When I first showed the xTool O1 Omni, the comments filled up with questions. How big is it, how much room does it need, how much ink does it use, which version should you buy. I answered them in two videos, the one above and part one here.
Those were filmed before launch on my early unit, so I've gone back through every answer and checked it against what I've learned since on my production machine. Anything that has changed is updated below, and anything that was only true before launch has gone.
Jump to: Size and space · Ventilation and noise · Ink · Maintenance · Which edition · Software and Wi-Fi · Materials · Rotary · My first machine
Size and space
How big is the O1 Omni?
On my unit I measured:
- Width: 28 in (71.5 cm)
- Depth: 14.5 in (37 cm)
- Height: 18.4 in (47 cm) from the table
How heavy is it?
About 90 lb (41 kg). I have lifted it on my own, but I wouldn't recommend it. Treat it as a two person lift, especially once the inks are in, because they can slosh around and there are sensitive parts inside. Make sure whatever table you put it on is solid.
How much room does it need in front and behind?
The large print bed slides out of the front and the back, so you need space both ways when you use it. The doors give you a good idea of how far it travels.
- Front: about 13.2 in (34 cm) with the door on. Take the door off and it's about 12 in (30 cm).
- Back: about 13.5 in (34.5 cm) with the door on, or just over 11 in (29 cm) without it.
If you only use the small bed, it stays inside the machine and you don't need that clearance at all. That's why I keep mine on a table with wheels. I can roll it out when I need the back, and push it back when I don't.
Do the doors have to stay on?
No. They're held on magnetically and just pull off, and there's no sensor stopping you printing with them removed. With the small bed you can keep them closed for a much smaller footprint.
How much space does it need above?
Technically none, because nothing moves up while it prints. But you'll want to open the lid, so leave about 11 in (28 cm) above the machine for that. The ink cartridge cover on top needs about 3.5 in (9 cm).
What size are the print beds?
The usable area is inside the lines on each bed.
- Small bed: 12.8 x 4.9 in (32.5 x 12 cm)
- Large bed: 16.5 x just under 13 in (42 x 33 cm)
The sticky surface on them peels off and can be replaced when it wears out.
How tall an item can it print on?
The advertised maximum is 150 mm (about 5.9 in). That's a big chunk of space. The thick wood slice with the tiger on it was the tallest thing I'd printed at the time, and it wasn't anywhere near the limit.
What size is the box?
My production machine came in a box about 34 x 21 x 24 in (87 x 54 x 60 cm). It's a normal packing box, not a crate, and it was well packed. The box for my early unit went through a standard door with no trouble, and this one is a similar size.
Ventilation, smell and noise
Does it need extraction?
You can use it without. Personally I haven't found the smell bad. There's a slight UV ink smell, but I'm comfortable working next to it.
If you want to vent it, there's an outlet on the side that takes the same exhaust hose as the xTool F1 and F2 (the hose comes in the box). Push it in, then run it out of a window or into an air purifier.
- The purifier that's used with the F1 and F2 connects to it.
- The AP2 works too, but you'll need an adapter to go up to the size of the AP2's connector. Mine didn't come with one, so you'll need to buy or 3D print one.
How loud is it?
It's really not very loud at all. You'll hear the ink stirrer working now and then, and the head moving back and forth while it prints.
Ink
Are the inks separate cartridges?
Yes. Each color is its own cartridge, so when one runs out you only replace that one. They're spring loaded along the top of the machine. You slide each one in and push until it doesn't spring back.
Can I swap an ink I don't use for one I do?
I don't believe so. Each slot is set up for its own cartridge, so you can't, for example, put another color where the fluorescent red goes.
How long does the ink last before it expires?
Check the date on each cartridge when it arrives. On my early unit the inks I received had 11 to 12 months left on them. The cartridges that came with my production machine are dated December 2027, which really impressed me.
Does it use a lot of ink?
In my experience, no. On my early unit I used it almost every day for four weeks, printing big items with white, color, gloss, matte, rigid and flexible white, and I'd only used about a quarter of the ink.
One thing to know before you panic: during the first setup, the machine fills all of its ink lines. That can take your levels down to around 80% straight away. It's not a sign of how quickly you'll use ink. It's just priming the lines.
Maintenance and print heads
What happens if I don't use it for a while?
The O1 Omni keeps its ink moving with a stirrer and runs little cleaning cycles by itself. I left mine for four or five days while I was away, and I'll admit I was worried. I woke it from sleep mode, printed, and it was as if I'd never stopped.
xTool also mention a vacation mode for two weeks away. I haven't left mine that long yet, so I can't tell you how that goes from experience.
How long do the print heads last?
xTool class the print heads as consumables. Nobody can give you an exact lifespan, because it depends on how much you use it, the conditions it's in, which inks go through it and how hard it's pushed. The same type of head is used in a lot of other printers, and the figures I've seen for those range from about 6 to 12 months. Treat that as a rough guide, not a promise.
Which edition should you buy?
How many print heads does each edition have?
- Single UV: one head, which handles the colors and the white.
- Dual-Head UV: two heads side by side. One looks after the extra inks (fluorescent red, fluorescent yellow, rigid white and flexible white), which is how it can use them.
- UV + DT Fabric: also two heads, but the second one is only for the fabric inks. So for normal UV printing it runs at single head speed.
Is the Dual-Head UV faster?
xTool's own documentation says the Dual-Head UV is faster than the Single UV. I haven't run the two side by side, so I can't put a number on it.
Can I upgrade from one edition to another later?
As far as I know, no. Whichever edition you buy is the one you'll have, so it's worth thinking it through before you order.
Which one would I buy?
The Single UV is a great way into UV printing if you're on a budget, you're not sure it's for you yet, or you're making things for friends and family or testing out a small business idea.
The UV + DT Fabric edition is the one for printing on garments. It does a great job on one-off and custom pieces, but xTool say themselves it isn't built for churning out clothing at production speed.
For me it's the Dual-Head UV. I love having the full set of inks. It can't print on garments, but with the flexible white I've printed on leather, flexible phone cases and plenty of other things that bend. It covers most of what I want to do, and I'm impatient, so I like that it's the quickest.
Software, ink cost and Wi-Fi
Does xTool Studio tell you how much ink a print uses, and what it costs?
Yes. Before launch the cost part wasn't working yet, but it is now. When you click Process, the panel on the right shows the estimated time and how much of each ink the job will use.
- Click Cost settings next to Estimated cost.
- Enter what you pay for your ink and pick your currency.
- From then on, every job shows an estimated cost.
This glass coaster with white, color and varnish came out at about 11 cents. It's really handy for working out what to charge.
Can I run it over Wi-Fi from another room?
Yes. To set it up:
- Connect by USB first, then click the device settings in the top right of xTool Studio.
- Scroll down to Wi-Fi setting and click Setting.
- Pick your network, type your password and click Next. The machine beeps when it's connected.
- From then on you can switch between Wi-Fi and USB from the three dots in the device list.
You still need to be there to load your items and check how they're doing, but once a long print is running you can go and set up the next job from another room.
What can it print on?
Here's what I'd tested by the time I made these videos:
- Glass: straight on with no pre-treatment, and it came out beautifully.
- 3D prints (PLA and PETG): I used flexible white, flexed them, and had no issues.
- Phone cases: hard plastic ones (fine on the Single UV too) and flexible impact ones with the Dual-Head UV.
- Art canvas: prints really nicely.
- Wood: works, but not all woods are equal. Some soak up more ink, so they need more white putting down first.
- Challenge coins: brass ones printed with no pre-treatment. Silver ones needed a pre-coat on the surface before the ink would stick.
- Slate coasters and stone: great results with no pre-treatment.
You don't need the flexible ink for everything. It's only for items that will bend. If you want to see metal, leather and 3D prints up close, I did a whole video on them (or read the written guide).
Does it work with the xTool RA2 or RA3 rotary?
No. Those are for the lasers. The O1 Omni has its own rotary that turns the tumbler a full 360 degrees as it prints.
What happened to your first O1 Omni?
My first machine was a very early prototype, the kind xTool sends out for testing and feedback. During a long heatwave it started giving color errors, and it turned out the ribbon cable to the print head had been damaged by movement. xTool told me that's already been fixed on the machines that ship, and because mine was so different to the final design it wasn't worth repairing. I now have a production Dual-Head UV, and I explain it all in this short video.
Got your O1 Omni? Start here
If yours has just arrived, my O1 Omni beginner's guide takes you from unboxing through setup and calibration to your first print. And if you want to print batches of coins, keychains, coasters and more in exactly the same spot every time, take a look at my O1 Omni jigs. They fit every edition.
Still got a question?
Ask it in the comments on the video. I read them, and if enough people ask the same thing, I'll answer it in a future video.
