Laser News Digest - April 28, 2026
Published
xTool M2 Color Craft Laser Creator Calling closed April 25 — 100 pre-production units go to selected creators before Q2 2026 public launch; full specs still unreleased. LightBurn 2.0 documentation site now reflects final release; RC6 was the last candidate. xTool's HKEX filing shows unit sales fell from 85,900 to 71,900 in 9 months YoY even as revenue rose 19% — price increases are the growth engine, not volume.
xTool M2 Color Craft Laser Creator Calling Closes — 100 Pre-Production Units Head to Creators Before Q2 Public Launch
xTool's M2 Color Craft Laser 100 Creator Calling program closed on April 25, 2026, ending the application window for the pre-production creator seeding initiative. The program offered 100 selected creators early access to an engineering prototype of the M2 ahead of its Q2 2026 public launch. The M2 is positioned as xTool's next-generation 'Color Craft Laser' platform — a category that goes beyond standard diode laser engraving to integrate color output capability alongside laser processing. At the close of the Creator Calling program, xTool has not released the M2's official specifications, pricing, or an exact launch date within the Q2 2026 window. What is confirmed: the M2 is a real, functional engineering prototype (not a render or concept), the Creator Calling accepted applications across eight markets (US, UK, Germany, France, Canada, Japan, Australia, Poland), and the public launch is expected before June 30, 2026. Creator reviews from the 100 selected participants are expected to surface in May — these will be the first independent assessments of the M2's actual performance.
The Creator Calling strategy mirrors xTool's playbook from the M1 Ultra launch — seed 100 influential creators with pre-production hardware, generate a wave of simultaneous day-one reviews, and build community momentum before the public sale page goes live. What is different about the M2: the 'Color Craft Laser' positioning suggests xTool is adding a color-output mechanism (likely a combination of colored marking chemistry, UV curing, or a secondary printing head) alongside the laser module, rather than simply upgrading power or speed. This would place the M2 in direct competition with the eufyMake E1 UV Printer for the 'color on hard surfaces' market segment — an expensive and previously industrial niche that both xTool and EufyMake are simultaneously targeting for the consumer market in Q2 2026. The market timing is deliberate: both the xTool UVP (UV printer) and the xTool M2 (color craft laser) are racing to establish market position before the other company's product lands. If you are waiting to see which to buy, May will be the month to watch — creator reviews from the M2 Creator Calling and the eufyMake E1's May 6 public launch will land within weeks of each other.
💡What this means for you
M2 confirmed details: engineering prototype, functional, tested. Launch: Q2 2026 (before June 30). Markets: US, UK, Germany, France, Canada, Japan, Australia, Poland. Creator Calling: 100 units, application window April 1–25. Positioning: 'Color Craft Laser' — color output integrated with laser processing. Full specifications not released. Pricing not released.
Market Position: The M2 enters a two-front battle: it competes with the xTool UVP (xTool's own UV printer, also Q2 2026) for the color-on-surfaces market, and it competes with the eufyMake E1 (May 6 public launch, $2,299) as an alternative color-capable desktop fabrication tool. A 'Color Craft Laser' that combines laser cutting/engraving with color marking would be a genuinely new product category — no current desktop machine does both in a single unit at consumer price points.
- What is the color mechanism in the M2 — ink jet, UV, dye sublimation, or laser-induced color chemistry?
- Will the M2 replace the M1 Ultra or sit above/alongside it in the xTool lineup?
- Pricing — the M1 Ultra sits at $1,499-$1,699; where does the M2 land?
⏸️ Wait if: You are considering the M1 Ultra for color craft capability — the M2 may directly supersede it within weeks
✅ Buy if: You need a machine now for a confirmed project — the M1 Ultra is a proven, available machine; the M2 is still a prototype
LightBurn 2.0 Reaches Final Release — Dark Mode, New Shape Tools, and Camera Calibration Updates Are Live
LightBurn 2.0 has moved from Release Candidate to final release, with the LightBurn documentation site reflecting 2.0 as the current live version. The official 2.0 feature set centers on the new application framework, dark mode, additional built-in shape tools, an Edit Nodes toolbar, Camera Control updates, and Labs camera calibration using AprilTags. Users whose license update period covers 2.0 can install it through the normal update flow; expired licenses may need renewal for the latest release.
The practical buyer takeaway is workflow polish, not automatic material recognition. Dark mode, shape-creation improvements, the Edit Nodes toolbar, and the updated camera calibration flow make day-to-day design and setup cleaner, especially for shops already using LightBurn across several machines. Treat unsupported claims about camera-based material recognition as unconfirmed until LightBurn documents them directly.
💡What this means for you
LightBurn 2.0 final: updated application framework, dark mode, added built-in shapes, Edit Nodes toolbar, Camera Control updates, Labs camera calibration with AprilTags, and operating-system support changes. Documentation: docs.lightburnsoftware.com/2.0/NewFeatures/NewIn2.0/.
Market Position: LightBurn remains the workflow-control standard for many desktop diode and CO2 laser users because it is machine-agnostic compared with most vendor-specific software. The 2.0 release reinforces that position with interface and camera-workflow improvements rather than a single headline automation feature.
- Which Labs features will graduate into the regular toolset after wider testing
- How quickly machine-specific camera workflows adopt the new calibration flow
- Whether LightBurn documents any future material-recognition feature directly
⏸️ Wait if: You run production jobs every day and want to let early 2.0 edge cases settle before updating
✅ Buy if: You need machine-agnostic laser software with better interface, camera, and vector-editing workflow than most vendor apps
xTool's HKEX Filing Reveals a Surprise: Unit Sales Fell Year-Over-Year Even as Revenue Grew — What It Means for Buyers
A closer reading of xTool's Hong Kong Stock Exchange IPO prospectus, filed January 1, 2026, surfaces a counterintuitive data point: xTool sold fewer laser engraver units in the first nine months of 2025 (71,900 units) than it did in the same period of 2024 (85,900 units) — a 16% year-over-year unit decline. Revenue still grew 19% over the same period, which means the average selling price per unit increased substantially. The company's market share claim — 47% of the global laser engraver market — is based on revenue share, not unit share. This distinction matters for buyers: a company growing revenue through higher ASP while shipping fewer units is executing a premium pricing strategy, not a volume growth strategy. The HKEX listing remains under review; no IPO date has been announced.
The unit sales decline is the most important number in xTool's filing for buyers to understand. xTool is not selling more lasers year over year — it is selling more expensive lasers, with the P3 ($4,999), F2 Ultra ($2,999+), and M1 Ultra ($1,499+) driving revenue while the entry-level segment (where Gweike, Monport, and Chinese-market competitors compete on price) is being ceded. The practical implication: xTool post-IPO is even more likely to defend its premium positioning than to chase volume pricing. If you were expecting xTool to launch an entry-level machine at $299-$499 to compete with Gweike's sub-$500 offerings, the IPO filing suggests the opposite — xTool is moving upstream, not down. For buyers deciding between xTool and a budget alternative, this trajectory suggests xTool's long-term support, software ecosystem, and accessory compatibility will justify the premium, but price parity with budget brands is not coming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the xTool M2 Color Craft Laser and when does it launch?▼
The xTool M2 is a next-generation 'Color Craft Laser' machine confirmed for Q2 2026 (before June 30). It integrates color output capability with laser processing — a new product category. xTool ran a Creator Calling program (April 1–25) seeding 100 pre-production units to creators. Full specifications and pricing have not been released. Creator reviews are expected in May 2026.
Is LightBurn 2.0 out and do I need to pay for it?▼
Yes. LightBurn 2.0 has reached final release. Officially documented highlights include dark mode, additional built-in shape tools, an Edit Nodes toolbar, Camera Control updates, Labs camera calibration with AprilTags, and operating-system support changes. Users whose license update period covers 2.0 can install it through the normal update flow.
Did xTool's laser engraver sales grow in 2025?▼
Revenue grew 19% year-over-year, but unit sales actually fell — from 85,900 units in the first 9 months of 2024 to 71,900 units in the same period of 2025. xTool is selling more expensive machines (P3, F2 Ultra, M1 Ultra) and fewer total units. Its 47% market share claim is revenue-based, not unit-based. The company's HKEX IPO filing remains under review.
Should I buy an xTool machine before the M2 launches?▼
If you have an immediate project need, the xTool P3, S1, or F2 Ultra are proven machines available now. If you do print-then-cut or color-on-surface workflows, wait 4-6 weeks — the xTool M2 Creator Calling results (May) will clarify whether the M2 replaces the M1 Ultra or fills a new category. The eufyMake E1 UV Printer launches May 6 and is a confirmed alternative for color-on-hard-surfaces capability.