Anker EufyMake E1 Review

There's a moment when you see your first embossed UV print come out of the EufyMake E1 — tactile, vivid, layered — and you think: this is genuinely new. Then you check how much ink you just used. That tension between excitement and sticker shock defines the entire EufyMake E1 experience.

What Is This Thing, Actually?

Let's get one thing clear upfront: the EufyMake E1 is not a regular printer. It's a tabletop UV printer — the kind of machine that until now lived in commercial print shops and cost tens of thousands of dollars. It can print directly onto glass, wood, fabric, metal, phone cases, coasters, and practically any flat surface up to a certain thickness. The signature feature is embossed relief printing, where the printer lays down multiple layers of ink to build up a physical texture you can actually feel. Drag a fingernail across it — it won't budge.

At its Kickstarter price point, it's legitimately the most affordable UV printer ever offered to consumers. That context matters a lot when evaluating it.

The Prints Are Genuinely Impressive

Beta testers across Reddit are largely in agreement: the output quality is real. Colors are vibrant, details are sharp enough to render small readable text, and the textured relief effect adds a dimension to flat artwork that photos honestly can't capture. One UK-based beta tester with zero prior printing experience knocked out coasters and magnets in 5–8 minutes and was immediately designing for Christmas gifts. The workflow — snap a photo of your surface, upload your design, drag and drop, customize texture layers — is surprisingly approachable.

For hobbyists making personalized gifts, anime prints, lightboxes, or small-run merchandise, the creative ceiling here is legitimately high. The app runs on both phone and PC, and the guided setup reportedly takes about 30 minutes from box to first print.

The Ink Cost Problem Is Serious

Here's where things get uncomfortable. One beta tester with inside knowledge dropped a number that should give every potential backer pause: a single demo print reportedly cost around $100 in ink. A full ink set runs approximately $250 and yields roughly 100ml of ink — compared to standard UV ink which costs $40–$60 per liter on the open market. Eufy is using sealed proprietary cartridges, which means you're paying a massive premium with no alternative.

Even for lighter usage, a beta tester estimated that a full ink set lasts about three weeks if printing ~4 small (60×40mm) jobs per day. Raised texture prints consume significantly more ink as they build up physical layers. The app only shows ink usage estimates after the job finishes — not before — so there's no easy way to budget a print in advance.

On top of ink: the printhead is a consumable with its own replacement cost, and there are ongoing subscription fees for both the device and the software. The activated carbon filter and scraper life counters are calculated using standby hours, not actual print hours — so they'll run down even when the machine is just sitting idle.

Software and Firmware: A Work in Progress

The EufyMake app is functional but clearly unfinished. Beta testers on the official subreddit noted missing controls, alignment issues when lighting isn't ideal, and a camera snapshot that fails when painter's tape is used to secure materials. The most alarming bug: the printer was automatically running a deep cleaning cycle every midnight — even on days it was already used — burning through ink and cleaning solution with no compensation or fix issued by Eufy at the time of review. Discord communities are reportedly full of additional bugs, described by one tester as "too many to list."

Build Quality and Out-of-Box Experience

Quality control raised some flags early. One beta tester received a unit with light scratches on the panels (no protective film applied), and an ink cartridge that wouldn't seat properly due to leftover plastic film from manufacturing. These are the kinds of issues you'd hope are ironed out before full retail launch — but for a product still in its Kickstarter fulfillment phase, they're worth flagging.

There's also a broader concern raised in Reddit's r/gadgets: Anker's track record with its other hardware lines (notably 3D printers) has attracted criticism for designating products EOL and then refusing to supply spare parts. Whether that pattern carries over to the EufyMake line remains to be seen, but it's worth factoring into a multi-year cost-of-ownership calculation.

Who Should (and Shouldn't) Buy This

The EufyMake E1 makes sense for a fairly specific buyer: someone who wants to produce small-run, high-impact custom items — personalized gifts, decorative art prints, merchandise samples, product prototyping — and who understands they're paying a premium for the convenience of doing it at home. Small creators who'd otherwise outsource UV printing to a shop could potentially come out ahead.

It does not make sense for casual hobbyists who want to print occasionally just for fun. The ink costs will sting badly at low volume. It also isn't a replacement for any conventional printer — it has a completely different use case.

The Kickstarter Caveat

This product launched via Kickstarter, and the community-compiled FAQ is refreshingly honest: crowdfunding is gambling, not shopping. No delivery is guaranteed, refunds are limited, and shipping delays are common. If you're considering backing, go in with eyes open and no hard deadline in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much does it cost to run the EufyMake E1?

A: Ink costs are high — a full ink set (~100ml) costs around $250, and one beta tester reported a single demo print cost roughly $100 in ink alone. Raised texture prints consume significantly more ink than flat prints. There are also additional costs for consumable printheads and ongoing software subscriptions.

Q: What materials can the EufyMake E1 print on?

A: The E1 can print on glass, wood, fabric, metal, phone cases, coasters, and most flat surfaces. With an additional attachment, it can also print on cylindrical objects.

Q: Is the EufyMake E1 app easy to use?

A: For basic flat prints, yes — beta testers with no prior experience completed setup in about 30 minutes and were printing within the hour. However, the app is missing several expected controls, has camera alignment quirks, and has exhibited bugs like unexpected midnight cleaning cycles that waste ink.

Q: Is the EufyMake E1 worth it for a hobby user?

A: Probably not for casual use. The ink costs per print are steep, the printhead is a consumable, and there are subscription fees. It's better suited to small creators or anyone producing custom items semi-regularly who would otherwise pay a commercial UV print shop.

Q: Is the EufyMake E1 available at retail or only through Kickstarter?

A: As of the beta testing period, it was available through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign with early backer pricing. Retail availability post-campaign has not been confirmed in available sources — standard Kickstarter risks apply.

The EufyMake E1 is a genuinely impressive piece of technology that democratizes a printing method that was previously out of reach for anyone without commercial equipment. The textured output is real, the quality is real, and the creative potential is real. But so are the ink costs, the software bugs, the consumable expenses, and the subscription model. If you're a creator who will use this regularly and can price those costs into your work, it's worth serious consideration. If you just want to make occasional cool prints, your wallet will suffer. Rate it for what it is: a promising first-generation product that needs more time in the oven.