XTool is a major player in the digital crafting space (particularly with its brand of the best laser cutters and engravers), and has just announced another addition to its roster – with the new xTool WonderPress machine.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly who this new craft machine is intended for, but there’s undoubtedly a growing demand for industrial manufacturing at a much smaller scale in the crafting category. I think design-led entrepreneurs will jump at this opportunity to bridge the gap between digital art and professional-grade merch-making.
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The WonderPress with a Heat Press module will come as standard for $279 / £249 ($399 / £349 at the time of launch), with the additional modules added as optional upgrades. If you pay a $10/£10 deposit right now, you’ll lock in the early price, get guaranteed batch 1 shipping, and receive a free material kit worth $50/£50.
The xTool WonderPress aims to eliminate the need for additional single-use craft machines and instead offer an all-in-one manufacturing hub. That’s not to say that you don’t need any other craft machines, however, as the WonderPress acts as a finisher for working with materials such as pre-cut iron-on Vinyl, plastic objects, and printed sublimation designs.
In other words, anyone who already owns one of the best 3D printers, or a dedicated craft machine such as one of the best Cricut machines, will benefit from having the xTool WonderPress as a companion to creation.
If you only have space for 2 machines for your small business, I’d recommend pairing the xTool WonderPress with the company’s own Apparel Printer, which it launched last year, or any kind of sublimation printer for that matter, to help you transfer your digital designs onto virtually any blank object.
So what can you make with it?
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The coolest part about the xTool WonderPress is that it can apply your designs to curved objects as well as flat materials, thanks to its 3D vacuum-forming and sublimation module. Think phone cases, badges, and small keycaps. It can also be used to cast a vacuum around 3D printed objects and common household items for mould-making to use for baking, resin, and plenty of other purposes.
The heat press module alone sounds plenty powerful, with the ability to master any flat surface with 100kg of consistent pressure applied and even heating.
The craft oven module is perhaps the most niche and unique of the bunch, able to shrink plastic, harden clay, bend acrylic, shrink sublimation, and cure DTF designs without needing to ruin your home oven or put yourself at risk of harsh fumes. It’s safe for a home studio, and pure air is guaranteed.
