To use Cricut cutters, users must use the company’s web-based design software, Design Space, which allows users to draw designs, select and combine designs from their own online library, or upload vector or bitmap files they have created in other software. As die cutters and embossers become more sophisticated and mature, choosing one brand over another is increasingly challenging. Is Cricut really better than Silhouette or is the Lehi-based company the leading manufacturer of die cutting machines? First of all, he wants the machine to be well made. For that reason, you want to trust a company that is ready to support the quality of its products.

And what better way to confirm this than by checking the terms of the warranty and the overall quality of your customer service experience? I personally think that Provo Craft 26 Novelty, the company that created this amazing tool, is a very good company and you can see and feel the quality of their products. You know that everything they create is made with love. Two programs that could previously be used to make and then have Cricut machines cut arbitrary designs (using, for example, arbitrary TrueType fonts or graphics in SVG format) were Make-the-Cut (MTC) and Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) by Craft Edge. Both Cricut and Cricut Explore Air 2 require mats and blades that can be adjusted to cut various types of paper, vinyl, and other sheet products.

Cricut Infusible Ink is a type of technology that allows you to create and transfer your designs to a base material. Coincidentally, the two are based in Utah, although Silhouette is in Lehi and Cricut’s official address is in southern Jordan. Cricut Design Space is the software that allows you to organize, create, and ultimately trim your projects. The Cricut Joy only has a fine-tipped blade, but it only works with that particular device.

When you have Cricut Access and depending on your plan you have, you can select fonts, graphics, unique 3D projects and, if you can think about it, they have it. It doesn’t make sense to get the Cricut Maker if you don’t have an extra budget to cut the other materials. Cricut doesn’t do badly either, but to say that its user experience is excellent would be an exaggeration in this Cricut vs Silhouette battle. Designs can be cut out on a PC with Cricut Design Studio software, on a Gypsy machine connected via USB, or they can be input directly to the Cricut machine using the keyboard overlay.

Cricut mats are sticky and, depending on the material you are cutting, it is best to use different levels of adhesion. This technology is what allows Cricut Maker to cut 10 times harder than any other machine in the Cricut Explore family. My favorite package to start with is the Cricut Maker 3 Everything package that comes with the essentials to get you started and a pack of Cricut mats because the package doesn’t come with mats. The Cricut machine is great, but if you don’t learn to use design space, it’s like buying a camera and not taking pictures.

However, they are not compatible with Cricut Design Space and the software they used in the past, Cricut Craft Room, has been completely shut down.