8 min read

As a long-time maker and tinkerer, from woodwork to metal craft to 3D printing, there are few things that light up my brain like digging into brand new technology. That’s why I was excited to check out the eufyMake UV E1: It’s the first ultraviolet (UV) printer made for hobbyists, rather than businesses. eufyMake parent company Anker claims that the technology will open up all kinds of exciting new possibilities for creators. The question is: Does it deliver?

To find out, I spent two weeks churning out prints and pushing the E1’s capabilities as far as I could, testing its speed, quality, and materials usage. What I found was an exquisitely built machine that not only produces terrific prints, but has the potential to greatly expand a maker’s workflow. Given what it costs, this is not for casual 3D printing fans, but the E1 can be a game-changer for enthusiast, deep-pocketed makers.

So, what exactly is a UV printer? It occupies a space somewhere between a traditional inkjet printer and a 3D printer. Like an inkjet, it sprays small drops of ink (the usual Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black, along with White and Gloss). This ink is UV-reactive, hardening quickly under the printer’s light and bonding to almost any surface. It can drip and harden layer after layer of ink — up to 5 millimeters high — to create ornately textured surfaces on hundreds of materials, including glass, stone, wood, ceramic, metal, acrylic, leather, and fabric.

Anker eufyMake UV E1 printer

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Pros

• Terrific design
• Easy to use
• Excellent print quality

Cons

• Unpleasant smell
• Limits on print size and shapes

Features at a Glance

Print material	Form	Dimensions (D x W x H)
UV-activated ink
Desktop printer
10 x 23 x 16 in. (requires additional 15 inches of open space, front and back.)

So Who Needs a UV Printer, Exactly?

Though not quite as dynamic as a conventional 3D printer, UV printers have a lot of practical applications for a wide variety of creators. Propmakers and cosplayers will get a lot out of the E1’s ability to print fine details directly on fabrics, or as transfers with an optional attachment. Perhaps more importantly to the staff and readers here at Popular Mechanics, craftspeople can use it to add textures and faux-finishes wood, vinyl, metal, and other building materials.

It’s a device that rewards creativity and curiosity. The E1 will print all manner of designs of lots of different surfaces, so if you are making something, there probably is a way to work the E1 into your project if you’re inclined.

That said, eufyMake is clearly marketing this device as a piece of “prosumer” tech for folks with creative business or side-hustles. That makes sense when you consider that, to date, UV printers have been used entirely for commercial purposes.

Industrial UV printers for businesses cost tens of thousands of dollars: By contrast, the E1 is a bargain with a starting price of $2,299. That’s far from being an impulse buy, but for many makers and entrepreneurs, the expanded print capabilities are worth the cost. If you have an Etsy shop making custom gear, or if you’re a small business giving away logo-branded items, the E1 can certainly pay for itself. If you just like to make things for pleasure, the price will be harder to justify.

A Whole New World (of Printing on Stuff)

Straight out of the box, the E1 looks and feels like a well-designed piece of hardware. Encased in a sturdy plastic shell, the solidly built printer weighs a hefty 43 pounds. Small details like ease-of-assembly and the friendly start-up chirp make interacting with it a pleasure.

The initial setup took about 45 minutes. That process included waiting for it to inject the initial dose of ink into the system, which gave me time to install the eufyMake app on my phone and desktop. Once the ink was loaded, I followed the tutorial project with no trouble. Eight minutes later, I had my own textured fridge magnet.

The basic operation of the E1 is shockingly simple, especially if you’re printing on standard materials and using the app’s templates. But I quickly pivoted to custom images and unusual materials. I printed on scrap metal, 3D-printed bases, discarded wood, vinyl, and cardboard. I even tried printing on fruit. After two weeks of intense use, I came away convinced I was just scratching the surface of what the E1 could do.

Dan Stout

Dan Stout

The print quality is fantastic. Colors were true, and text was crisp and clear, even when I needed a magnifying glass to read it. With one exception, any failed prints were my fault, either due to a simple mistake or as a result of pushing the printer to do more than for what it is intended. There is certainly a learning curve, but within a day or two my prints were reliably good.

One surprise was the physical size limits of the print material. Although the printer can accommodate items up to about six inches in height, it will only print on items 60mm (about 2.3 inches) or lower. Similarly, the rotary adapter has more restrictions on diameter and taper than I expected. (I did manage to trick it into printing outside of those specs, because I’m a nerd and that’s my idea of fun.)

The App is as Complex as You Want it to Be

The eufyMake smartphone app and desktop software are also fairly intuitive, allowing you access to a ton of tweakable options when and if you want them. The E1 is still technically a “pre-release” product, and both the software and firmware were updated during my testing window to give me even more options and some performance improvements. For example, a recent update added an “Academy” section with tutorials for new users, which could be a huge plus for novice makers.

The primary reason I turned to the software was when I needed to adjust my print images and align them with the printing surface. You can use the E1’s camera to take a snapshot of the surface, which allows you to position the design exactly where you want it.

The AI features were a mixed bag. Sometimes they worked great, nailing the textures of imported images, but could also create splotchy, irregular sections. I found it easier to download the AI-generated depth guide and customize it in an image editor. (“Depth guide” is just a copy of the image in blacks, whites, and shades of gray, that the software uses to create layers; blacks aren’t raised at all, whites are fully raised, and grays are in-between.)

If you do download a depth guide, you can convert the file and run it through a 3D printer or CNC router to create a pre-shaped material. This will save on UV ink or allow you to create multi-media projects. I played around with UV printing onto 3D-printed shapes and had good results.

Good Prints Take Time

Not surprisingly, the eufyMake’s printing time can vary quite a bit based on the size and depth of your prints. Small objects (coasters or fridge magnets) with flat ink took around 4 to 10 minutes to print. A similar size object with a more textured surface (2.5 mm) took around 45 minutes to print. Larger items (12 by 16 inches) with a depth of 1 to 3 mm had print times ranging from 2 hours, 15 minutes to 4 hours, 30 minutes.

With scanning, alignment, image adjustments, setting up the print can be time consuming. If you’re printing variations of the same objects, consider fabricating some kind of jig to speed the process. A jig will ensure each printed item will be in same place from batch to batch, allowing you to drop images in place by position, rather than fiddling with the visual scan and placement.

Additional Operating Costs

The eufyMake E1 requires a substantial upfront investment, but it’s important to keep in mind that, between buying printing materials and an optional subscription, there will be additional costs as you use it.

Ink is the most obvious expense, as each 100-milliliter (mL) container costs about $43. A flat, 2- by 2-inch solid image used about 0.05 mL, so it costs about two cents to print. An image with negative space costs even less, while a raised/textured image costs more. For example, that same 2- x 2-inch image raised to 3mm used 5.11 mL of ink, pushing the print cost to $2.20.

One caveat: turning the printer off for an extended time or swapping hard for flexible white ink requires the printer to flush ink out of its system and load new in. That can eat up a significant chunk of ink.

Also, the adhesive mats wear out due to losing their tackiness, or by getting too much overspray. You can mitigate this by laying down blue tape or some other protective barrier. Anker confirms that replacement adhesive pads will cost $10 or less, though replacement pads aren’t available on their site as of this date.

Finally, the E1 doesn’t require a paid subscription to operate. Paid subscriptions come with more AI credits and increased storage. The free tier provides 200 AI credits a month, with most operations requiring 5 credits to use. The credits do not roll over from month to month, so use them or lose them.

A Simple Print Walkthrough

Step 1: Material Prep

Wipe the surface clean and position it securely on the adhesive mat.

Dan Stout

Step 2: Upload or Generate an Image

Use your own image or generate one on the eufyMake app.

Dan Stout

Step 3: Scan Material (optional)

Use the E1’s onboard camera to capture an image of the material you’ll be printing on.

Dan Stout

Step 4: Image Prep

Adjust size, position, and depth. Optional: create a depth guide or texture.

Dan Stout

Step 5: Send to Print

The app gives the estimated ink consumption. If everything looks good, press Start on the E1.

Dan Stout

Step 6: Finished Product

Your print is ready to go. (This print took 1 hour and twenty minutes.)

Dan Stout

Safety Precautions

A couple things to keep in mind as you use the eufyMake E1. You should not look at the printer’s UV light directly. (This is primarily something to keep in mind if you’re making something with young kids, as you really need to try to get under the printer and look into the light.) In general, I’d recommend keeping children away from the printer if it’s running with the doors open.

The E1 emits general resin odor as it runs. I’m sensitive to fumes and I found it annoying, but that certainly didn’t stop me from using it. I only noticed the smell within about 8 feet of the printer. The smell doesn’t fade, though, because the E1 circulates small amounts of ink to prevent the print head from drying out. (On the bright side, you can say that you have a printer with a moisturizing routine.)

When Can I Get One?

If you’ve paid attention to news about the eufyMake E1, then you know it’s not only had a massively successful Kickstarter (raising over $47 million), but also production issues following that initial spike of interest. Shipping dates have been pushed back, and many customers are still waiting for their units. It’s worth knowing that, if you go ahead and order, eufyMake still considers these purchases “pre-orders,” and you should be patient, as there may be production and/or shipping delays. Or the plus side, as of late October, 2025, eufyMake has lowered the price to $2,299, down from $2,499.

Final Thoughts

The eufyMake E1 UV Printer hardware is fantastic. It exceeded my expectations with its high print quality, sturdy build, and ease of use. The app delivers a good user experience overall, and many of the pre-release shortcomings I noticed are already being addressed.

It’s no small investment, but if you’re a serious hobbyist or have a small business or side hustle, the E1 will dramatically expand your custom printing options. I was consistently impressed with its capabilities after using if for two weeks. Let’s hope Anker can get these machines into people’s hands as fast as possible, because I honestly can’t wait to see what more skilled makers can do with it.

Buy The eufyMake UV E1 Now

A former residential remodeler and maintenance manager, Dan Stout has worked in nearly every part of the construction and DIY industry, from project planning and permitting to plumbing, drywall, carpentry, and more. He loves to write about the weird history of everyday objects, and to help readers make informed decisions about their homes.