The Sizzix Big Shot is the most portable cutting machine I’ve reviewed. Copyright 2012 - 2019 Cutting Machine Reviews, Loaded with innovative spooling functionalities, Comes fully loaded with a blade holder, USB cable, power cable and pen holder, Its blade holders are Roland compatible, offering quick access, Offers multi-color workflows without the need to swap in between rolls, Small qualms with the otherwise perfect vinyl cutter would be that it does a terrible job when used to cut sandblast resist, This is a versatile vinyl cutting machine, Can work with fabric thanks to the Rotary Blade, Boasts Adaptive Tool System which automatically controls blade direction, Has a limited cutting area of 12×24 inches, Provides USB functionality and also has a pen and blade holders, Roland compatible blade holders offering quick access to the blades, Compatible with MAC and Windows operating systems, Free dust cover, USB cable and power cord, Its cutting force is quite weak (221 g/s) compared to other commercial vinyl cutters, Works at 20 inches per second which is quite fast, Provides a highly precise mechanical resolution of 0.0005 inches, Built-in optical registration sensor to improved workflow, Capable of storing a maximum of 8 settings for different blade and media combinations, USB connectivity for simplified PC connection, This machine is a heavy-hitter and, therefore, not ideal for paper-cutting. It’s a cheaper version than the best Cricut models, so it’s a little slower and doesn’t have Bluetooth, but it gives the same quality cuts as my other favorite starter machine, the Explore Air 2. If you are intrigued by all the unique functions of the Curio, then it is a must-have. The Cricut Maker also boasts a fresh new software. This lets you use scraps of material so they don’t go to waste, but it’s also ideal for those with unique projects that need the ability to improvise to cut a variety of creations. You can even go ahead and create your own custom font and store it for free. The Silhouette Curio is an interesting little machine by Silhouette America. Unlike some personal models, it’s able to cut vinyl without a cutting mat, meaning you can cut vinyl decals (up to 10 feet long!) The best thing you can do to keep your machine running smoothly is to close it when you’re not using it, which will prevent dust from settling into the cutting area. Easy print and cut registration with precise contour cutting, Best professional-grade small vinyl cutter, Can print and cut stickers, labels, and heat transfer, Ultimate small desktop cutter from industrial giant Roland, Uses optical registration of crop marks for easy print-and-cut projects, Best for large vinyl cutting at a cheap price, Comes with stand and Signmaster Cut Basic software, A very affordable machine for cutting wide rolls of vinyl, Includes stand and compatible software for PC, Cricut Tool Kit with spatula, weeder, scraper, scissors, tweezers, 4 sheets glitter HTV, 8 sheets vinyl, 2 sheets transfer paper, 26 sheets Oracal 651, 1 roll premium transfer tape, Cameo 3 online instructional class, full color printed vinyl application guide (plus 7 bonus guides online), 1-month memberships to Silhouette Club and Silhouette U (access to 150+ videos and perks), Loads of additional software: Pro Studio license key and training videos, 1 roll (24″) of Oracal 651 in white and 1 roll of Oracal 651 (24″) in black, 5 rolls of Greenstar vinyl (24″) in: black, white, red, green, yellow, 1 roll (6″ x 10 yd) TransferRite clear gridded transfer tape, 1 roll (6″ x 10 yd) TransferRite high tack application tape, 3 vinyl cutting blades, 1 hobby knife, 1 squeegee, have advanced features like automatic contour cutting, handle the trickiest materials like high static window tint or prismatic reflective vinyl. On board the MH Series are vinyl rolls, squeegee, a knife, magnetic blanks and transfer tapes. Speed is yet another reason why this Roland machine stands tall in our list. Picking the best vinyl cutter can be a bit of a daunting task – there are so many to compare. Of course, you’ll also have the freedom to customize your design of choice using the Silhouette Studio which, once again, is available for free. The ScanNCut 2 from Brother is a well-priced rival to Cricut’s Explore Air or the Silhouette Cameo, with a few unique abilities to boot. And if you want to cut any particular specialty media, like window tint or high-intensity reflective film, make sure it is listed by the manufacturer as a compatible media type. It can cut materials up to 15″ wide and comes with a 15″ x 15″ cutting mat. The MH Series from USCutter is the most popular commercial-sized cutter, with an affordable price tag. Lower-priced alternative to the Explore Air 2 is the best, and most affordable, starter machine for those new to vinyl cutting. However, the Cricut Maker is quite advanced, technology-wise and the Smart Dial is no longer needed. But it’s still light and small enough to carry around. The Silhouette Cameo Wireless Cutting Machine also made our list but came in at a higher number than its sister, America Portrait 2. Just to clarify, the decision on which cutter to settle for is purely personal and so you should feel free to examine your unique needs versus the details we’ve provided in the review above in order to make an informed decision. Use the powerful Silhouette Studio design software to create your projects. The Portrait 2 features automatic contour cutting. Also, instead of storing your files in cartridges, this unit empowers you to store your stuff in Cloud-based storage. In fact, the only thing we found missing on this vinyl cutting machine is a materials basket. You’ll notice right away they’re a tier above the personal cutters, both in price and quality. As you’ve seen from this post, the best machine should be a culmination of various factors and considerations. amzn_assoc_default_search_phrase = "vinyl cutting machine"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; All the professional vinyl cutters excel at cutting adhesive and heat transfer vinyl. If you’re a seasoned user of vinyl cutter printers, chances are that you have an idea that cutting speed is not all that matters. It also has a cutting power that makes it possible to work The KNK Zing Orbit is the newest personal cutter from Klic-N-Kut. I’ll cover the most important terms to know when examining these machines. Over 125+ different materials can be used with a variety of blades and pens. The blade holder is compatible with Roland blades, the industry standard for reliable and affordable blades. The Maker is the most versatile electronic cutter I’ve seen, able to handle a greater variety of materials and projects than other personal home cutters. This means that it can handle large, complex designs that might overload the memory of other machines. Top 5 Best Vinyl Cutting Machines Reviewed It’s not easy to find a top-quality vinyl cutter especially if this is your first time interacting with these machines. It’s an incredible value for small shops, businesses, and serious hobbyists. Silhouette Studio 4 is the design software that comes with all Silhouette machines. The machine weighs 7.5 lbs, and measures about 14″ x 12.5″ x 6.5″. The unique vertical control makes multi-pass cutting even more accurate. Your Cricut machine can be used for more than just cutting paper for scrapbooks; there are tons of other materials you can cut. Or maybe you are making complex, high-quality paint masks, where precision is of utmost importance. I want to make sure that everyone can pick the perfect cutting machine for themselves, so I’ve compiled and evaluated all the top vinyl cutters for your home and business, as well as essential advice you should know before selecting the right cutting machine for you. With some home craft machines, you have to manually adjust the blade depth to the proper height for your material. Features Bluetooth® technology for wireless cutting or plugs into your home computer. On the flipside, though, it requires a high-speed internet connection to work. For a casual business, the USCutter SC2 is a great value, if not the fanciest cutter. This lets you create really unique designs and patterns from any pictures you find or draw. These machines have cameras or optical eyes that can sense registration marks on the printed media, and align the cuts appropriately. What is the best vinyl cutter to get as a gift? The Sizzix Big Shot is an award-winning die cutter that has continued to be a favorite of scrapbookers, jewelry makers, quilters, and all sorts of creative crafters for at least a decade. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; The vinyl lettering machine then uses a roller or similar mechanism to feed the vinyl sheet into the machine and cut the letter, designs, word, or shapes selected by the user into the vinyl. The AutoBlade is a real time-and-material saver. This is the latest release from Cricut and since its entry into the market, we feel that it has achieved incredible milestones. If you’ve used manual vinyl cutters or embossers this will probably be familiar to you, but you don’t really see it with used with other digital electronic cutters. However, the software is web-based and requires an internet connection to design or cut anything. It is a powerful machine, boasting an incredible 1000 grams of cutting force for easily cutting through vinyl, cardstock, fabric, HTV, and more. It’s not the most powerful cutter, but it is pretty quick and plenty powerful for cutting adhesive vinyl, heat transfer vinyl, paper, card stock, and paint mask. A few of the features are missing. At first glance Cricut’s Explore One looks awfully similar to its newer, fuller-featured cousin the Explore Air 2, but there are a few important differences. What is the best machine for cutting stencils? This is a real time-saver for multimedia crafters making cards or 3D papercrafts. Cut vinyl lettering arrives as one piece with three components that make the vinyl lettering ready for a do-it-yourself installation. Besides that, it aligns the media precisely ensuring each cut is done accurately. This means you can cut thick and light materials like balsa wood and craft foam, perfect for jigsaw puzzles and party decorations. This is an area of crafts where the learning curve is as big as you want it to be. Some of the budget professional vinyl cutters are only fully compatible with a PC. But perhaps this machine’s main strong point has nothing to do with its specs but the community around it. The KNK Zing Orbit doesn’t have the stationary feed rollers you might see on other machines. One mistake we’ve seen newbies make is that they mainly consider factors such as force, speed, and price when making a choice. It features a double tool holder, letting you cut and write, or cut and score, at the same time, without having to change tools in between. 90 ($0.44/Count) Any ordinary machine can cut fabric, but it takes a rotary cutter to achieve an extra-deep cut. First, I’ll share some of the best deals I’ve found recently for personal and professional vinyl cutters. It’s standalone (and not web-based like Cricut’s Design Space) and works with or without an active internet connection. We analyzed the leading Die Cutting Machines to help you find the best Die Cutting Machine to buy. Talking about flawless precision, this machine boasts the capability to use Cricut Pens which you can use to create handwritten projects. The larger machines will weigh over a hundred pounds, including the stand. It can only take media up to 0.5mm thick, meaning it’s strictly for thin paper and vinyl. These are big, expensive machines that will see a lot of use. The only electronic cutter that can flawlessly emboss, deboss, stipple, and etch from digital designs. Small format and lightweight machine is perfect for creating innovative cards for birthdays, holidays, parties, & more. But if you are planning on cutting hundreds of items a day, every day, you’ll be better off looking at the more expensive, heavy-duty professional machines. Alright, the biggest appeal of this machine is that it has a high-quality scanner integrated into the design. Best Cricut machine for vinyl lettering If you’re looking for the best cricut machine for cutting vinyl, then the Cricut Explore Air 2 is the best choice for you. Read full review here. You don’t have to worry about the machine stalling or overloading because it can’t handle your more complicated designs! Compared to its elder brother, the Explore Air 2, the Maker comes without the popular Smart Dial feature. It’s absolutely game-changing for quilters, especially since the Cricut can label all your squares or blocks with a fabric pen at the same time that it cuts, helping you remain organized while quilting. Silhouette Studio can print with registration marks that are then read by the Cameo 3, so you can print & cut colorful stickers (or even temporary tattoos!). This vinyl cutter is popular for straddling the line between personal and commercial use. They don’t use Bluetooth or WiFi as often as the home cutters. You want the best machine your business can afford! Though simple, this style can make for a very dramatic project, especially as In addition, we’ve included some thoughtful considerations you need to make in order to land a printer capable of delivering intricate cuts for you. You can also use embossing folders to imprint designs into paper or foil. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; You’ll want to know what materials and sizes you are planning to cut before you purchase, so you can carefully compare the specifications to your intended usage. Learn More>>. These are the higher-tier of the commercial cutters. © 2020 Cut, Cut, Craft! Another wonderful addition to the GS-24 is its software. A bundle pack, cutting mat, and vinyl should cost you less than $200. Alternatively, faux, flat, satin, magnetic suede and sand It has a large LCD display and control panel with large, convenient buttons for adjusting the cutting force and speed. There are a bunch of quilting dies and applique shapes you can buy, making this machine a top choice for working with fabric. The GS-CAMM-1 is the intermediate Roland machine, the most advanced machine in a mid-size. Since professional vinyl plotters are pretty standardized, you can easily compare the specs of different models to see if they’ll suit your specific needs. But one of the biggest appeals to the ScanNCut 2 is that it works without a computer. (Instead of a computer-controlled cutting blade like the other machines on this list.). Your vinyl letters will work best on semi-gloss and glossy paints. Now I’ll take you one-by-one to find the best vinyl cutting machine available. It’s my favorite design software, and in testing dozens of machines I’ve found it to be the most important quality in choosing the right machine. One of the notable things about this unit is that it works quite fast – thanks to its Fast mode ability. They can come in a range of colors, so you can find the style that suits you. However, as you might expect, in a market full of options, identifying the right machine requires a bit of research. So when they decide to name one of their electronic plotters “Force,” you can bet that they aren’t fooling around. The Cricut Explore Air 2 is the most popular model of Cricut cutting machine available right now. This means you will have the freedom to switch back and forth between tools without the need to stop in between. This covers the majority of homes and businesses. Having conducted a thorough research and compared the different options available on the market, our verdict is that the Cricut Explore Air 2 sits pretty at the helm of the best vinyl cutter printer hall of fame.