xTool C1 Color Cutter: Specs, Price, vs. Cricut

xTool, the laser engraver company, is taking $10 refundable deposits on the xTool C1 Color Cutter, a 12-inch craft cutter with a built-in CMYK inkjet printer and scanner, at a $469 launch price for the Basic package. xTool announced the C1 on Oct. 20, 2026, from Mountain View, California, and calls it the first machine to scan, print and cut in one. For people who make stickers and HTV shirts, it is the first cutter that prints full-color designs and then cuts them, instead of layering vinyl one color at a time. This post covers the specs, pricing, the confusing launch dates, and how it compares with the Cricut machines and with DTF.

xTool C1 specs

The specs come from xTool's C1 pre-order page.

Price and how the pre-order works

The deposit perks are a material kit with cardstock, sticker paper, HTV and more, a one-time 20 percent off coupon for materials, and an entry into a giveaway for a free C1, drawn during xTool's launch livestream on Nov. 11. xTool says both main packages include the same machine with blade, ink and a starter material pack; the membership version adds one month of Atomm Pro, xTool's design software subscription.

The launch dates do not match across xTool's own pages. The press release says final payments and shipping begin Nov. 5, 2026, and the pre-order page FAQ lists the launch and final payment start as Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. PST, with U.S. orders shipping in early to mid November. The deposit voucher listing says the deposit window runs to Nov. 11 at 5 p.m. PST and final payment runs from Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. to Nov. 26. A buyer who wants one before Thanksgiving should place the deposit and watch for xTool's email with the final payment link.

What it means for shirts

The C1 can make a shirt two ways, according to xTool:

1. Print on heat transfer paper. xTool sells DURA printable heat transfer paper for light and dark fabrics. The C1 prints the design, cuts around it, and the user presses it.
2. Print directly on pre-treated fabric. xTool lists cotton, polyester, linen, canvas, denim and other fabrics, as long as they have been pre-treated.

xTool says its ink holds up for up to 30 washes on apparel and makes waterproof stickers without lamination.

There is no white ink, which is the important limit. On a dark shirt, the C1 depends on dark-fabric transfer paper, which carries its own white backing. That is the same approach as the iron-on transfer papers in our iron-on transfer paper guide. It works for a gift or a one-off. It does not feel or wear like DTF. STAHLS' says it lab-tests its DTF transfers for 50-plus wash cycles, and DTF prints white ink under the color, so it looks right on black shirts.

Where the C1 does change things is multicolor HTV. Today, a three-color vinyl design on a cutter means cutting, weeding and pressing three layers. The C1 prints all the colors at once and cuts one outline, so there is less waste and one press instead of three.

How it compares

The Cricut Maker 5 post and the StickerPix post cover those machines in detail.

Who it is for

• A good fit: crafters and Etsy sellers who make full-color stickers, labels, party decor and one-off shirts, and who are tired of layering vinyl.
• A maybe: a small HTV shop that wants to add printed multicolor designs without buying a separate printer.
• Not a fit: anyone selling shirts in volume or on dark garments. A shop doing dozens of shirts a week is better served by ordering DTF gang sheets or buying a DTF printer. Our buy a printer or order transfers guide runs the numbers.

xTool also sells DTF equipment. The xTool Apparel Printer Plus is its one-click DTF printer, and it is the xTool machine built for shirt volume.

What to wait for

xTool has not published the ink cartridge price, the number of prints per cartridge, or the cut force. Ink cost per sheet decides whether a printing cutter is cheap to run or a printer-ink trap. Wait for that number before treating the C1 as a production tool.

How much is the xTool C1 Color Cutter?

The xTool C1 Color Cutter Basic has a $469 launch price, and a $10 refundable deposit reserves one. The price of the version bundled with an Atomm membership is due Oct. 31, 2026. xTool's giveaway rules value the Deluxe package at about $539.

When does the xTool C1 ship?

xTool's press release and pre-order FAQ say final payment and shipping start Nov. 5, 2026, with U.S. orders shipping in early to mid November. The deposit listing gives a final payment window of Nov. 11 to Nov. 26, so watch for xTool's email with the final payment link.

Can the xTool C1 print on shirts?

Yes. xTool says the C1 prints onto its DURA heat transfer paper for light and dark fabrics, and directly onto pre-treated fabric. It has no white ink, so dark shirts need the dark-fabric transfer paper. xTool rates its apparel prints for up to 30 washes.

Is the xTool C1 better than a Cricut for HTV?

For multicolor designs, it can save time because it prints all the colors and cuts once instead of layering vinyl. For plain single-color HTV, a cutter like the Cricut Maker 5 does the same job for less. The C1 also cuts materials up to 3 mm thick.

Is the xTool C1 a DTF printer?

No. The C1 is a cutter with a CMYK inkjet printer and no white ink, adhesive powder or curing step. DTF prints white under the color onto film and fuses it with powder, which is what makes DTF work on dark shirts and hold up through many washes.

Where it fits in the DTF Database

For other ways to make shirts at home, see the HTV buying guide, the HTV vs. sublimation vs. DTF comparison and DTF vs. vinyl. The printer directory lists DTF printers by price for shops ready to move up.