xTool F1 Ultra Settings I Actually Use: Color Engraving, Acrylic Cutting, and Metal Marking Checklist

If you're looking for xTool F1 Ultra settings that work outside the marketing screenshots, this checklist is for you. I'm a quality/compliance manager at a laser-equipment distributor. I review roughly 40 to 50 delivered units a month, and in Q1 2025 I rejected about 6% of first shipments because of misaligned optics, scratched lenses, or missing accessories. So when I say 'test on scrap first,' it's not cautious talk. It's a lot cheaper than the rework I see every week.

This is a checklist, not a theory post. Below are the steps I run when verifying an xTool F1 Ultra before it goes to a customer. I'll cover xTool F1 Ultra color engraving settings on metal, xtool f1 ultra acrylic cutting settings, wood and metal marking, and the question I get surprisingly often: does a plasma cutter cut aluminum?

If you take anything from this checklist, take this: the listed price is not the final price unless the line-item list says otherwise.

Step 1: Confirm What's Actually Included

I've had this conversation more times than I can count: a customer compares two prices, picks the lower one, and then discovers the rotary module or air assist was an extra charge. The F1 Ultra is usually described as a mini laser engraver machine, but 'machine' can mean different things depending on the seller. Some packages include the rotary, honeycomb bed, air assist, and extra lenses. Others include only the base unit.

In my first year, I made the classic specification error: I approved a product listing based on the headline bundle instead of the line-item contents. Cost us a $600 replacement when a customer received a unit without the promised rotary module. Now every listing I approve has an itemized contents section.

This pricing was accurate as of March 2025, but bundles change fast. Verify the current package on the official xTool page before you budget.

Step 2: Pick the Right Laser Source

The F1 Ultra has two lasers: a 20W fiber source and a 20W diode source. That sounds simple, but I still see users choose the wrong one. Honestly, this is the cause of half of the support tickets I review.

• Fiber laser: metal marking and metal engraving. Use it for stainless steel, titanium, gold, brass, and some coated metals.
• Diode laser: wood, acrylic, leather, glass, painted surfaces, and some plastics.

Calling the F1 Ultra a laser engraver and cutter for wood and metal is fair, but I'd qualify it: the diode source cuts wood and acrylic, and the fiber source marks or engraves metal. It won't cut 1/4-inch steel plate. The fiber source can cut very thin metal with multiple passes, but that's not its real job.

Step 3: xTool F1 Ultra Color Engraving Settings (Metal)

If you searched 'xTool F1 Ultra color engraving,' you've probably seen rainbow titanium and stainless steel samples. Color marking on metal is real, but it's also temperature-sensitive. The same setting won't produce the same color on a brushed finish vs a mirror finish, and alloy differences matter.

Here's the starting point I use on brushed 304 stainless steel with the fiber source:

• Power: 80-90%
• Speed: 100-150 mm/s
• Frequency: 150-250 kHz
• Line spacing: 0.01-0.02 mm
• Passes: 1

Don't hold me to these numbers without running your own test grid. The machine firmware, lens condition, and even the batch of stainless steel will shift the result. For titanium, start slower, around 80-120 mm/s, and watch the color change before your eyes.

The step most people skip is a focus check at multiple points across the work area. The numbers said my autofocus was inside tolerance, but my gut said verify. It turned out the fiber lens was 1.2mm out of focus. That small difference turned a color engraving into a gray blur.

Also, don't promise a Pantone-specific color on metal. Color laser marking is an oxidation layer, not paint. The same engraved coin can look slightly different under LED, sunlight, and fluorescent light. If a client asks for a specific brand color, make a physical sample before you promise anything.

Step 4: xTool F1 Ultra Acrylic Cutting Settings

For acrylic, use the diode source and turn on the air assist. I know air assist is easy to skip, but I've seen what happens without it: the cut edge gets rough, the sheet gets hot, and thin acrylic can crack along the cut line.

Here's where I start for clear acrylic:

• 2 mm acrylic: 80% power, 6-8 mm/s, 1 pass
• 5 mm acrylic: 85% power, 4-6 mm/s, 2-3 passes
• Air assist: on
• Focus: set just below the surface, not exactly on it

If you use extruded acrylic, test it separately. Cast and extruded sheets don't behave the same under a laser. The difference can show up as discoloration, cracking, or a rough edge. Write the sheet type on the test piece, not just the settings.

I'm not 100% sure these exact numbers will match your firmware version. They're a starting point, not a guarantee.

Step 5: Wood and Metal Marking without Guessing

For wood engraving with the diode source, start around 30-50% power and 150-200 mm/s. For wood cutting, drop the speed to 5-10 mm/s and raise the power to 80-100%. The right number depends on thickness and wood species. Softwoods burn faster; hardwoods need slower passes.

For metal marking with the fiber source, start around 90% power, 80-120 mm/s, and 0.01-0.02 mm line spacing. Bare aluminum is tricky because it reflects infrared; anodized aluminum marks more predictably. If I need a dark mark on aluminum, I test at several speeds before committing.

This is the part of the listing that causes the most complaints. A machine can be a laser engraver and cutter for wood and metal without being the right tool for every wood or every metal. If you're cutting 6mm aluminum plate, you're looking at a plasma cutter or waterjet, not a desktop dual-laser.

Step 6: Run a Verification Grid Before You Scale

Before you use a setting on a paying job, run one small test grid on scrap material. Label each square with a marker so you don't trust memory. I know it sounds boring, but it's the step that separates a final product from a redo.

Use standard print-resolution logic when importing graphics. Maximum engraving width in inches = pixel width divided by DPI. At 300 DPI, a 1500-pixel-wide logo gives you a 5-inch engraving. If someone sends a 72 DPI screenshot, the result will look soft no matter how good the laser is.

In my quality reviews, I check the test piece under bright white light and natural daylight. Color on metal looks different under each. I also use a 10x loupe to check for rough edges, missing shading, or micro-burns. That sounds excessive, but it catches problems earlier than a phone camera.

At our shop, I include one test coupon in the quote. It costs a few dollars in material and prevents a 'this doesn't look like the photo' callback. If a customer won't pay for the test, I'm careful about promising exact results.

Step 7: Does a Plasma Cutter Cut Aluminum? (Yes, But Not Like This)

Let's settle the search question: does a plasma cutter cut aluminum? Yes. A plasma cutter uses an electric arc to cut conductive metals, and aluminum conducts electricity. It's a common tool in fab shops for cutting aluminum plate.

The reason this question shows up next to laser engraving searches is that both tools occupy the same mental shelf: 'metal cutting machine.' But they don't really compete. A plasma cutter gives you a wider kerf, dross on the back, and heat distortion on thin sheet. It won't engrave a QR code on a stainless steel nameplate. The F1 Ultra won't cut a 12mm aluminum plate.

If you're starting a small shop and want to do signs, tags, product labels, or mixed-material prototypes, a mini laser engraver machine like the F1 Ultra makes sense. If you're cutting structural steel all day, buy a plasma cutter. Ask 'what am I making every week,' not 'what's the most powerful machine I can justify.'

Mistakes I Find During Quality Reviews

Over the last four years, I've collected a short list of failures that keep showing up:

• Skipping the focus check after changing laser sources. The fiber and diode heads are not interchangeable; switching them means re-checking focus.
• Cutting acrylic without air assist. Even if it seems fine on a small piece, the risk of cracking increases with sheet size.
• Trusting a setting screenshot from a forum. It might be useful, but it's not evidence. Per FTC guidance, claims about what a machine can do should be substantiated. That applies to sellers and to my own recommendations.
• Not writing down settings. I keep a binder with labeled test pieces. It's the most-used reference in our shop.

One more thing: if a deal looks too good because the base price is too low, ask for the line-item list. I'd rather pay for what I need and see it in writing. The extra cost of adding a rotary module later is a classic 'save $40 now, spend $150 later' mistake.

If you remember one thing from this checklist, it's this: test, measure, record. That's not an exciting ending, but it saves more money than any laser setting I can give you.