xTool, a global maker technology company, served as Diamond Partner of FAB26 Boston, the Fab Lab Global Conference, held July 27–31 across the MIT campus and Fab Hub Kendall. The company used the conference to make the case that digital fabrication has passed a threshold: local workshops, classrooms, and community spaces can now produce finished goods, not only prototypes.
That argument sits at the center of both organizations’ work. The Fab Lab network, convened by the Fab Foundation and originating at MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms, has spent 25 years building distributed fabrication capacity in communities worldwide. xTool’s presentation in the conference’s Tools & Tech program, titled “From Prototyping to Distributed Production,” addressed what it takes for that capacity to support actual production.
Driving the Shift From Prototyping to Distributed Production
xTool brought its iconic xTool Truck to FAB26 Boston as part of the company’s ongoing 2026 MakerFest Tour. Beyond the tour stop, xTool elevated its presence at this year’s event as a FAB Diamond Partner, demonstrating that the company is far more than a hardware supplier or merely a sponsor of the event —it is a deeply committed partner in driving maker culture forward. Highlighting this mission in his FAB26 keynote, Stein Shi, U.S. General Manager at xTool, stated that xTool devices are built not only as everyday appliances, but as robust instruments that put real manufacturing power in makers’ hands.
“At xTool, our belief is simple: creation is a fundamental human instinct. Our job is to remove the friction between a spark in your mind and a finished object in your hands. We don’t think of our tools as appliances. We think of them as instruments that put real production capability into more people’s hands, in more places. And to do that well, the tools have to actually be good — not “good enough for a hobbyist,” but good enough to run a business on.”
—Stein Shi, xTool U.S. General Manager
Bringing this belief to life, xTool introduced the groundbreaking xTool O1 Omni Printer to the FAB26 community. As the world’s first all-in-one desktop printer capable of working on virtually any material, the O1 integrates UV, DTG, DTF, and UV DTF printing technologies into a single platform. By uniting multi-ink technology with robust mechanical innovation, the xTool O1 breaks past traditional single-material limits—empowering everyone from hobbyist creators to small business owners to scale their operations and unlock massive business potential from a single setup.
Empowering the Fab Lab System with xTool Squad
xTool is extending its mission beyond personal productivity tools for individual creators to embrace the broader community. This aligns directly with the Fab Foundation’s conviction that technology achieves its true purpose when it serves communities.
By pairing Fab Lab’s global infrastructure with xTool Squad’s hyper-local network, xTool is helping turn “making almost anything” into “making almost anywhere.” Where the Fab Foundation’s 2,710+ Fab Labs across 160 countries answer how to make almost anything, xTool Squad bridges the final mile by bringing making directly into every neighborhood. A growing network of 1,327+ hosts across 106 cities has transformed local studios and garages into neighborhood demo hubs, hosting more than 13,000 creator interactions so far. Serving as the accessible entry point—or the embryo—of a full Fab Lab, these xTool Squad spaces ensure that anyone, anywhere can take their first step into creation just minutes from their doorstep.
Sparking Tangible Impact through the 1% for the Makers Donation Program
Translating this community-first philosophy into action, xTool has joined forces with the Fab Foundation and MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) to launch the “1% Maker Challenge.”
The challenge expands upon xTool’s “1% for the Makers” initiative, which has donated over $860,000 in equipment across 100+ global partners to empower schools, community makerspaces, and artists worldwide. Born alongside the Fab Foundation and MIT’s CBA, the “1% Maker Challenge” inspires creators to harness technology for real-world impact. The initiative recognized three standout projects: the wildlife cloche set earned the MIT CBA Choice Award for inspiring wildlife conservation through endangered species artwork; the Community Choice Award celebrated the most-downloaded project, an intricate woodworking piece designed to warm shared spaces; and the Social Spotlight Award went to DahoraKit, demonstrating how xTool machinery and open-source designs break down technical barriers to make STEM and robotics truly universal.
Igniting the Future of Making through Immersive Workshops
Throughout the five-day conference, xTool engaged the FAB26 community with 10 immersive, hands-on workshops in partnership with MIT. The workshops spanned advanced fields like materials science, precision optics, industrial calibration, and project-based learning (PBL), while also focusing on practical creator applications such as custom streetwear design. Attendees got hands-on experience with the F2 Ultra, P3 CO2 laser, Apparel Printer, MetalFab, WonderPress and the newly introduced xTool O1 Omni Printer. High levels of engagement underscored xTool’s leadership within the maker ecosystem, leaving attendees inspired and equipped to make futures that matter.
The achievements at FAB26 mark another milestone in xTool’s long-term mission to empower maker communities worldwide. Looking ahead, xTool leadership and technical experts will join the MIT Tech Talk in early October, while the 2026 MakerFest Tour continues rolling forward to connect with new communities and inspire the future of making.
About xTool
xTool is a global premium consumer-tech brand dedicated to empowering digital-to-physical creation. As the world’s largest and fastest-growing laser engraver innovator, xTool provides a comprehensive ecosystem of laser-based personal creative tools, material printers, user-friendly software, accessories, and consumables. Through these innovations, xTool empowers creators to turn imagination into meaningful creations that deliver emotional fulfillment, commercial success, and personal achievement. Discover more at xtool.com.
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