Cricut Maker Overview: It Cuts Every thing however the Kitchen Sink

Cricut Maker assessment: It makes the reduce

“That is the machine crafters need. It cuts, scores and attracts on every part from paper to wooden.”

Cuts, embosses and scores

Attracts and writes

Makes use of a variety of supplies

Tremendous intuitive

Feels sturdy

Glitchy app

Sticky mats are annoying

No display screen

Cricut has produced the top of paper crafting machines since 2006. Despite the fact that these machines are extremely coveted amongst crafters, the corporate determined to up its recreation and create a machine that may do absolutely anything. So, the Cricut Maker ($399.99) was born.

This machine can reduce, rating, emboss, and perforate paper. That’s to be anticipated with any such machine. Nevertheless, it could additionally reduce vinyl, skinny wooden, material, cardboard and felt, and draw utilizing particular pens you place within the machine.

Whereas the Cricut Maker appears to do all of it, it does have some limitations. Let’s dive into what this crafting machine has to supply.

No Scanning

The Maker works somewhat otherwise than its competitors. You don’t scan designs that you simply wish to reduce. You add pictures to your Cricut Design House account, or you’ll be able to select from 1000’s of pre-made designs. I discovered this a lot simpler than looking for the proper form, print it off, after which scan it into my reducing machine. With the Maker, as quickly as I had an concept, I may seek for the proper form utilizing the Design House on-line or by means of the app. Then, I added it to my digital canvas, tweaked it the way in which I wished it, after which despatched the picture to the Maker to chop.

You even have the choice of becoming a member of the Cricut Entry membership plan ($9.99 per 30 days) that offers you entry to over 100,000 fonts, pictures, and initiatives that you need to use along with your Maker machine. The membership additionally provides you reductions on provides.

No so app-tastic

I used to be excited that I may use the Cricut app to search out initiatives, fonts, and shapes to ship to the Maker. I arrange the machine on my espresso desk and began reducing numerous shapes for a vacation mission whereas I watched tv. I used to be very quickly frazzled, although.

The app is tremendous glitchy and tends to crash whilst you’re creating initiatives. A look on the app’s critiques on the Android Play Retailer provides me the impression that I’m not the one one pissed off with the app.

After struggling for over an hour, I gave up and grabbed my laptop computer. The web web site works fantastically, and I used to be capable of get my initiatives reduce instantly.

Innovative

Whereas the app didn’t wow me, the capabilities of the Cricut Maker did. It’s simple to get began, due to the step-by-step information and the fool-proof design of the Cricut Design House web site. The location is totally intuitive and guides you thru making a mission. It asks you what kind of fabric you’re utilizing and suggests what kind of software to load within the machine, so that you get good outcomes.

Talking of outcomes, the cuts are spectacular. The cuts Maker made on material have been exact and didn’t go away behind shredded edges. The paper cuts have been sharp and the vinyl creations have been excellent.

The one materials that I wasn’t impressed with was wooden. My mission was left with some areas that weren’t reduce all the approach by means of, though I used wooden bought by Cricut particularly for the machine.

It attracts

When you’re like me, you’ve checked out fantastically created crafts on Pinterest with completely handwritten font, longing to have the ability to write so fantastically.

Effectively, the individuals at Cricut should have heard our silent needs, as a result of the Maker can write something you want in your initiatives in stunning script. All you must do is place a particular pen within the machine’s A slot, kind up what you wish to say on the canvas mission web page, select a font after which set the road kind to Draw.

Our take

I like the Maker, however there are some options that might make it higher. For instance, I might have appreciated a built-in display screen just like the one you discover on the Brother ScanNCut2, so I may use the machine with out my telephone or laptop computer.

I’d additionally like to chop objects with out sticking them to a mat, like with the Silhouette Cameo four. I discovered peeling the completed reduce objects off the mats usually left them creased or wrinkled if I wasn’t cautious and sluggish.

Additionally, I like to recommend budgeting some cash for equipment. For instance, it solely comes with one blade, and you’ll need many several types of blades to attain all the options the Maker has to supply, like embossing, reducing wooden, and scoring. It additionally doesn’t include a scraper, which is a should to maintain the sticky mats clear.

Total, although the Cricut Maker has some limitations on account of its glitchy app, lack of display screen and reliance on sticky mats, it’s a strong crafting machine that actually doesn’t have a detailed rival available on the market. It makes clear cuts and actually provides your crafts an expert edge that can wow your family and friends.

Is there a greater different?

No different machine has the flexibility in what it could reduce mixed with the power to attract on initiatives.

How lengthy will it final?

The Cricut Maker appears sturdy. The plastic casing is thick and the cutter and pen holders are made out of thick metallic. Plus, it comes with a one 12 months restricted guarantee.

Must you purchase it?

Sure. It’s somewhat expensive at $399.99, however if you need a machine with versatility, it’s value it.

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