Of the three versions of the xTool O1 Omni, the Single UV is the one that gets the least headlines and probably the one most people should buy. This article explains why, and also in which cases it would be a mistake.
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What it exactly includes
An Epson F1080 printhead and six ink channels: CMYKWV, that is the four process colors, white, and varnish. xTool defines it as the "entry-level version for rigid material customization," listing acrylic, wood, metal, glass, and ceramic.
The important part comes now, and it is what is most often misunderstood: it is not a stripped-down machine. Compared to its bigger siblings, the Single UV has:
- the same bed, standard 330 × 122 mm and large 330 × 420 mm;
- the same maximum relief, 7 mm;
- the same vision system, 1440 × 1200 dpi;
- the same positioning accuracy, ±0.2 mm;
- the same GREENGUARD Gold certified ink.
And it supports, according to its own datasheet, the same accessories: rotary, laminator, roll feeder. It can make UV DTF stickers, thermal mugs, gold and silver foil, and lenticular effects just like the other two.
In other words: you’re not buying less machine, you’re buying fewer inks.
What you really miss out on
Three things, and it’s important to understand the real weight of each.
Flexible white. This is the real deal. Without flexible white, printing on something that bends—leather, faux leather, canvas, a fabric bag—is risky because the layer will crack with use. If that’s part of your catalog, the Single UV is not your machine, no ifs or buts.
Fluorescents. The Dual adds fluorescent red and yellow. There are two, not a palette: no orange, blue, or green. If you sell products where neon is the selling point, they matter; if not, it’s a box you probably won’t check again.
Texture speed. According to the specification sheet circulating since before launch—data that does not appear on the official datasheet, so we take it with caution—the Dual prints considerably faster when stacking layers. For runs of pieces with relief, that’s production time saved.
What you gain, which almost no one counts
One printhead instead of two. And that shows in two different areas.
When replacing. The F1080 is a wear part. The community handles a replacement price of 399 per unit and a lifespan between six months and a year depending on how much you print and how you maintain the machine. With one printhead, that bill is one. With two, it’s two. Full calculations are in the cost article.
When maintaining. This is the most subtle argument we’ve read in the community and deserves repeating: in a dual-head machine you have to keep the second one alive even if you don’t use it. Ink and humidifier circulating, cleaning cycles consuming supplies. If you buy two printheads and use one, you’re paying consumables for a printhead that’s not working for you.
The thousand-euro argument
The conversation that repeats most among those deciding is this: between the Single and the Dual there is about a thousand euros difference. And many phrase it like this: “if I’m going to spend a thousand more, I’ll go for the UV-DT and even make t-shirts.”
It’s an honest reasoning, but it has a catch. Being able to make t-shirts is not the same as actually making them: the full DTG workflow requires pretreating, ironing, printing, and curing again, plus a heat press that you have to buy separately. Those who add that capability “just in case” usually end up with a second printhead idle, which is exactly the worst economic scenario.
The other side is well summarized by a community buyer who chose Single for prototyping on rigid material: they prefer to save on a first-generation product rather than pay extra for features they will use little. For a newly released machine, that caution seems healthy to us.
A loose end that could change everything
During the launch livestream, and according to someone who followed it, xTool’s CEO said they are working on enabling flexible white also on the Single UV version.
We take it as what it is: a statement in a livestream, reported by third parties, without confirmation on the datasheet or a date. If it ends up being true, the main reason to pay the jump to the Dual narrows a lot. If it doesn’t arrive, the Single will remain what it is today.
If you’re right on that border—interested in flexible white but not fluorescents—it’s a loose end worth watching before signing.
Price
In the European store, excluding VAT: €1,561.90 for the machine alone and €1,924.90 with the rotary. The difference between both is €363, while the rotary alone costs €402.33: the bundle is worth it if you’re going to want it.
Who it’s for
- You work with wood, acrylic, metal, glass, and ceramic, and that’s the end of your catalog.
- You want thermal mugs and stickers: it makes them, with the rotary and laminator.
- You care about ownership cost and prefer a single expensive consumable.
- It’s your first UV printer and you want to learn without having bet the maximum.
Who it’s not for
- You regularly print on leather, faux leather, canvas, or fabric bags.
- You sell products where neon is the selling point.
- You do large runs with relief and time per piece is tight.
- You’re sure you’re going to get seriously into textiles.
We didn’t buy this one, but the Dual, and in its article we explain why. But if we had to bet on which version most people will really end up needing, we’d bet on this one.
Written by Noemi and Javi, from Picasita. We are xTool affiliates and our workshop is a brand demonstration space; we buy our machines paying for them. More about this blog and our relationship with xTool.
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