xTool F2 Slide Extension: Setup and Batch Engraving Guide

The xTool slide extension looks simple, but when you actually try to use it properly, a few things aren't obvious. This guide takes you from the box all the way to finished pieces on the xTool F2, through every processing mode, with the quirks and limits I only found by testing it.

We'll cover setting it up, Use slide extension mode for long engravings, Same design batch processing for repeat jobs, and Different design batch processing with variable data. If you've just bought one or you're thinking about it, this should give you everything you need.

Jump to: What's in the box · Fitting it to the F2 · Securing your material · Long engravings · Same design batch · Different design batch · Limitations · My tips

What's in the box

I've had my slide extension since I bought my F1 nearly two years ago, so yours may look slightly different, but it works the same way. In the box you'll find:

• the slide extension rail;
• several types of mounting bracket (clamps) for holding material;
• a ruler piece (mine's missing, but yours should have one);
• a screwdriver, which you'll need, so keep it safe;
• a cable.

The rail is just over 17 in (440 mm) long, and it travels a long way either side of the machine, so you need a good amount of clear space on your bench. For the other bracket types, check the user manual.

Fitting it to the F2

1. Look at the end of the F2's base plate. There are lines there that you'll use for alignment.
2. There's a cut-out section under the slide extension. With the xTool logo facing the front, position it over the end of the base plate.
3. Roughly line up the edge of the slide with the third line from the front.
4. Push the slide all the way to the end. You'll find a screw there. Keep screwing it in until it locks down.
5. Do the same with the screw on the opposite side.

It should now be attached so it can be lifted, and centered, with the two laser dots lined up on the center fin.

Now plug in the cable. It's a proprietary cable, not a USB-C that goes either way, so it only fits one way round. On both ends, line the connector up with the curved edge facing the right way (up at the slide end), then push. They need a fair bit of force. Plug the other end into the top port on the F2.

Finally, run the slide to its full extension in both directions to make sure it won't hit anything.

Securing your material

The clamps hold your material down as the bed moves. On the one I'm using, there are two nodules underneath that sit in the grooves of the fins.

1. Place the clamp where it won't get in the way and slide it along the tracks.
2. Lift the top piece, rotate it over the material (I like it to overlap a little) and tighten the thumb screw to lock it.
3. Repeat on the other side.
4. Line the material up with the ruler down the side so it's parallel. That keeps it straight.

There's also a bumper side on the clamp if you'd rather butt your material up against it.

Safety: with brackets like these fitted, the lid can clash with them if you close it fully. Bring the lid down as far as you can while still leaving room for the bed to move. Light will leak out of the gap, so wear laser safety glasses rated for the blue diode wavelength.

Mode 1: Use slide extension (long engravings)

Open xTool Studio and click New project. It connects to your F2 and takes a snapshot like normal. Then click Mode at the top right. You'll see three slide extension options:

• Use slide extension for one long piece;
• Same design batch processing to repeat the same design across several blanks;
• Different design batch processing to put a different design on each blank.

Pick Use slide extension and you get a long, rectangular workspace.

1. Select your material. I chose xTool's 1/8" (3mm) Basswood Plywood.
2. Run Auto measure (or enter the thickness yourself). Mine came back at 4.8 mm.
3. The background picture only shows part of the bed. Hover over the camera buttons and click Panoramic shoot and capture. The bed moves side to side, snapping pictures, and you end up with the whole sheet on screen. The normal Refresh background button only takes one picture where it is.

A first cut to trim the sheet

My plywood was a bit too wide, so my first test was trimming an edge. I held Shift and drew a straight line, set it to Cut, and used 100% power and 5 mm/s with the blue laser. It cut cleanly along the length.

One thing I noticed: the grooves run along the length of the slide rather than toward the fan, so smoke collects and comes out in pockets. Make sure you've got really good ventilation.

Engraving the full length

Next I imported a "home sweet home" SVG and stretched it to fill the board. (I unlocked the aspect ratio to really test the length, which distorts the design, so only do that if you're happy with the look.) I deleted the cut line and set the engrave to 70% power, 100 mm/s, 1 pass, 100 lines per cm, blue laser.

Before sending it, check the Preview processing path. Mine was jumping about, doing random bits at a time, which adds a lot of back and forth. Imported vectors don't always come in as one shape, so select the design and click Create compound vector. The preview then runs smoothly up and down, which should be quicker and more accurate.

Framing works differently with the slide extension. Click Framing (I used a rectangle frame) and Studio tells you to turn the knob to move the material. As you turn the knob on the slide, the frame follows the material along its whole length, so you can check it's inside the edges and that it's square. It's a really intuitive way of doing it.

I also added a score around the outside to test the accuracy, and it did a great job. After refreshing the camera picture, the engraving lined up perfectly with the design on screen. The one downside is speed: it took around 30 to 40 minutes on the default material settings. For big pieces, the result is worth the wait.

Mode 2: Same design batch processing

This is where the slide extension gets really useful. I tested it with wooden dice, because they're quite a difficult shape to track.

1. Place your first item directly under the laser and focus manually on its top surface with the knob.
2. Place the rest to the right of the first item, in the same orientation and fairly evenly spaced. That's really important.
3. In Studio, choose Mode, then Same design batch processing. You get a square workspace.
4. Click to refresh the background so it takes an updated picture.

The camera has to tell your blank apart from the black bed, so you need good contrast. A black business card on the black slide will really struggle. You can help by adjusting the lights: click the device settings icon at the top, then Device settings, and change Front light and Back light under Fill light brightness until your blank stands out. I set mine to 25 and 25 for the dice.

5. Import your design (I used a lion with sunglasses) and place it on the first item.
6. Frame it manually and check the position. Don't just rely on the picture. Update the photo if you moved anything.
7. Select your material and settings. These were bamboo, so I picked xTool's 1/8" (3mm) Bamboo and set 100% power, 300 mm/s, 1 pass, 100 lines per cm, blue laser.
8. Select your design (the Next button stays grayed out until you do) and click Next. Confirm that every design you want in the batch is selected.

If your item is thicker than 4 mm, you'll get a warning that its sides or shadows may affect accuracy. That's fine, it's just telling you flatter items work better.

Studio then draws a box around your blank. Adjust it if needed, leaving a little clear space around the item so it can pick up the shape. There's also a Same direction processing option, off by default. It's for things like double-sided business cards that need the same orientation, so I left it off. Click Process.

Studio moves the bed, photographs it and recognizes each item. It won't give you a time estimate. You may see a warning about ambient light if contrast isn't great. Click Start and it works its way along, item to item. If it can't find one, it stops and shows a prompt.

The results were mostly good. It engraved all nine, but one was rotated 90 degrees, one came out on the left side and one was upside down and a bit off. The bed seems to move in thirds, and the ones that went wrong looked like they were at the edges of those steps. A jig that spaces items to match would probably help.

When it finishes, it asks you to remove the processed items and place new ones. In theory you can keep going as long as you like: load new blanks, click Continue, repeat. Click Cancel when you're done.

Mode 3: Different design batch processing

This works in a very similar way, but each item gets a different design using variable data, which is great for personalized products. I used six bamboo coasters and star sign designs.

1. Choose Mode, then Different design batch processing. If you don't have a design yet, you can't click Next. Don't panic, just click close and carry on.
2. Focus on the items manually and update the picture. Mine was too dark, so I put both lights up to 60% and updated it again.
3. Import your first design, place it and size it. Click Create compound vector so it's treated as one shape.
4. Set your settings. I used 100% power and 300 mm/s on the 1/8" (3mm) Bamboo preset.
5. Select the design and click Set variable (under Material). Choose your alignment and how it fits (height, width or the shape), select the design and click Next.

6. You now get a table. You can import a spreadsheet for things like names or serial numbers, or add rows manually. I added six rows, then used the drop-down and Replace vector to load a different star sign into each row.
7. Click Confirm. The other designs disappear from the canvas, but a little V on your design shows the variable data is there.
8. Frame, check your positions, click Next, then Process, exactly as before.

This one was more temperamental. It only did three in the first run, then asked me to load new materials, because it hadn't picked the others up. I put the remaining coasters back on and clicked Continue. It found some, but one in particular it just couldn't see, however many times I tried, because of where it sat on the slide. It did work overall, but it will take practice to nail.

Limitations to know about

• Speed. Working across a bigger area is naturally slower, especially on the base machine. My full-length engraving took around 30 minutes on default settings. That's the trade-off for bigger pieces.
• Smoke. The fins channel smoke along the slide rather than straight to the extraction, so it can escape out of the sides when cutting or engraving wood.
• Footprint. It takes up a decent amount of desk space.
• Scan zones. In batch mode, the machine doesn't seem to scan continuously. It looks like it scans in three sections, and items sitting between them may not be detected. Watch how the bed moves during the preview to see where the zones are. That's not officially documented, just what I found in testing, and placing items within those zones made a big difference.

My tips for the best results

1. Secure your material properly. The slide physically moves it, so any small shift affects alignment, especially on long jobs.
2. Use the framing knob to check the whole length of your design, not just the starting point.
3. Be careful with placement in batch mode. Keep items within the detection zones.
4. Get the lighting right. If there isn't enough contrast between your blank and the bed, adjust the front and back lights.

For me, the biggest value is batch processing, being able to scale up production rather than just making the work area longer. Once you understand the quirks, it's a lot more reliable and a lot more useful.

For more F2 settings, see my free Laser Settings Library and the xTool F2 settings page. Got a question about the slide extension? Ask me in the comments on the video.