When a piece of desktop tech gets picked up by BBC News, it tends to mean something. The eufyMake E1 UV printer recently appeared on Tech Now, the BBC’s programme exploring the technologies shaping modern life, in an episode filmed at Blenheim Palace. The segment, which starts at around 17 minutes 29 seconds into the Tech Now: Blenheim Palace episode, showed the E1 being used as part of a wider look at how technology is helping to restore and preserve one of the UK’s most significant historic properties.
It is a compelling context. Blenheim Palace is a World Heritage Site. Applying a desktop UV printer to restoration and surface work in that setting is about as strong a signal as you can get that this technology has crossed from enthusiast curiosity to practical tool. This article covers what the eufyMake E1 actually is, what it can do, and who it is genuinely useful for.
What Is the eufyMake E1?
The eufyMake E1 is a compact, desktop UV flatbed printer. Unlike a standard inkjet printer, which deposits water-based ink onto paper, a UV printer uses ultraviolet light to cure ink instantly onto virtually any surface. The E1 takes that commercial UV printing capability and brings it down to a form factor that sits on a workbench or desk.
eufyMake is a brand from Anker, the consumer electronics company better known for charging accessories. The E1 launched via Kickstarter and raised over £36 million, making it one of the most successful crowdfunded hardware projects on record. That level of backing does not happen by accident. It reflects genuine market appetite for what this machine does.
You can see the full specification and order the E1 through Additive-X, the UK’s authorised stockist.
What Does the eufyMake E1 Actually Do?
The short answer: it prints directly onto almost any object, in full colour, with optional raised 3D texture. The longer answer involves a few distinct capabilities worth understanding separately.
Direct UV printing on flat surfaces
The E1 prints onto flat objects up to A3 size at up to 1,440 DPI. Materials include wood, metal, acrylic, glass, ceramic, stone, leather, canvas, fabric, and more. The printer uses built-in dual lasers and a snapshot camera to measure the surface height and map artwork onto it accurately.
The ink is UV-cured, which means it bonds to the surface rather than soaking in or relying on heat. Results are durable, fade-resistant, and scratch-resistant, making them suitable for outdoor use.
3D texture printing
This is one of the features that sets the E1 apart. Using eufyMake’s Amass3D technology, the printer can build up ink in layers to create raised, tactile textures on flat objects. Think brushstroke effects on canvas prints, embossed logos on corporate merchandise, or textured surface finishes on custom products. The raised texture can reach up to 5 mm.
Rotary printing
With the rotary attachment, the E1 prints onto cylindrical objects such as mugs, bottles, and tumblers. This is the kind of capability that small merchandise and gifts businesses usually have to outsource. With the E1, it becomes an in-house process.
UV DTF printing
UV DTF (Direct-to-Film) printing lets you print designs onto a special film, which is then transferred to surfaces that the flatbed cannot accommodate directly. This extends the range of objects you can personalise without needing the item to physically fit in the machine.
The BBC Tech Now Feature: What Was Shown at Blenheim Palace?
BBC Tech Now is part of BBC News and covers the latest technology innovations with a focus on real-world application. The Blenheim Palace episode explored how various technologies are being applied to the restoration of the palace, which requires the ongoing maintenance of historic surfaces, decorative elements, and architectural details across a vast site.
The eufyMake E1 appears at around 17 minutes 29 seconds, in a segment that demonstrates its use for surface work in that context. Blenheim’s restoration team face the challenge of matching and reproducing intricate decorative finishes that are hundreds of years old. A desktop UV printer capable of printing directly onto surfaces with accurate colour reproduction and tactile texture is, in that context, a genuinely useful tool rather than a novelty.
It is worth noting what this kind of coverage represents. BBC News does not feature consumer technology without a real story behind it. Appearing on Tech Now at a World Heritage Site, in the context of conservation and restoration, positions the eufyMake E1 as a serious piece of equipment, not just an interesting gadget.
Who Is the eufyMake E1 For?
The E1 is positioned as a business tool as much as a creative one. Here are the use cases where it makes the most practical sense.
Small product and merchandise businesses
If you sell customised products, the E1 changes the economics significantly. Printing direct-to-product removes the heat-press and sublimation steps, reduces per-unit cost, and allows you to print single units profitably. Custom water bottles, coasters, phone cases, gifts, and branded merchandise all become in-house production rather than minimum-order outsourcing.
Creative professionals and makers
Artists, photographers, and designers can print their work directly onto non-paper surfaces with the kind of colour accuracy and surface options that were previously only available through commercial print shops. Canvas, wood, acrylic, ceramic, and metal all become printable surfaces for original work.
Restoration and conservation
As the BBC Tech Now segment demonstrated, the E1 has applications in heritage and restoration work. Surface matching, decorative detail reproduction, and the ability to print directly onto existing materials makes it a practical option for restorers working on buildings, furniture, and artefacts.
Signage and visual merchandising
For retail, events, or exhibitions, the ability to print high-quality, durable graphics directly onto diverse materials without minimum order quantities is genuinely useful. Customised display props, branded items, and short-run signage all become more accessible.
Product designers and prototypers
The E1 pairs naturally with 3D printing. Once a part is printed, the E1 can apply surface graphics, branding, colour, and texture directly onto it. The combination of FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) 3D printing with UV surface printing produces a near-production-quality finish at desktop scale.
Key Specifications
For those who want the numbers:
- Print resolution: up to 1,440 DPI
- Maximum print area (flatbed): A3 (approximately 330 x 420 mm)
- Maximum raised texture height: 5 mm
- Print modes: flatbed, mini flatbed, rotary, UV DTF
- Supported materials: 300+, including metal, wood, acrylic, glass, ceramics, stone, leather, canvas, and fabric
- Inks: CMYK + white + gloss (GREENGUARD Gold certified for low emissions)
- Positioning: dual laser + built-in snapshot camera
- Self-cleaning: JetClean automatic maintenance system
- Connectivity: mobile app (iOS/Android) and desktop software
Full product details and pricing are on the eufyMake E1 product page at Additive-X.
What Is It Like to Use?
Setup is closer to a modern 3D printer than a conventional inkjet. Ink cartridges slot into the top of the machine; the cleaning tank and air filter attach to the sides. Calibration runs via the mobile app and takes around 15 minutes, with the machine doing most of the work. After that, the workflow is: place your object on the bed, use the app to see a live camera view of the surface, position your artwork by dragging and dropping, and print.
The dual lasers and camera measure the surface height and contour before printing, which is how the E1 handles curved and uneven objects without manual offset adjustment. For flat objects this happens automatically. For cylindrical items, the rotary attachment handles the geometry.
One practical point worth knowing: the E1 is designed to stay powered on when not in use. Shutting it down triggers an ink purge cycle to protect the print head. The JetClean self-cleaning system runs background maintenance to keep nozzles clear, but like any inkjet-adjacent technology, the printer does its best work when it is used regularly.
Inks and Consumables
The E1 uses a proprietary ink system with six cartridges: cyan, magenta, yellow, black, white, and gloss. Each cartridge holds 100 ml. The ink set is GREENGUARD Gold certified, which means it meets low chemical emission standards, relevant for use in offices, studios, or commercial settings.
White ink is what makes printing on dark or transparent surfaces possible. Without it, any colours applied over a dark background would not show accurately. The gloss ink adds either a protective finish or a spot gloss effect over specific design elements.
Additive-X stocks the full consumables range with next working day UK delivery. You can find individual cartridges and the full ink set on the Additive-X eufyMake inks page, along with the cleaning cartridge for ongoing maintenance.
A Wider Picture: UV Printing Goes Desktop
UV printing is not new. Industrial UV flatbed printers have been standard equipment in commercial print shops and sign-making businesses for years. What the eufyMake E1 does is bring that capability to a machine the size of a large desktop printer, at a price that a small business or serious maker can consider rather than budget for over several years.
The TIME Best Inventions list in 2025 included the E1 in the Robotics category. The BBC Tech Now feature at Blenheim Palace adds to that profile. These are not the kinds of endorsements a machine earns on marketing spend alone.
For context on where UV printing sits relative to other surface decoration methods, the British Printing Industries Federation tracks technology adoption across the UK print sector, and the broader shift towards short-run, direct-to-product printing has been a consistent trend for several years.
Where to Buy the eufyMake E1 in the UK
Additive-X is an authorised UK stockist of the eufyMake E1. Based in Ripon, North Yorkshire, they supply UV printers alongside their wider 3D printing range and offer UK-based technical support. Orders placed before 4.30pm on weekdays ship the same day via DPD.
You can order the eufyMake E1 UV printer directly, browse the full eufyMake range, or call the team on 01765 694 007 if you want to talk through whether the E1 is the right fit for your application before purchasing.
If you already have a 3D printer and are looking at combining it with surface colour and texture, the E1 is a logical next step. If you are running a customisation or creative business and have been relying on outsourced UV printing, it is worth doing the maths on what bringing that in-house would mean for your margins.