FLUX Ador: World's First Color Printing Laser Cutter - REVIEW!

[@IraQNid]

I've seen videos from other diode laser users where they placed a black piece of cardboard underneath the transparent sheet of plastic. This allowed their diode laser to make the cut without issue. There was some cleanup of the cut piece afterward. The upside is the black cardboard was useful as an art piece after the cut.

[@macrumpton]

that does not work.

[@android4cg]

Wow! The color printing is really nice feature. Hope more laser manufacture will bring similar features. Would be also very nice to have such tool for the CNC machine.

[@sunnynaguri]

Finally got around to watching this video. It is my dream to own a laser cutter one day. I feel like it is one of the more versatile and useful tools an artist can have.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Yes it is. It sooo useful! Thanks for watching! :)

[@jamesbeatty2867]

One thing to keep in mind, eco solvent ink needs to out-gas for about 24hrs. This allows the solvent to evaporate and the ink to fully cure.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Oh cool! That's a good tip, thank you!

[@janita851]

@@sliceoflifefilmwould be so nice if you could test the the ink smudge after the curing period again..

[@LemonLimes99]

@@janita851 by cure, do you mean it becomes waterproof?

[@janita851]

@@LemonLimes99 thats exactly what I wonder…

[@janita851]

Curing in this case means it becomes dry and sticks to the material. But i still wonder if it depends on the material itself how longlasting and waterproof it is. Ecosolvent is used for iron on vinyl images, so there is a way to waterproof it. But still most of flatbed printers work with uv or pigment print as far as im aware, so i wonder why they don’t use ecosolvent. I find it odd that they promote a laser with a printhead but don’t say anything about the endproduct being waterproof 🙄

[@DenisRyan]

Fantastic product, fantastic video! Home laser cutters are becoming more and more accessible! Thanks for highlighting this one. First I'd heard of it.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

You are welcome!

[@TKs3DPrints]

nice to see the colour inkjet on this.. i have been thinking for ages why there was nothing out there.. this is a nice game changer. as i do a lot of celtic stuff and do depth carving with my lasers. and would be cool to see how the colours would lay down on one of my depth engravings..

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Yes!! I can imagine the colored celtic designs could look very nice!

[@LuisCasstle]

Nothing out there like what, a laser that also prints or a flatbed printer? Because flatbed printers have been a thing for a while. They're down to where you can buy one for less then $10k or even $5k.

[@unemployedredneckhillbilly2023]

Great idea. Wonder if the next generation will have all 4 colors installed at the same time.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

That would be awesome for sure!

[@mlsvendzen]

I contacted Flux to hear if they were planning a white toner, and they said yes. I think they hope to do as many seperate spot colours, so you can mix an match.

[@ericBcreator]

I've seen a lot of reviews but yours really stands out, great job!

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Yay, thank you!

[@LookInto]

This is the must have item I never knew I needed, until now! Nicely done. Time to toss that Epilog in the trash (well, maybe not)!

[@CarlosElPeruacho]

Once I saw you need to change it for each color it kinda killed it..honestly it would be better to have a full color print head that stows away when the laser head is out and vice versa.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

I had the same thought and I addressed it in the video. It did seem tedious at first but after a few prints you really get used to it and start doing it on autopilot. So it's not that big of a deal, but I completely agree. A full color printing head would be great in the future. Tnx for watching!

[@LuisCasstle]

It can be a deal breaker depending on the cost of this machine. But for entry level it is probably cheaper than buying a laser and a flatbed printer, which is good enough to start getting jobs that need printing and cutting. Then save your $ and buy a proper sized uv flatbed printer.

[@WTFactsOnStigma]

How did you create the cool window cut out where you just slide the glass open and shut? That was awesome! We are looking into buying one and live in a basement apartment so we want to make sure we aren’t disturbing our upstairs neighbors.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

I ordered a glass pane with a hole cut in it for the window. And then I built a simple blast door. the "glass" I slide is jut a layer of plexiglass. Look for blast doors on youtube, you'll find a lot of videos. ;)

[@pjwarez]

Cool video and good, simple explanation. 1 request - don’t ever lose your accent, IT’S AWESOME!

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Haha, I couldn't even if I wanted to. Tnx for watching!

[@JohnHansknecht]

Yes, the first color printing with ink laser cutter, but the new Creality Falcon 2 can print in color using the laser itself by creating nm thickness changes in the metal engraving.

[@Usr1240]

Love your reviews, please make more ❤

[@gustavomirandadiaz4661]

Thanks so much for the review! Cheers from Chile!

[@thymeparzival]

The website says a single cartridge can print up to 833 A4 pages at 5% coverage. If we assume that doubling the percentage of coverage halves the amount of pages a single cartridge can print, then 10% would be 416 pages and 95% would be something like 45 pages. At $100 per cartridge, replacing 4 cartridges will add up fast.

[@AlwaysCensored-xp1be]

For colour printed model buildings, laser cutting afterwards will be great.

[@gugomajo4161]

Dope but the fact it doesn't switch each tools itself is a deal breaker for me, plus the fact that the we still got the awful printing cartridges that were exposed to cost a shit ton of money for no reason at all other than lobbyism. Congrats for the vid tho, it's really well made

[@LemonLimes99]

Hello :) Is there somthing we can coat the wood with in order to seal in the color and make it water proof?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Sorry, I wouldn't know that!

[@ramonhamm3885]

Good review! I laughed at Burger Gink, I like the Father Guido Sarducci narration, I miss that guy. 😃

[@DeusExNihilo]

It needs a mechanism to lock the gantry while changing out cartridges/tools, or have it recalibrate it's position after each tool change. Seems like a pretty big design flaw to expect the user to change out tools without moving the gantry in order for all the different tool operations to be aligned

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Oh, it does recalibrate at the top left corner after every tool or color change. No worries there.

[@hubtubby]

Awesome review, entertaining and informative

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Much appreciated!

[@Shoemaker564]

You are a funny dude! Great video! Perfect accent, easy to listen to.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Haha, thanks! :D

[@emmawieriks]

Thank you for your review! It was very helpful. Did you by any chance try it on stone too? I am debating on wheter or not to buy this one, to use it to decorate (glazed) tiles, ceramics et cetera. Curious to know if you have any experience with that!

[@sliceoflifefilm]

hm no, sorry, not on stone. they didnt mention stone among the materials so I didn't even think to try it.

[@baconbigbeats]

It won’t cut through clear because of the flavor crystals that create a field of defense so when the light actually hits then they don’t think it be like it is, but it do.

[@jayedwin98020]

First off, let me say: "Get video"! I really like the way you vented the laser through your window. Was your window a dual pane window? I have a request: A short video on how you did this, along with a list of parts and materials required to do so, would really be appreciated. It really looks like a clean way to vent your laser, or any other type of equipment, through a window. Thank You, Jim Dasher Spectrum Graphics Seattle metro, USA

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Thank you Jim. I don't know when I'll have the time to make a video, but in short - yes, it's an insulated doubleglazed window. I ordered it from the glassmaker and they cut the hole for me. So then it was easy to make a simple blast gate to close it whenever I'm not using it. I made it from wood and acrylic.

[@briannajazmin7144]

This looks amazing!! Do you know if it will be compatible with the their rotary attachment?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

I don't have this info unfortunately! Thanks for watching!

[@ChaosCanyon]

Wow, that looks really great

[@Lensman64]

Great review, thanks! 12:50 that's a great vent set up. I've never seen one like that. Is that plexi or glass window and how did you cut it?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

It's a double glazed glass window. I ordered it from the glassmaker and they cut a hole in the glass. I just made a vent door.

[@yunghiga3556]

Just wonder What can happen if painting the transparent acrylic before cutting

[@unclerichard6729]

I have heard if you cover the acrylic with something it can be engraved/cut. However you wont get as nice of results. Diode lasers work in pretty much the same frequency of light waves as humans can see, so if you can see through the material the diode's laser beam will pass right through it. If you cover the acrylic, such as painting it, the cutting will actually occur in the layer of paint but will carry through to the acrylic. The thicker the acrylic the less likely the laser will be able to completely cut through since the cut point will always originate in the paint layer. Any of that make sense?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

That's a great question. I would think it would only cut the paint layer, and have the same problem when it enters acrylic, but I don't really know. I'll try to test it and let you know!

[@bulletsponge1656]

The laser cant cut clear material because the light gets refracted and broken up just like sunlight through a glass prism etc....

[@stephenlane8916]

Forgive me if I missed the comment or answer, did you try the infrared Laser on the clear acrylic bearing in mind CO2 Lasers are essentially Infrared it would be interesting to see the result with the diode IR laser

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Hm. I didn't. It's just 2W I dont think it's strong enough to do anything.

[@dougrobinson5706]

Beer bottle opener: gold!

[@SS-hz4jo]

When will it be available in the USA?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

I don't have that information, sorry.

[@ZetaPrime77]

A quality tool for quality Croatian film makers

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Haha!

[@AWARHERO]

These cartridges are originally HEWLETT PACKARD models. Best inket printer cartridges in my book. It's better to have 4 separate color cartridges instead of a traditional 1 black + 1 CMY cartridges, meaning more ink. There was an old HP model printer (forgot the model) that uses the same 4 catridges shown here... But sadly it was discontinued.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

That's interesting, thanks for sharing! 😉

[@edriveria64]

What is the price for the combo. Ty

[@sliceoflifefilm]

check out the link in description to see prices. 😉

[@st0mper121]

Lol i want that printer head on my CNC. I kinda do it with colored markers now. Its a nice unit just to small for my needs. I do think price is a bit high

[@clayweston1790]

Can it etch brass, and curved surfaces like a stainless water bottle?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

It should etch brass. As for the water bottles, they do sell a rotary attachment for their older models, but I think it's not compatible with Ador. They did mention that they are working on it, though.

[@xConundrumx]

Can it print on metals (print yes, not engrave). Like say a pcb copper clad blank?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

I don't see why not.

[@xConundrumx]

@@sliceoflifefilm interesting, so potentially it could be a way to easily etch pcb's and subsequently even put a solder mask (although maybe not a great one as it would get subjected to a fair amount of heat during soldering) on them and even a silkscreen.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

@@xConundrumx Well maybe. I dont know if the print resolution is precise enough for pcb's. or if the ink would protect it from acid. that's something you would need to test ofc... 😉

[@xConundrumx]

@@sliceoflifefilm well it is eco solvent ink ... I mean you seen permanent marker used for this purpose too so ... Getting a machine just to test it is a bit much though. Will have to wait and see if someone else tests it.

[@raymondmckaig701]

I suspect the reason there's only one colour in the head at a time is to save space. If all four colours were loaded, the range of motion on the x-axis would be reduced due to the wider head. Having the head the same or narrower than the laser heads means your "job" can be as big as the workspace and you'd be able to print and cut up to maximum size.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

That's very good reasoning!

[@FazendeiroDePlastico]

Maybe i miss that info, but you can refil the color in your home like a ink tank printer? If we need to buy ink cartuge will be a pain in the A.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

I don't think the cartridges are refillable.

[@mislavmironovic]

After watching this,...I might buy it!

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Haha! I think they have holiday discounts now.

[@flickeringthought6349]

Is there a laser cutter that can cut plain paper without burt mark?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

I don't think so. They are burning paper basically. That's how they work.

[@JohnHansknecht]

My old 40W CO2 can. You need to go REALLY fast and use air assist to blow out any flame. The paper would have a scorch on the edge, but the edge is so thin it is unseen.

[@EJTechandDIY]

Next time try to cure the ink on the shirt with an iron, Im wondering if it will cure it to the shirt like it does with acrylic paints.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Good tip! Tnx

[@flashchrome]

Good review. Well done! Also: "Alumineaoum"

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Haha, it's a metal you always need to 'overpronounce'! 🤣🤣

[@ReiniervanRumpt]

thanks! makes it very clear!

[@Mogalize]

You only used solid colors. How is color blending with this printing system?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

It works ok. It uses the halftone pattern to blend colors, just like any other printer I think. If you search some more you can see it on other youtube videos.

[@dougmccracken4833]

How much is it for the whole unit?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Check the link in description. 😉

[@id104335409]

Months ago I saw a video of a laser engraver that changes the metal color itself. So this thing is not blowing my mind.

[@JohnHansknecht]

The Creality Falcon 2 does it. At a much lower price too!

[@inggomez-allen7920]

Very good video and explanations

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@buildwithmagic4445]

When I saw that it had the option of printing colors, I wanted to buy it, but now that I see that the color has to be changed constantly, no thanks. Each machine has a percentage of deviation, I think that the color after changing the package will not always match the already printed color. At the beginning it will, but I think the problem will appear quickly after 5 days maximum

[@tomtom9879]

Doesn't cut steel sheets?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Nope. That would require a much stronger laser. Only engraving.

[@tomtom9879]

@@sliceoflifefilm That's a shame.

[@robertmurray8815]

Please mention the total price

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Check out the link in description. The prices are listed on their website.

[@A3Kr0n]

My Alps printer switches between many ribbon carts.

[@charlesvrogers]

Nice review.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davemartin_]

Considering flat bed printers normally cost 5x this, i dont think having to swap colours is that much of an issue, shame they dont offer a white cartridge though.

[@TheM750]

It's neat, but it would have been a lot more impressive if it was UV cure pigment ink. It would have made for much more durable prints.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Perhaps they will offer it in the future. We'll see! Tnx for watching!

[@TheCynthia3326]

I want this machine

[@beansandwiched]

how much?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Follow the link in the description.

[@Foodgloriousfoodish]

Couldn’t be bothered changing the cartridge every 2 mins. This unit needs a lot more development.

[@lavina58]

Awesome 🙌😊👍👌🍀🙏

[@Lord_of_ChaoSan]

The deal breaker- are the printer cartridges refillable? and if not are they as expensive as other print cartridges? They look awful small. I'm wondering if they aren't just getting in on the age old ink printer scam in a new way. I love this idea, but those cartridges have to be refillable and it'd be nice if they were larger too- if they're refillable I might get one of these things, I have always avoided ink printing due to the racket going on with ink prices. I kinda hate giving any printer company money.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

I don't think they are refillable. You can see the prices if you follow the link under the video! ;)

[@adamkencki]

sorry about the gold bar, maybe next time

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Thank you, glad you understand! :D

[@LanceMcGrew]

Sure am seeing a lot of x-axis over-travel during engraving

[@shaolinkitsune4705]

the printer is nice in theory. But at 89 euro / cartridge for 4 cartridges...that almost 400 euros and I bet they dont last long.

[@caribguy2007]

Nice starter but not practical when there is actual uv printers that you can use already for this. Wayy to involved in the process.

[@Pir8Gaming361]

Concept is great but not very user friendly. Most yser dont want to interchange stuff.

[@GermanMythbuster]

Nice just 360$ for a refill... for 4x42ml... and even if you belief there claims how long they last then a standard full A4 Paper in color costs you over 7$...

[@coco805]

You have to change the cart for every color??!! That's a deal breaker. I mean really, inkjets are not hi technology.

[@cristibmmm]

its a cool little gimmick but for the printing stuff its too much of a hassle.

[@f.jideament]

I was so hyped, I thought it is the organized version of this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imjdl3mKi7eordUsi=P8UeZUM55S_m_FVy Then I saw all that CMYK stuff.

[@longitudes]

With my experience flux it’s garage.

[@TheAstronomyDude]

Never trust FLUX. See their KZbin channel. They launch a new product every other year. Sell it for a few months and then discontinue it. They've had FDM 3D printers, which sucked. Engravers, which sucked. Resin 3D printers, which sucked. They do pay KZbinrs a lot to "feature" their products though.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Well, I'm one of the KZbinrs so I guess I get to share my two cents. I never got "paid a lot" for my reviews. The deal is always to create an objective video and in return I get only the machine itself. No money is exchanged. I used their Beambox Pro laser cutter/engraver for more than 2 years now and haven't had a single problem with it EVER. In my opinion that machine is fantastic. I just got Ador a few months ago so haven't had chance to use it a lot. All I got to say about it is in the video. The only product of theirs I know about apart from laser cutters was the Delta FDM printer. Never tried it and can't speak of its quality. I never heard about their resin printer, does it even exist?

[@summonjikon]

howdy

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Howdy partner!

[@RcNerd]

No it ain't the first.

[@HarveyGuitarBoy]

I'm sure you've heard it before but your voice really reminds me of another youtuber called Integza, if you've heard of him

[@sliceoflifefilm]

haha, nope this is the first time someone told me that. I'll check him out! :D

[@AlwaysCensored-xp1be]

Tomato guy?

[@HarveyGuitarBoy]

@@AlwaysCensored-xp1be tomato guy indeed!

[@unclerichard6729]

$3000 USD for the complete package (if I did the conversion correctly). I was expecting this to be another one of those outrageously priced, gimmick lasers that keep popping up, but with all the features this one seems to have, this is likely a reasonable price. Being a diode laser I'm still on the fence. Hopefully they will release a C02 version in the future.

[@sliceoflifefilm]

That's if you buy it with Beam air filtration system. Without it it's about 2700$. Yeah, not bad for all the features!!!

[@HarveyGuitarBoy]

I've been searching for something that can print colour on vinyl & cut as well, seems like there's a big gap for crossover tools! This is looking awesome so far.. Just got an Xtool S1, and I'm already dreaming about enough lasers! Great vid, subscribed :)

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Thanks a lot! 😉

[@unclerichard6729]

I'm new the the vinyl sticker and t-shirt hobby but, if I'm understanding what you are wanting to do, maybe I can make a suggestion. I believe most vinyl cutters these days have a "Print and Cut" feature. You print your image from their software and it will also print registration marks. Put the material in the cutter and it will read the registrations marks and cut out the printed image. I have a Silhouette Cameo 4 that has this feature. There is also types of vinyl that a printed image can be transferred to using sublimation and a heat press. I have bought a roll of this but haven't opened the box yet so I can't tell you much about it. I'm fairly sure they have this for both t-shirts and stickers. So print the image on the vinyl with an inkjet printer with sublimation ink, and then cut the vinyl in the cutter. This is basic stuff so if you have done much with vinyl you likely already know all this. *9

[@HarveyGuitarBoy]

Oh wow that's amazing, I had no idea thank you!! That sounds like exactly what I was getting confused about and trying to think why there wasn't a machine with a print arm and a cut arm, to avoid the alignment faff - But that sounds perfect thank you so much. I've only played with my girlfriends cricut joy for a couple of hours, but really saw the potential given a better machine & I'm infatuated with the idea of being able to make decals. I'm currently up to my ears in the laser cutting world, but think adding a vinyl to my laser machines would be great. Think I might have a look at a silhoutte! Would you recommend the cameo 4, or is there anything else you'd say in a similar range to check out? Also an aside, sorry to bombard - what printer would you recommend for nice vinyl printing? @@unclerichard6729

[@ianjohnson8419]

This won’t quite be the solution for you. Vinyl should never be cut in a laser because it produces Chlorine gas, the C in PVC.

[@HarveyGuitarBoy]

@@ianjohnson8419 no no sorry, not saying I will cut vinyl with my laser - just that that’s what’s given me the make it yourself bug!

[@nielssonneveld5335]

What is the difference between the 10W and the 20W?

[@sliceoflifefilm]

Strength I guess, but I just tried 20W so I can't tell exactly.