xTool Studio and me

For the price we pay for Studio, I think we are still getting a pretty good deal.

What I really think after rebuilding my laser workflow.

When xTool Studio showed up and xTool Creative Space stopped getting love, it felt a bit like someone walked into my shop, grabbed my favorite jig, and replaced it with a “better” version without asking.

I was already deep into my routines engraving painted canvases for the wall of fame dialing in tumblers on the RA2 cutting endless sheets of MDF.

Creative Space was not perfect, but I knew exactly where it would bite me. Studio was the new kid with a cleaner outfit, a lot of talk about artificial intelligence, and the promise that this is the future of xTool.

So this is not a tutorial. This is my honest take after living with Studio as a working tool in my shop and on my YouTube channel.

Leaving Creative Space felt like leaving a familiar shop layout

Creative Space was that old bench you built years ago. A bit rough around the edges, a drawer that sticks, but everything you need is there and your hands know where to go.

Studio moved the drawers.

The first days felt slower. I had to think more about simple tasks that used to be automatic. Tiny things like where did they hide that option why does this panel open over here why does this job feel heavier on my computer.

If you are in that stage right now, you are not alone. The change is real.

What made me stay with Studio was not the interface itself, but what it lets me do once I got past that friction.

The parts that still annoy me

Let us not pretend this is a fairy tale. There are things that still make me roll my eyes.

Studio can feel heavy on less powerful computers, especially with bigger images and richer projects. When I have a lot of browser tabs open, video stuff going on, and Studio running a complex file, I can feel my system sigh.

Also, there is that middle period when you are no longer comfortable in Creative Space, but not yet fluent in Studio. That is the worst part. Everything feels slower. You question if the upgrade was worth it.

I wish that transition were smoother for regular users. Not power users, not ambassadors, just normal people who already have a full life and a limited bucket of patience for software.

So no, this is not “you will love it from day one.” It is more “you will probably grumble for a while, then one day you notice you are getting more done and you do not want to go back.”

The WiFi connection in my shop is a real problem. A big one. It is unreliable at best, and the only real fix would be buying a new router and literally drilling through concrete walls.

Here is why that matters. xTool Studio is just not the same when you are offline. Menus disappear, the preview stops working, you lose all access to generator templates, and you cannot reach Atomm or the help sections.

Yes, you can still cut and engrave if the file is already on the canvas or saved locally. But having whole parts of the software vanish just because you are not connected to the internet That feels like too much to ask.

The credit system inside Studio can get annoying pretty fast.

Yes, I understand the developers need to pay their bills. The software is free, and a lot of apps and games today use pay as you go models or charge for extras and cosmetic stuff. That part I can live with.

What bothers me is needing a credit to enhance a picture, or to use a font, or even a simple graphic. For the heavy AI tools and fancy builders, it kind of makes sense, and honestly I do not see myself using those much anyway. But for basic things, it feels unnecessary.

This nickel and dime style approach is the kind of thing that I think will push a lot of people away.

How Studio changed my thinking as a content creator

As a aspiring YouTuber, the tools I use shape the content I make.

With Creative Space, many of my videos had to include extra steps in other software. That made tutorials more complicated for beginners who just wanted their first successful engraving.

Studio lets me keep more of the workflow in one place. That makes my explanations simpler and more repeatable for viewers.

Instead of “open this other program, do a bunch of adjustments, re import, hope nothing breaks”

I can often say “stay in Studio, tweak this slider, remove that background, then send it to the machine.”

That matters when your audience includes tired people watching on the couch at night, trying to decide if they feel brave enough to try their first photo on a canvas.

Studio helps me lower the barrier to entry without dumbing things down.

Why I am betting on Studio even with its rough edges

The real reason I lean into Studio is not what it is today, but where it is clearly going.

You can feel the design trend more focus on visual workflows more tools that respect the fact that we are engravers and makers, not full time designers more attention to templates and content that help people start.

Creative Space feels like it has reached its peak. Stable, familiar, but frozen in time.

Studio feels more like a platform. Some days that means new features and happy experiments. Other days it means a new update breaks your muscle memory. That is the tradeoff.

If you are running an xTool machine as a long term tool in your shop, I think it makes more sense to live in the place that is still moving.

I would rather invest time in learning the platform that will still be relevant three years from now, even if it occasionally annoys me today.

My honest recommendation if you use an xTool the way I do

If your laser is a once a month toy for cutting files you buy on the internet, you can probably stay in Creative Space for a while and be perfectly happy.

If your laser is a creative tool for making gifts, for decorating your shop, for testing ideas, for building a side income and if you enjoy the process of improving your craft, then I think moving your main workflow to xTool Studio is the right move.

Accept that the first weeks will feel slower. Plan a couple of low pressure projects just to explore. Recreate a few of your old “greatest hits” inside Studio and pay attention to where it helps and where it fights you.

That is exactly what I have been doing, and over time the balance has clearly shifted toward “I am glad I pushed through the awkward phase.”

In the end, software is just another tool in the shop. What matters is whether it lets you go from idea to finished piece with less friction and more confidence.

Right now, for my kind of projects and for the people who watch my channel, xTool Studio is starting to feel like the right workbench to build on.

What's your take? Let me know in the comments!

— SB, Out!