Cutting machine tips

Paper & Vinyl Crafts Discussion and Questions
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I’m looking to buy a cutting machine. I’m not really great at papercraft, I’ll never be that person that makes super complicated cards with dozens of different pieces, but I’m trying to get better at the basics.

As I’m really terrible at hand cutting, I’m looking for a machine to cut simple shapes, such as tags, aperture cards, square/round/oval pieces of cardstock, for making simple cards, frames for other crafts etc. But there are so many options, I’m kind of lost. The price range also seems to go from quite affordable to a price that would buy you a decent sewing machine. I’m looking at the lower end of the spectrum. I’ll probably get one used, as they seem to be widely available on the used market, but I’m not totally against buying new if I can find a good deal. If possible I’d like to be able to cut felt as well as cardstock.

  • I see there are electric and manually operated machines. Is one better than the other?
  • I see some include all sorts of software. Is that something I’d want? I’m thinking anything that involves software is probably going to be outdated in no time.
  • Is there a difference in quality between different well-known brands?
  • Are there any features that a beginner papercrafter such as me would definitely want?
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I have a Cricut and can only speak to that type of machine. It comes with software, but it is cloud based so it is updated constantly. Outdated software isn’t really a concern with these machines. The Cricut is great for its intended purpose, but I’ve never tried anything else. If you’re looking for something just to cut basic shapes, it would work for that. The print and cut feature is very neat and useful (send a design to your printer, then put it through the Cricut to cut it out).

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How does cricut work for second hand machines? Because I know they were trying to bring in a subscription model @Immaculata check out this kind of thing for electric cutters, just in case

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I have a Cricut Maker and a Brother ScanNCut. They both can have the same cutting dimensions (I think only certain ScanNCut models can do 12x24 but all Cricuts can) and both can cut the same materials (paper, fabric, etc). Both can use purchased (or self created) SVG files to cut from.

Cricut has more built in projects within the software (and has a subscription model to get access to a ton of projects). You can only use the Cricut with their software and you need internet to use it. I think the Cricut is technically able to output more cutting force. Going from memory the cricut has a 2mm max cutting height. Cricut can decide at any time to deactivate your machine at which time it becomes a paper weight. The Cricut has several different cutting blades and you need to use the right blade for your project. There is a catalog of built in materials for settings and can add custom materials so store settings. The settings aren’t always perfect and you have to do some trial and error.

ScanNCut is significantly more flexible IMHO. You can use it stand alone with the built in patterns, scan in things to cut, modify cut files, etc all on the machine itself. You can also do it all on their desktop software or cloud based software. There is no subscription model and you don’t need a computer or an internet connection to use it. The ScanNCut has a single autoblade where it tests the depth of your material and can do test cuts before cutting the material to make sure you’re happy with how it cut. You can get cut files to the machine via USB, or their free cloud sync. The machine also has built in storage. Going from memory the max cutting height is 3mm. You can use it to directly fussy cut out shapes and specify the amount of border to leave around them. You can also scan in drawings/images then cut it out from another material (I’ve done this to make my own stencils from drawings). Some of the ScanNCuts have built in quilt block designs and some are even made to work in tandem with Brother embroidery machines.

Having both I strongly prefer the ScanNCut because I don’t need a computer to use it, the scanner is amazing, and the autoblade. Cricut is nice if you like having their library of projects. Both of their software has a bit of a learning curve but there are plenty of free tutorials online. You can’t really go wrong with either machine it’s just about how you want to use it.

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I have a Cricut Explore (electronic cutting machine) and a Sizzix Big Shot (die-cutting machine). I think You’ve gotten lots of good info on the Cricut here already, I would just add that when using SVGs designed by others, you are not limited to the ones that Cricut sells. I have only used a few of theirs.

The Sizzix in not computerized at all, but you can get models that are electric so you don’t have to crank the handle to put your materials through the machine. I have the crank model, but I have read in papercraft fora where people with hand strength or grip issues love the electric models. You can cut various weights of paper, thin metal, felt and other fabrics, with most dies with the Sizzix and presumably other brands of die-cutting machine. With steel rule dies, the shapes are simpler, but you can cut thicker things such as paperboard, stacks of fabric, cork. Sizzix was originally made for quilters to cut a lot of shapes at once. It is GREAT for simple shapes (as well as more complex ones).

Some thoughts: a die-cutter is limited to cutting the shapes you can buy dies for (there are soooo many), but making a die is not a DIY thing for almost anyone. There are lots of dies available for 3D projects and even more for image with lots of pieces, should you get hooked.

The Big Shot might weigh a bit more than a Cricut, but does have a handle and has a smaller footprint. Some other Sizzix models fold up for portability and storage.

A new Big Shot is not cheap, but it is quite a bit less (half?) than an electronic cutting machine.

Dies cost more than SVG files, generally speaking. BUT a die-cutting machine can also emboss using embossing folders. There are techniques for inking embossing folders that yield cool results, too.

Most die cutters have a smaller cutting dimension. Sizzix does make a larger (wider) model, but as far as I know there are significantly fewer dies made for it. Perhaps it is more specific to a particular kind of craft?

You can use pretty much any brand of die and embossing folder with most die-cutting machines.

Both types of machines have sort of costly disposable aspects. Cricut has their cutting mats which wear out eventually (lose adhesion, mostly), blades that dull. Sizzix has cutting plates that will eventually warp. Both are plastic.

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To speak to some of the great points brought up…I do not use any subscription service with my Cricut. I don’t use their library at all and I don’t pay anything to use my Cricut. I import images that I’ve created/downloaded/purchased from the internet. You do have to login to Cricut to use it, so I’m not sure how that would work with 2nd hand devices. @Edel makes a good point on that front. I guess there is a way to de-register and re-register a device, but I’m not sure about how that’s done.

I also have used the same blade on my Cricut for years. I’ve used it for varying weights/thickness of cardstock, fabric, and felt. I’ve never changed it - right or wrong - and never had a problem with it.

The mats absolutely lose stickiness, which is annoying. I’ve had some success cleaning them off with a lint roller, but eventually you have to replace them.

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Thanks everyone!! That’s a lot of information to process,

I hadn’t heard of the Brother ScanNCut. It seems like it’s only available through Brother sewing machine vendors (at least where I live). The Cricut is widely available. Both look absolutely amazing in whatever clips I can find on youtube, but also slightly intimidating. Both of them are also available on the used market.

Right now I can’t imagine that I’m ever going to make things with a million tiny little pieces like you do @TheMistressT . (although, who knows? Maybe I’ll finally catch the papercraft bug!) I hate glueing tiny little bits of paper together. I’ve thought about this purchase on and off for a couple of years, and right now I need a card with a specific aperture that I know I can’t cut by hand, or at least not if it has to look nice. I imagine I’ll use it mostly for basic shapes and not for very complicated things.

There’s a lady in my city who is selling a Big Shot with a ton of dies for a good price, in the description she mentions selling it because she can’t operate it anymore due to a disability. I think I’m going to contact her first, hopefully she still has it! The Big Shot looks relatively simple to operate, and a lot of dies that I think I’ll use are already included with this one. If I’m really getting into this, I can always buy a more fancy machine later on, or invest in new dies and embossing folders.

If this purchase doesn’t work out, I’ll have to think about other options.

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Good luck! Can’t wait to see the results of your adventures!

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I’m not sure if this is relevant or not, but while I do enjoy papercrafts, I don’t think I’ll ever do super fancy cutting stuff. For my needs, which usually imvolve straight cuts only, a papercutter has been enough. I got a big one at Staples (office supply store) for about CND$30.

This wouldn’t work for circular cuts, of course, but it’s worth considering. My local library has 2 cricut machines that we can use for free (we have to provide supplies), so I may go there first to try out a few projects before investing in a machine, if I change my mind in the future.

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Unfortunately, our library doesn’t have all those cool things :frowning: There’s a commercial maker space in my neighbourhood where you can use a professional cutter plotter but it’s €1/minute and it’s very intimidating. By the time I’ve figured out how to turn that thing on, I’ve spent enough to buy a used Sizzix…

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I love the Sizzix for cutting a circle or other shape exactly where I want it on a particular piece of paper. Either because of what is printed on the paper or to get the location just so. In terms of dies, there are lots of sets of graduated sizes of basic shapes and also shapes like stars or scalloped circles.

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You know they sell bundles of generic cutters on AliExpress really cheaply. Ditto cutting mats-not quite as cheap though

Worth getting new blades!

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I have blades and mats lying around, just haven’t felt the need to change the blade. :woman_shrugging: The mats on the other hand…

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I have an older Silhouette Cameo. I love both it and the Silhouette Studio software (which is a free download). The Silhouette is very similar to the Cricut in regards to what it can do. It also has a store where you can subscribe for a certain amount of monthly designs or just buy individual designs (which is what I do). You can also buy designs on the internet, or find a picture/design you want and trace it). You do not have to have an internet connection to use the software, and speaking of the software, I use it for everything, including all of my project mockups (heck, even if you don’t go with a Silhouette, I still highly suggest downloading the software, just because I find it so handy). Similar to the ScanNCut that @photojenn mentioned, you can use a special mat with the Silhouette to scan in images and create cut lines around them (though, unlike the ScanNCut, you would need to use the computer rather than being able to do everything on the machine itself).

The biggest difference between a hand operated die cutting machine vs electronic cutting machine is that with the with the die cutting machine, you’re limited to the dies that you have or can find, but with the electronic cutting machine, you can pretty much cut whatever shape you want, so it offers you a lot more flexibility.

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Oh, in regards to your software question - The Silhouette has the basic free software as well as upgrade editions that you can buy (a business and a designer edition - possibly more since it’s been a long time since I’ve looked into such things). The basic edition is great and will probably work for most of your needs. The designer edition (which is what I have) gives you some extras that provide convenience, but you can do a lot of the same things in the basic edition, it just might take a few more steps (ie. the designer edition has a button that you can push that will copy your design and paste a bunch of that design in a row so that you can go from one design to a bunch with the click of a button. You can achieve this same effect by using the duplicate or just the copy/paste feature in the basic edition. You would just be doing it one at a time). As for the outdated nature of software, I’ve had a Silhouette machine since 2014 and the software has been updated many times since then to keep it relevant.

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Good to hear you’ve been able to use that machine for 10 years! I was a bit worried about planned obsolescence like with mobile phones, where they stop updating phones that are just a couple of years old to force you to buy a new one.

I hope to be able to get the cheap Sizzix with all the dies tomorrow. I’ve chosen this one now because it’s for sale for a cheap price close to my house and it already includes a ton of dies. It will be a good way to find out if I’m actually going to use it, without having to spend a lot of money, or a lot of time figuring out software and learning to use a machine (I’m a bit of a luddite, I know some people enjoy figuring out new gadgets, I don’t). Right now I expect that I only want to cut relatively simple shapes, and I think I probably won’t enjoy cutting out intricate designs with a ton of pieces. But the one I’ve seen does include a few of those dies as well, so I’ll get to try them out!

If I find out I do really enjoy cutting complicated things, then I’ll probably want to go and design my own at some point ( I know myself, I always want to change things :laughing: ) and then I’ll probably invest in an electronic machine. If for some reason this sale falls through, then I’m not actually sure what I’m going to do.

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I hope everything works out with the sale. I’m looking forward to seeing your new die cut creations!

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I really hope so, too! I’ve got a bit of a bad feeling about it now, we’ve agreed upon a day and time for pickup (today) but she’s quite hesitant giving out her exact address. I understand being careful with your address, and maybe not sharing it until you’ve swapped a few messages, but if you’re listing something for pick-up, eventually you need to tell the buyer where to go! :woman_shrugging: Or meet me in a public place if you’re not comfortable meeting at home.

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When I sold a bunch of plants, I met at the library with people.

I have a Sizzix with a bunch of dies, but I find myself mostly using the basic ones. I do have some that are more intricate, but they require pieces to be poked out if they didn’t fall out already.
I have purchased dies from AliExpress, big name craft stores, big name online retailer, second-hand, and (my favorite) Lawn Fawn.
I also have embossing folders which are fun to work with as well. I just received one that looks like knitting.
I would like to have a different system for storing them since right now everything is in a drawer. I have some ideas, but I’m waiting to talk to my new organizer.
My friend has a … either a Cricut or Silhouette, but she doesn’t use it much because it takes up so much room and she has to simultaneously use her comp and get everything set up just so. But she also has four kids under 9 years old…

I concur that if you like it well enough, you could move on to an electric machine.

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This is the Sizzix I was talking about earlier:

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It’s mine!!

And then an old coworker unexpectedly gave me this one & all the dies:

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The Big Shot lady threw in a bunch of dies, stamps and paper:

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Not all of the dies / paper is my style though, but some are really nice!

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