If you’ve wanted a creative way to easily share snippets of your photography, you might’ve considered making or ordering stickers. Actually making custom stickers and labels requires juggling multiple machines—a more complex process compared to just printing photos at home. Liene aims to change that with the PixCut S1, an all-in-one photo printer and sticker cutter that integrates printing, cutting, and lamination into a single device. But does it live up to the promise? Let's dive into the details.
What Is the Liene PixCut S1?
The Liene PixCut S1 is designed to simplify the sticker-making and photo-printing process by combining thermal dye-sublimation printing with an AI-powered automatic cutting system. Unlike traditional crafting machines that require manual adjustments and separate printing and cutting processes, the PixCut S1 does it all in one machine and process.
The PixCut S1 features 300 dpi thermal dye-sublimation printing onto 4x6- and 4x7-inch PET photo and sticker paper. The included ink cartridge supports 36 sheets of prints, while the starter kit bundle includes 18 sheets of sticker paper and 18 sheets of photo paper. Additional ink and paper refills are available for purchase, with 72 sheets of photo paper and matching ink at an MSRP of $34 and 72 sheets of sticker paper and matching ink at $43. The final consumable is the blade, which is rated for a much longer lifespan of 800 sticker paper sheets before needing replacement.
Sticker paper with transparent and metallic finishes will be introduced later, according to Liene, and was not available at the time of review.
Design and Build
The PixCut S1 has a compact form factor, easily fitting into a home or workspace. It measures 4.1 inches by 7.7 inches by 11 inches and takes up a bit more space when fully unfolded for printing. While it is limited to those smaller paper sizes, the small size of the machine itself means that it isn’t a big commitment to keep around.
Performance and Print Quality
Utilizing thermal dye-sublimation technology, the PixCut S1 produces prints with great color saturation and waterproof, fade-resistant, and scratch-resistant properties. The four-layer technology ensures a protective lamination process, making stickers durable for long-term use. Some users have mentioned that the actual “stickiness” of the stickers could be stronger, but I didn’t run into problems in my testing. If you’re okay with the size limitations, the prints are of impressive quality for such a compact machine and would be perfectly reasonable to sell.
The only issue with the prints I found was with the 4x6 photo prints, which had a slight white edge on the side where the perforations are removed.
The AI-powered cutting system is an interesting integration. It automatically identifies images and cuts them out with high precision. The background removal tool in the app handled even tricky shapes with good performance, requiring only a little manual cleanup. This eliminates the manual tracing required by traditional crafting machines and also means that you don’t have to jump into Photoshop to make detailed selections for quick prints.
What Can You Create?
With the PixCut S1, users can produce a variety of customized items, including:
- Personalized Stickers & Labels: Great for branding, gifting, personal projects, and even labeling things around the studio.
- Classic Photo Prints: Print 4x6-inch photos for albums or framing.
- Passport & ID Photos: Print and cut ID photos to exact specifications.
Usability and Software
There are a few potential considerations to be aware of, including the cost of consumables for photo prints, the app-centric interface, and the overall price.
For consumables, I can say that custom stickers are expensive in general. Looking at a leading online sticker printing service, an order of 2x2-inch die-cut stickers comes to $1.70 per sticker, with a minimum order quantity of 10. In contrast, using MSRP for Liene’s refills, you can print the same 2x2-inch sticker for just about 20¢ a piece, assuming you can do a “run” of three total stickers to fill the sheet—all with the added benefit of choosing three different stickers if desired. By that metric, the sticker prices are quite competitive and could go down even further for smaller individual stickers grouped into a larger batch. Do note that, per Liene’s website, printing support is limited to their branded papers and inks.
Photo prints, by comparison, are less of a value, with Liene photo prints at 47¢ and prints from online services ranging from 14¢ to 30¢. While there might be some value in being able to run off a single 4x6 without having to worry about dried-out ink or printer calibration, I think this printer is a better value when printing stickers.
The Liene app, available on Android and iOS, is the interface for controlling the PixCut S1. It includes a library of 10,000+ templates and pre-made designs, AI-powered background removal, and various design tools.
While it offers an intuitive experience, some users may find the lack of a desktop-compatible app limiting. If you’re a photographer, however, I’d suggest just making your own PNG with a transparent background in software like Photoshop. The app supports direct uploads of PNGs, which can avoid the need for any in-app operations—a really nice feature for more professional applications of this printer.
On the topic of compatibility, Liene lists expansive mobile OS support, ranging back to Android 4.1 and iOS 9.0 and up, so any device from the last decade should be fine.
Lastly, the overall MSRP of the printer and starter pack at $299—or $279 based on the current new-user coupon—is not insignificant. Just like with the consumables, it really makes sense if you’re comparing it against a similar solution for creating a larger volume of stickers. The total cost of an individual printer and cutting machine would be well past this price while still not offering the same level of convenience.
Is It Worth It?
The Liene PixCut S1 is a compelling option for users looking for an efficient, all-in-one sticker creation device and photo printer. Its high-quality prints, integrated cutting, and overall ease of use make it a standout product for photographers looking to print in a new format. However, its app dependency and proprietary paper requirements might deter some users.
For hobbyists, small business owners, and anyone interested in making custom stickers and labels, the PixCut S1 is a valuable addition. If you're looking for a seamless print-and-cut experience, this machine is worth considering and is available for purchase now.
