| Electronic Die Cut Machines |
Which brings us to the different models of electric, computerized cutters….
There are a few of these types of cutters on the market – Wishblade,
Pazzles, Craft Robo. They have different features, and many of their
owners are passionate about believing that there brand/model is the best.
We’ll start with the category of cutters that are computer peripherals (they
need a computer to run the software that controls the cutter). It actually
looks and installs very much like a printer. It just cuts the lines instead of
printing them. The advantages over the manual die cut systems are
enormous. Firstly – everything can so easily be resized. From ¾” to 8”!
Just click on the corners of your image and reshape or resize! They use a
vector scale to “see” where you want the cuts (similar to DPI on an ink jet)
only instead of printing the teeny tiny dots – the blade makes those cuts
there. Get ready to use your Clip Art and all of your Fonts!
Another, HUGE to some, advantage, is that they will cut any true type font
on your computer – any font – any size. (See the 'Services' page - all of
those cards were created using the letters made with one 'run-
through' of red card stock on the Wishblade).There’s a lot of free fonts
and inexpensive out there – I’m up to 10,000. WARNING: Windows should
never have more than 500 fonts installed at any one time. If you want to
start collecting fonts – go ahead! Just create a new folder (mine is in ‘My
Documents’ – ‘My Fonts’). These fonts are there when you need them. If
you open up your font folder, and click on the font you want to use, leaving
it open on the task bar, then open your program for your cutter - that font
from your folder will now be available! (This technique works for many word
processing programs, as well). And remember - many Dingbats are True
Type fonts. That means all of those shapes are available and ready to
use. Try doing a search for "free Dingbats" - I think you'll like a lot of them.
Imagine them as cut outs!
As opposed to my little problem with Sizzix and Ellison Designs – these
machines know exactly how much pressure to use for each kind of
paper/media – because you set the parameters! These machines can cut
these:
Media Types
(up to 0.3mm in thickness)
printed paper, vellum, most card stocks, vinyl,
sticker film, iron-on transfer decals, very thin
magnet sheets
Media Size Up to 8.5” wide and 39” long can be loaded (from Wishblade site
– the others have similar abilities)
Another similarity to these peripherals is that they can all allow you to used
a jpg image and turn it into an outline to be cut. And all three are
compatible with software (sometimes an extra charge) that will automatically
vectorize any image to create the outlines of any jpg for you.
Here’s where they start to differ. As I said, it has been controversial on
which is the best system. Now, the Wishblade can use media cards (secure
digital) with the cut or “print & cut” images on them. For about $40 – you’d
get 15 images, many with mats – all resizable. You know when you use
them that your cut outs will be perfect. Another feature that Wishblade has
is that you can bring up your jpg (lets use clip art as an example) in the
wishblade program, resize it, use the tracing tool to mark the outlines of the
image (where you want the machine to cut). Then, and I think this is the
special (cool – techie) part – you can run your paper through your printer,
printing out your clipart image, THEN run it through the Wishblade, and it will
cut the outlines around your clipart – giving you perfect stickers! I kept
wondering – how does it know where the printed images are??? It uses a
tracking system, and prints 3 small registration marks on your paper to line
up the cutting.
Now, Xyron teamed up with (bought out????) Wishblade a few years back,
and one advantage this had for Xyron was that you can use paper that has
been run through Xyron adhesive machine (510 or 900), and then cut.
Your stickers are already to go! You don’t have to Xyron the paper if you
don’t want the adhesive on the back of your cutouts. I do, usually, mostly
because I would probably have run the cutout pieces through the Xyron
later, anyway. And, I use all the scraps – all the uncut, but Xyroned paper is
perfect for punches, and larger pieces are all ready to use as mats.
Pazzles and Craft Robo do not use the media cards. Other differences lie
within the software that comes with these machines. Pazzles comes with the
software that will allow for the auto detection of outlines of any image (so
you don’t have to hand trace it). Craft Robo has a bridge if you have Adobe
Illustrator – and can perform more functions that way.
The biggest disadvantage is COST. These machines retail from $450 -
$800 (more for the bigger sized machines). I suppose it matters what you’re
comparing this cost to. The sizzix machine is @$80 and one sizzlet alphabet
set is $149 – so for $400 you get the machine and 3 alphabets, as opposed
to the machine – and all the alphabets – any size – in the world. Then there’
s the ability to create a ‘die cut’ from any jpg image, and compare it to $14
per steel blade die for sizzix, $19 for the large dies from Ellison Designs.
Okay, so now you see where the manufacturers are going to offer you a
compromise: How about a machine that will resize fonts (off of individual
cards – sold separately), doesn’t need a computer, and can be taken to
cropping parties??
Cricut & Xyron Personal Cutter
These little gems are running about $300 (Cricut) and $200 (Xyron
Personal Cutter). They do not connect to a computer, and they will cut out
images/fonts from many media (patterned paper, cardstock, vellum, etc.).
They get their “programming” from individual cards (costing between
$60-$90 per card), that you insert into the machine, and then choose your
options from the on-screen menu. Make your selection, set up your paper,
and Click – your cut out is on its way! It’s fun to watch, too.
All of these “cutter machines” do require the occasional purchase of
replacement cutting blades (when yours wears out), cutting mats, and
cutting strips (a plate under the cutting mat – that technically should never
get nicked if your projects are set to cut correctly -but who can be right
100% of the time?)
Every one of the die cut and cutter machines has its advantages, its up to
the individual consumer to decide what’s best for her. Hey, if there was only
one best car – we’d all be driving it!
There are a few of these types of cutters on the market – Wishblade,
Pazzles, Craft Robo. They have different features, and many of their
owners are passionate about believing that there brand/model is the best.
We’ll start with the category of cutters that are computer peripherals (they
need a computer to run the software that controls the cutter). It actually
looks and installs very much like a printer. It just cuts the lines instead of
printing them. The advantages over the manual die cut systems are
enormous. Firstly – everything can so easily be resized. From ¾” to 8”!
Just click on the corners of your image and reshape or resize! They use a
vector scale to “see” where you want the cuts (similar to DPI on an ink jet)
only instead of printing the teeny tiny dots – the blade makes those cuts
there. Get ready to use your Clip Art and all of your Fonts!
Another, HUGE to some, advantage, is that they will cut any true type font
on your computer – any font – any size. (See the 'Services' page - all of
those cards were created using the letters made with one 'run-
through' of red card stock on the Wishblade).There’s a lot of free fonts
and inexpensive out there – I’m up to 10,000. WARNING: Windows should
never have more than 500 fonts installed at any one time. If you want to
start collecting fonts – go ahead! Just create a new folder (mine is in ‘My
Documents’ – ‘My Fonts’). These fonts are there when you need them. If
you open up your font folder, and click on the font you want to use, leaving
it open on the task bar, then open your program for your cutter - that font
from your folder will now be available! (This technique works for many word
processing programs, as well). And remember - many Dingbats are True
Type fonts. That means all of those shapes are available and ready to
use. Try doing a search for "free Dingbats" - I think you'll like a lot of them.
Imagine them as cut outs!
As opposed to my little problem with Sizzix and Ellison Designs – these
machines know exactly how much pressure to use for each kind of
paper/media – because you set the parameters! These machines can cut
these:
Media Types
(up to 0.3mm in thickness)
printed paper, vellum, most card stocks, vinyl,
sticker film, iron-on transfer decals, very thin
magnet sheets
Media Size Up to 8.5” wide and 39” long can be loaded (from Wishblade site
– the others have similar abilities)
Another similarity to these peripherals is that they can all allow you to used
a jpg image and turn it into an outline to be cut. And all three are
compatible with software (sometimes an extra charge) that will automatically
vectorize any image to create the outlines of any jpg for you.
Here’s where they start to differ. As I said, it has been controversial on
which is the best system. Now, the Wishblade can use media cards (secure
digital) with the cut or “print & cut” images on them. For about $40 – you’d
get 15 images, many with mats – all resizable. You know when you use
them that your cut outs will be perfect. Another feature that Wishblade has
is that you can bring up your jpg (lets use clip art as an example) in the
wishblade program, resize it, use the tracing tool to mark the outlines of the
image (where you want the machine to cut). Then, and I think this is the
special (cool – techie) part – you can run your paper through your printer,
printing out your clipart image, THEN run it through the Wishblade, and it will
cut the outlines around your clipart – giving you perfect stickers! I kept
wondering – how does it know where the printed images are??? It uses a
tracking system, and prints 3 small registration marks on your paper to line
up the cutting.
Now, Xyron teamed up with (bought out????) Wishblade a few years back,
and one advantage this had for Xyron was that you can use paper that has
been run through Xyron adhesive machine (510 or 900), and then cut.
Your stickers are already to go! You don’t have to Xyron the paper if you
don’t want the adhesive on the back of your cutouts. I do, usually, mostly
because I would probably have run the cutout pieces through the Xyron
later, anyway. And, I use all the scraps – all the uncut, but Xyroned paper is
perfect for punches, and larger pieces are all ready to use as mats.
Pazzles and Craft Robo do not use the media cards. Other differences lie
within the software that comes with these machines. Pazzles comes with the
software that will allow for the auto detection of outlines of any image (so
you don’t have to hand trace it). Craft Robo has a bridge if you have Adobe
Illustrator – and can perform more functions that way.
The biggest disadvantage is COST. These machines retail from $450 -
$800 (more for the bigger sized machines). I suppose it matters what you’re
comparing this cost to. The sizzix machine is @$80 and one sizzlet alphabet
set is $149 – so for $400 you get the machine and 3 alphabets, as opposed
to the machine – and all the alphabets – any size – in the world. Then there’
s the ability to create a ‘die cut’ from any jpg image, and compare it to $14
per steel blade die for sizzix, $19 for the large dies from Ellison Designs.
Okay, so now you see where the manufacturers are going to offer you a
compromise: How about a machine that will resize fonts (off of individual
cards – sold separately), doesn’t need a computer, and can be taken to
cropping parties??
Cricut & Xyron Personal Cutter
These little gems are running about $300 (Cricut) and $200 (Xyron
Personal Cutter). They do not connect to a computer, and they will cut out
images/fonts from many media (patterned paper, cardstock, vellum, etc.).
They get their “programming” from individual cards (costing between
$60-$90 per card), that you insert into the machine, and then choose your
options from the on-screen menu. Make your selection, set up your paper,
and Click – your cut out is on its way! It’s fun to watch, too.
All of these “cutter machines” do require the occasional purchase of
replacement cutting blades (when yours wears out), cutting mats, and
cutting strips (a plate under the cutting mat – that technically should never
get nicked if your projects are set to cut correctly -but who can be right
100% of the time?)
Every one of the die cut and cutter machines has its advantages, its up to
the individual consumer to decide what’s best for her. Hey, if there was only
one best car – we’d all be driving it!
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Xyron Wishblade (blue)
| Fonts and Clip Art |