.
Interview: xTool on tabletop making and cosplay crafting
Many tabletop creators instinctively default to resin 3D printers for scenery and miniatures, which can leave laser cutters undervalued. How is xTool working to bridge that awareness gap and show makers what a laser cutter can do that a 3D printer cannot?
3D printers and laser cutters actually solve different problems, and the best workshops use both. Where a 3D printer builds up volume slowly, a laser cuts and engraves flat sheet materials – plywood, acrylic, EVA foam, leather, card, fabric – in seconds, with clean edges and fine surface detail a printer cannot match. For tabletop and cosplay makers that means fast, repeatable terrain tiles, layered scenery, stencils, appliqués and engraved detailing in a fraction of the time per part. We bridge the awareness gap less by talking and more by showing: real community projects, step-by-step content in our learning resources and Creative Space software, and partnerships with maker communities, so people can see exactly what a laser offers alongside their printer.
You recently released the 60kg X1 multi-laser cutter, which is a significant piece of hardware. What specific design problems does this new release solve for crafters that previous desktop models struggled with?
Previous desktop lasers forced makers to choose between things that shouldn’t be a trade-off. Gantry machines gave you a large work area but engraved slowly; galvo machines were fast but worked on a small bed; and covering different materials meant buying separate diode, CO2, fibre or UV machines – each with its own footprint, budget and upgrade path that dead-ended.
X1 solves this with three ideas. Hybrid Motion pairs gantry-scale travel with a high-speed galvo, so you get up to 6,000 mm/s engraving across a 615 × 320 mm work area – speed and scale in one machine instead of one or the other. Laser Swap starts from a 55W CO2 plus a 20W blue-diode galvo head and lets you add 5W UV, 30W fibre and 60W MOPA modules later, so one machine covers wood, acrylic, metal, glass and more – the maker grows it, instead of buying a new machine. And it is built for where cosplayers and tabletop makers actually work: a 4,000-ton one-piece die-cast frame keeps high-speed motion stable and repeatable, while Class 1 fully-enclosed safety with 12 sensors; flame detection in under a second, temperature, water-cooling and lid-open monitoring is designed for home studios and small shops, not just industrial workshops.
In a September 2026 YouTube interview (watch the full discussion), CEO Jasen Wang spoke about the company’s commitment to listening to user feedback. What are the most common questions or feature requests you receive from cosplayers and miniature makers, and how has that altered the development path of your hardware?
Listening to makers is central to how we build. The themes we hear most from cosplayers and miniature makers are: make it easier to go from idea to finished part, make the software do more of the thinking, handle a wider range of materials safely, and keep machines compact enough for a home studio. That feedback consistently pushes our roadmap toward smarter software, better material handling and safety, and modular hardware that grows with the maker rather than forcing an upgrade.
For those of us crafting in typical UK flats, rather than US-style homes where space is less of a premium, how much physical clearance and ventilation room does a desktop model actually require to operate safely?
The short answer: no dedicated laser room required, but plan for a sturdy surface and one fume strategy. The X1 itself is 1,000 × 580 × 420 mm and around 60 kg, so it needs a solid, load-bearing worktop plus enough room to open the lid, load material and reach it for maintenance – if you use the pass-through feeder, leave clearance front and back for long stock. Because it is Class 1 fully enclosed, there is no special laser room or laser-glass requirement – it is designed for homes, workshops and classrooms.
What you do need is smoke management, because every laser cut produces fumes. Two options work in a flat: vent out of a window (the X1 has a dedicated exhaust connection for an inline fan or window kit), or run a purifier, the SafetyPro AP2’s seven-stage filtration is positioned as the X1’s companion and makes even acrylic cutting virtually odour-free. Rule of thumb: light engraving and occasional small cuts are fine with a purifier; regular cutting should vent to a window. And the general safety basics still apply: keep the room ventilated, nothing flammable stacked near the machine, and never run it unattended.
Beginners often get confused about laser types. Why might a prop maker choose a diode laser over a CO2 laser when working on mixed-media costume builds?
It comes down to what is in the build. A blue diode laser is the approachable workhorse for the soft goods in most costume work – it cuts and engraves wood, leather, paper, felt, MDF and dark opaque acrylic cleanly, and shines at fine relief detail. But blue light passes through clear and light-coloured materials, so a diode cannot cut clear acrylic, and it is less effective on white paint, certain blues and clear acrylics, which matters if a build includes a visor, lens or clear canopy.
A CO2 laser cuts through clear and coloured acrylic and denser sheet materials cleanly and far faster (roughly 500% faster than a diode on comparable jobs), with less edge blackening – the standard for crisp, structural parts. So for a mixed-media prop build, the honest answer is that most makers eventually want both – which is exactly why the X1 pairs a 55W CO2 for cutting with a 20W blue-diode galvo head for high-speed, fine engraving in one machine, with fibre, UV, and MOPA modules available later for metal accents.
Safety and finish are top priorities for prop makers working with high-density EVA foam and thermoplastics, which are notorious for releasing toxic fumes and melting unevenly. Given those material challenges, how do your diode and CO2 lasers handle edge melting and fume extraction?
EVA foam is one of the most laser-friendly prop materials; both CO2 and diode lasers can cut and engrave it, and the software’s material library ships recommended presets (power, speed, passes) so makers do not have to guess. Two things keep edges clean: correct speed/power and air assist. Cutting at higher speed with the right power minimises melted edges, with CO2, moderate power at higher speed produces clean, deep cuts; with a diode, dark EVA gives the best results, while lighter colours may need multiple passes. The Material Test Array in the software automates a test grid so you can find the sweet spot for your exact sheet in minutes.
For thermoplastics like acrylic, CO2 is the workhorse; it cuts clear and coloured sheet with clean edges, something a blue diode cannot do. On fumes: any foam or plastic cut produces smoke, so extraction is non-negotiable. X1 is Class 1 enclosed with flame detection and fire suppression activating in under a second, and you pair it with either window exhaust or the AP2’s seven-stage filtration for odour-free indoor work, and makers should always cut from the approved material library rather than experimenting with unknown plastics.
In your CES 2025 interview with Podfeet Podcasts (listen to the coverage), the ability to cut multi-layered wood scenes was highlighted. When crafters are designing intricate, multi-level terrain for roleplaying games, how does your software handle kerf to ensure pieces snap together tightly without gaps?
Kerf is the width of the cut itself; a laser beam is tiny, but it does have a width, which makes cut parts come out a fraction smaller than the design. That is exactly what makes interlocking terrain tiles wobble. xTool Creative Space (and xTool Studio) includes a dedicated Kerf Offset function for precision-critical work like inlays and joining pieces: you enter the measured kerf for your material, the setting range is -1 to +1 mm, adjustable to two decimal places, and a positive value moves the beam outward so the piece cuts slightly larger, while a negative value moves it inward. It applies to closed shapes, and importantly, your design stays untouched on the canvas; the compensation is applied at processing time, so what you designed is what you see. For multi-layer terrain, the workflow is simple: measure the kerf once on your material, dial it in, and slots and tabs come out sized to snap together tightly.
In what ways does xTool Creative Space support open SVG files or integration with standard design software used by indie creators making assets for roleplaying games?
Open files are core to the workflow. xTool Creative Space imports SVG natively, alongside DXF, JPG, PNG, BMP and more, so assets designed in Inkscape, Illustrator, CorelDRAW or Photoshop drop straight in; vector paths stay vector, and you assign cut versus engrave per layer or colour. There is no proprietary file lock-in, and the software runs on Windows and macOS. Makers who prefer third-party control also have options: several models work with LightBurn, and newer machines run xTool Studio with the same open SVG/DXF import. For tabletop creators making modular assets fast, xTool’s free design platform Atomm also produces clean, laser-ready SVGs that import straight into the software ready to process.
Many freelance prop makers look to monetise their craft through platforms like Etsy, where production efficiency directly impacts their bottom line. How do your machines help independent creators balance the economics of fast, reliable production without the high cost of entry for industrial-grade tools?
For independent creators the economics come down to speed, reliability and low cost of entry; and that is exactly where a desktop laser earns its place. Instead of outsourcing or investing in industrial equipment, a maker can produce finished, repeatable products in-house, on demand, with consistent quality. That shortens turnaround, removes minimum order quantities, and lets creators test new designs cheaply before scaling. Our aim is to make professional-grade capability accessible at a desktop price point, so a side-hustle on Etsy can run on the same tools a small business would use.
The environmental impact of hardware manufacturing and consumable acrylics is an ongoing concern. How is xTool addressing sustainability and waste reduction in both your machine construction and the materials you supply?
Sustainability matters to our community, so it matters to us. On the product side, we design machines to be durable and upgradable rather than disposable, and our modular approach lets makers extend a machine’s life instead of replacing it. On materials, laser cutting is inherently efficient: you cut exactly the parts you need from flat stock, with nesting to minimise waste, and we continue to expand more responsible material options. We also run our “1% for the Maker” programme and initiatives like “Made for Good”, supporting community and charitable projects with equipment and proceeds.
When you look at the props and terrain your community shares online, is there a specific technique or material combination that still surprises your engineering team?
Every team has a “wait, that works?” favourite, ours tends to involve fragile, food-adjacent things. Laser-engraved eggshells are a perennial crowd-stopper: makers empty real eggs and laser intricate lace-like patterns of holes across the shell. One Atomm tutorial even rubs the egg with butter or cooking oil first – deliberately kitchen-grade prep for a laser job – to get a dark, high-contrast engraving on such a delicate surface.
For a cosplayer who is intimidated by the learning curve of digital fabrication, what is the single most forgiving material and technique you recommend for their first project?
For a first project, plywood or basswood is the most forgiving place to start: it cuts and engraves cleanly, it is inexpensive, easy to source, and mistakes are low stakes. Pair it with a simple engrave-and-cut project, a layered keyring, a nameplate or a small piece of terrain, and you get a finished, satisfying result in minutes while learning the core workflow. From there, foam and acrylic open up once you are comfortable.
Finally, where can the tabletop and cosplay community find your best beginner resources, and are there any creator-led causes or community projects xTool is currently championing?
The best starting point is our design software, Creative Space, together with our learning resources, guided projects, tutorials and templates that take you from your first cut to more ambitious builds, plus an active maker community sharing projects and settings. On the causes side, we run “1% for the Maker”, through which we support community and educational projects with equipment, including ongoing work with heritage-restoration and community-making organisations, and the “Made for Good” initiative, where pieces made at our events are sold for charity. We are always keen to hear about community-led projects we can support.
For tabletop builders and costume fabricators, the modern laser cutter is no longer an industrial outlier requiring dedicated workshop space. By combining dialled-in software kerf offsets and modular multi-laser heads, makers can transition between dense EVA armour pieces and interlocking terrain tiles without sacrificing domestic safety or living room floor space.
