Expression vs. Slice
There is no comparison if you can only get 1 machine get the expression it's worth the extra money...why?
I have the Slice that was my first machine (I got it 2 weeks ago) only because it had the designs I wanted (tags) and also had some cool accessories and it's my first die cut machine. You have to hold it down to use it, there aren't that many cartridges and if you wait for sales they are both about the same $. If you need a machine to cut a couple of things here and there and go for the slice. (Read my Slice review for more details).
Expression vs. Personal
The personal cricut only cuts to 5.5" and it's pretty much like the Slice around the same price point as well. It does NOT compare with the capabilities of the Expression. Expression cuts in larger sizes, more feature the LCD screen is more detailed, it's a far more sophisticated machine (think of composition notebook vs. laptop) also spoke with a cricut user at a store she said that the Personal wastes a lot of paper
Expression vs. Sizzix I didn't even really look at the Sizzix, I get they're cheaper, and they have a lot of cartridges and they're cheaper...there's a reason why the machine and cartridges are cheaper they're VERY BASIC (it's like comparing 3rd grade education to graduate school), reviews on the Sizzix weren't very "WOW" and if I'm going to invest $$ I rather get something WOW the functionality and capabilities of Cricut products (even the personal) is far superior than the Sizzix
Expression Features that makes this machine SUPERIOR:
Cuts 1/4" 23.5 inches (most machines cut from 1/2" and at 1/2" increments this is 1/8" increments and about 7" max)
Cartridges very intricate shapes when you find them on sale it's WORTH IT! Plus they have the licensed shapes (Spongebob, Dora, Hello Kitty, Disney...)
Each cartridge seems to hold ALOT of options and information. There are so many varieties
Layering options available (exp trees it will cut the "bark" then i set another option to cut the individual leaves a little bit of spray adhesive and tweezers, BAM I have a fully functional colored tree)
Design is clean, tight and slim, it's very light and portable (not that I intend on schlepping it, but if I had to, I will)
you can leave it program and walk away
What I wish came with the machine:
For the $$ There should have been extra blades + 12" x 24" mat (it can cut up to that, so why no mat?) + spatula!
It seems really silly to nickel & dime customers for equipment they need to make the machine useful I have a spatula from my Slice tool kit (slice doesn't include that either)
What I've done/thoughts so far (I've only had it for 2 days):
AWESOME I can program what I want it to cut and walk away! with the Slice, I have to hold the machine in place.
SPEEDY!! It might be worthwhile to buy an extra mat anyways to load your next set of media while you're removing it off the first mat. (This would be important if you're into efficiency)
MUST read directions of the machine first! Then load the cartridge and read those directions! YOU HAVE TO SET ASIDE A SOLID HOUR OF FOCUS TO USE THIS MACHINE! There are so many functions/features you don't want to miss anything.
Had I read the directions first i'd figure out how to load the paper. It's aligned on the bottom left corner (DUR)
You can use ANY size paper as long as it's 3" x 3" just set the paper size and it'll know and plan for you to minimize waste
Cardstock set blade at 3 pressure at medium speed (doesn't really matter)
Paper set blade at 1 pressure low speed (doesn't really matter)
Foam (set blade at 6 pressure max speed SLOW) I feel like I need the deep cut blade (another accessory) the cuts aren't very clean but it works (I'm using the "Printing 101" Cartridge making alpha puzzle pieces to teach my kiddo letters)
Speed the slower the better it seems like but for thinner media it doesn't matter
Make sure to have enough table space you'll need space behind the machine for the feeder
Projects in the future:
Definitely making cards!
More foam shapes (Spongebob cartridge) and letters
Cardstock animals to teach my kiddo (same with food / etc). (Animal Kingdom Cartridge)
I want to try to use other medium fabric, adhesive, magnetic sheets, stamp, embossing
I want to get the design software to make my own "cuts"
Helping my kiddos with their school project making adhesives to stick on walls
Getting sticky textured cardstock to make our own "stickers"
FINAL THOUGHTS:
If you get Expression Buy spatula (unless you already have one)
If you plan on doing projects larger than 12" buy the 12" x 24" mat
Buy an extra set of mats anyways it'll help keep your machine cutting while you're working =)
Get a set of replacement blades if you intend on using this machine ASAP and ALOT (I've cut 9 foam sheets 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and 2 cardstock sheets) and I feel like my blade is getting iffy or it just might be foam
DO NOT:
...Buy the Cricut bags (except maybe the duffel) most do not fit the expression duffel will only fit expression if you expand it and it's not really "protective" and doesn't hold much of anything, but if you're set on getting a bag that's the only one that will work
...do this if you need silence the machine is LOUD think of your microwave running or the exhaust fan
...PAY FULL PRICE FOR CARTRIDGES I got a ton for 60% off really reasonable if you're willing to wait
I'm going to be making friends with local people who use Cricut and maybe do a cartridge exchange (borrow) b/c not many of the cartridges are repeat use for me and the ones that are I've bought I wonder if this is an item that the public libraries have...
...PAY FULL PRICE PERIOD! Most of the national chain stores WILL NOT take their coupons on the machine, but if you are patient, the machines will go on sale or scope out online venues. Most national chain stores will let you use their % off coupons on the accessories
EDIT 10/2013:
I gave away my E1 and got an E2 I sadly like most reviewers regret doing so before using an E2. Well the E2 is terrible and had glitch after glitch. I miss my E1. I have over 30 cartridges so I'm tempted to get another E1 but probably won't. I'll just use that money to invest in more cuts with the Silhouette. DO NOT GET AN EXPRESSION 2 or you might end up sad like me. However, My E1 went to a school so I don't feel as badly. They love it and are having a good time making things for their students.
I've used a Silhouette for over a year and I actually love that machine more. It's a higher price point but the ease of use helps pays for itself. Silhouette's Design program is so much easier to use than CCR and offers a lot of flexibility. I think Cricut might have lost a customer (at least for their machines). They make the best mats hands down. I use their mats in my Silhouette.
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The Expression is an awesome machine! I have no cons about the machine itself. About the cutting mat, if it's too sticky, press a clean t-shirt down on the mat & peel it up to remove some stickiness. Simply pressing your clean hands on the mat will also remove excess stickiness and woks just as well. If the mat has lost stickiness, wash thoroughly with dish soap (Goo Gone might be needed) and dry thoroughly. Spray with Krylon Easy-Tack, let the Krylon dry thoroughly and, if needed, press & peel a clean t-shirt (or hands) to remove excess stickiness. Use a lint roller after cutting especially "linty" paper and after each session with your Cricut. The mats will last a really, really long time this way.
I'm sure Provo Craft does not recommend doing anything other than buying new mats, but those who've been using the Cricut since the beginning have found ways to work around the mat issue.
There are also software programs that are compatible with the Cricut that will allow you to cut the True Type fonts installed on your computer, as well as many other file types and designs. (Not Cricut Design Studio, but other, non-Provo Craft programs such as Sure Cuts A Lot and Make The Cut.) Google is your friend. ;)
I wish Provo Craft would release their own software that will allow Cricut users to cut our own fonts, but it hasn't happened (despite begging from customers).
Search the web for discussion boards with Cricut topics. There's a wealth of info out there, as well people who are excited about their machines and eager to help. :)
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I am writing this review from the perspective of a comparison between the Cricut Expression 2 and the Silhouette Cameo. My review is also approaching the application of these machines from a more industrial perspective, NOT from and arts & crafts perspective. In other words, what applications can inexpensive computer-controlled cutting machines be put to outside of the usual arts & crafts world, and how do the two most popular machines of that type compare in those divergent applications?
By Arts & Crafts, I am referring to applications that involve the usual 'hearts, flowers, puppy dogs, cupcakes' shape cutting. By Industrial, I am referring to other tasks such as cutting stencils for spray painting numbers on shipping crates, cutting gaskets, cutting of labels and industrial markers, cutting picture frame masks, and so on.
I have obtained and used both machines during the same time period. I have had extensive communications with both manufacturers, both in pre-sales discussions and in post-sales customer/technical support. If I mention a feature of a product, it is one that I have used and verified personally. If I mention a limitation of a product, it is one that I have experienced personally AND also discussed with the manufacturer to see if I was missing something and/or if there was a work-arounf or alternative way of achieving the goal.
Both machines will cut out shapes from sheets of flat materials under computerized control. Both machines are very similar in design and layout, and both work in the same mechanical fashion. Both machines are about the same size and can cut shapes from similar sized pieces of raw material. Both machines use a tiny metal knife that us moved up and down under computer control, while the knife holder moves sideways and the material moved front and back. Both machines use a knife blade that swivels so that it always cuts regardless of the direction the materials is moving in relative to the knife itself.
Other than these similarities, there are significant differences in the philosophy between the two products. Henceforth in this review I will refer to the Cricut Expression 2 as the "Cricut" and the Silhouette Cameo as the "Cameo".
The Cricut is fundamentally designed to provide a wide range of predefined symbols and symbol sets from which the user can select adn assemble the desired craft projects. It does this without the need for any additional equipment, and specifically the user does not need to have a personal computer or have any knowledge of software or computers. It is the more portable of the two products because you can pick it up and take it to another location easily without the need to lug along a personal computer (or have a personal computer in the new location). The Cricut is self-sufficient.
The Cameo is fundamentally designed to act exactly as an inkjet or laser printer does when connected to a personal computer; it is in effect a computer printer that produces patterns by cutting them from material as opposed to producing them by putting ink or toner on material. It cannot be used without a personal computer. Its user mist be able to learn and use computer software, the same as learning other software such as word processors, photo editing, web browser, page layout, and other popular applications. The Cameo is not self sufficient.
The Cricut does not allow the user to create shapes from scratch. You must find a suitable shape, or group of shapes, from within the huge library of predefined symbols that is spread across a large number of Cricut cartridges. It is possible to 'weld' different shapes together and this offers some flexibility, but ultimately the shapes must originate in the cartridges. When the user has a specific shape in mind and cannot alter it to suit what can be found in the cartridges, it can become quite frustrating. In the task of trying to assemble the designed custom shape, the user might have to purchase several cartidges, and they are not cheap. It is also quite possible that the desired shape cannot be cut at all.
The Cameo allows the user to create shapes from scratch. There are no cartridges at all. If the user does not wish to design their own shapes, there is also an extensive library of online shapes designed by other users. Cameo does not limit where the shapes come from, but does offer a great many from their own online library at 99 cents per shape. The user can buy only the shape, or shapes, desired and does not need to buy an expensive cartridge only to get a single shape from it. Instead of purchasing shapes designed by others, the user can draw any desired shape using the compter software, and can offer it to others for use.
The Cricut has a nice display, consisting of a color LCD screen with touch sensitive surface. All the operations can be performed by touching the screen, or for more precise selections a plastic stylus is included. Once a given cartridge is plugged into the Cricut, all of its shapes can be viewed on the screen as tiny thumbnail images, and the desired shapes can be selected to a queue, from which they can be dragged to a virtual cutting mat, showing where they will appear on the material to be cut. Any shape can be selected, enlarged, and resized.
The Cameo has a small simple display like a calculator's or an older cell phones. It diplays only one color and shows only text. It is used for diagnostics and for messages like "Load the material" and "Unload the material". All other operations are done using the included computer software, using the computer's keyboard, mouse and screen.
The Cricut can be used, optionally, with the free Craft Room software on a personal computer. This software must be downloaded from the Cricut website; it is not included with the machine. The software includes a library of all currently known cartridges, and allows the user to assemble a complete cutting session before the actual cartridges needed have been purchased. The Craft Room software will not function unless the computer is currently online with Cricut; this is important, since it means that you must have an internet connection anywhwere that you want to use the Cricut in conjuction with the Craft Room software. The Craft Room does not allow the user to design their shapes, but it does provide a more user-friendly interface for the Cricut, since more tools and objects can be viewed on the larger computer screen.
The Cameo must be used with the included Studio software; this comes on a CD-ROM in the box with the machine. For a fee of about $50, it will upgrade itself to the more advanced Designer Edition. The main advantages of the Designer Edition are the ability to import a wider range of graphics from other programs. Both the regular version and the Designer Edition allow the same design and cutting functionality, so for most people there is no need to buy the Designer Edition. The Cameo's software only needs to be online with the Silhouette website when you wish to purchase shapes from their library, or when you wish to do an upgrade to a newer version. Otherwise, the software works without the need for an internet connection.
The Cricut includes a white LED headlight next to the blade, so you can see what it is cutting as it does so. The Cameo does not have such a light.
Both machines use cutting mats, which are clear plastic sheets with a special adhesive on the top surface to make it a bit tacky. This holds the material to be cut so that it does not slide around during cuttings. The mats wear out due to wear from the blades cutting through into them, and from the adhesive wearing out.
Both machines use blades that attach to a tool holder on the machines. The Cricut uses tiny blades that fit into a blade holder, while the Cameo requires the user to replace the blade holder when the blade wears out; this makes the Cameo blades a bit more expensive, but on the other hand it is much easier to handle the larger blade holder then it is handling the tiny (and sharp!) Cricut blades. The Cricut blade depth can be adjusted while the blade holder is attached to the machine, whereas the Cameo blade holder muct be removed from the machine in order to change blade depth. Both machines seem to cut equally well.
The Cricut is not intended to make its cuts on specific areas of the mat (you can get close, though, using the Craft Room software). The Cameo allows very precise cuts relative to the material, so you can specify that a shape be cut starting 1/2", for example, from the edge of the material.
The Cricut is not intended for cutting out pre-printed materials; it is intended to cut out shapes in different materials (of materials of different colors) that can be later assembled to form a multi-colored overall shape.
The Cameo is not a printer, but it does allow importing and designing shapes in any desired color or combination of colors. Then it will send the image to the printer of your choice, printing on the material to be cut; this is limited only by the ability of your printer. The Cameo software will print registration marks on the printed sheet, and when the printed sheet is then loaded into the Cameo machine, it used an electric eye to scan for the registration marks, and will syncronize and align the cutting with the pre-printed images. This allows an infinite number of printed images and cut shapes to be made. The syncronized cuts are very accurate, matching the desired printed images. The user can specify where the cuts are to be made relative to the printed shapes, or the software can automatically figure it out. This even applies to graphical objects imported into the Cameo software, as opposed to being designed in that software.
The Cricut requires that all text come from the cartridges, so the user is very limited in regards to available fonts. The Cameo software can use any True Type font that is installed on the computer, which means pretty much all fonts available to other Windows applications, and of course you can download any font you want from the internet.Since none of the Cricut cartridges include a 'stencil' style font, you cannot easily use it to cut stencils for painting signs and such.
I find that overall, the Cricut is probably a better choice for people interested in arts & crafts projects, or for people who don't have or don't care to use a personal computer. I find that the Cameo is better for people who are prepared to use a personal computer and who desire complete freedom in what shapes they cut.
Finally, I have found that emails to Cricut take four to fives days before a reply arrives, whereas emails to teh Cameo folks are answered almost immediately, and with real and useful responses. I have found that phone calls to Cricut require long waits on hold (typically 20 to 30 minutes) and then often the person answering the phone does not know the answer and transfers me to another group of tech support people, with another long wait. Evbery time I have called the Cameo folks, I have gotten through very quickly. Most importantly, it seems that Cricut support people either know the software or the machine, but nor both. The Cameo folks know both the software and the machine, since they must be used together. My experiences with the Cricut software included issues with getting the software to recognize the machine, whereas in my experience, the Cameo software was more bullet proof and installed easily and recognized the machine every time without trouble.
Honest reviews on Cricut Expression Cutting Machine
I first used the Cricut Expression cutting machine at a weekend scrapbooking retreat. My friend had recently purchased one and brought it along with several cartridges. I already have a sizzix with a few alphabets and other dies.
The Cricut is SOOOO much faster to use than the sizzix. And the versatility you get by being able to choose any size (from about.5" to 11.75" in .25" increments) is amazing. It really opens a whole new world of possibilities. Most cartridges also have alternate versions of the alphabets as well such as italic, bold, tall, etc. Or even being able to place the text inside a tag or other object. Most cartridges also allow you to create a shadow of the letter with a different color for matting purposes wich really adds depth to the scrapbook page.
There are a few cons. First being the price, not only is the machine itself VERY pricey, each cartridge will run between 60 and 90 dollars pre-tax/shipping. This makes each new phont or shape set a whole new investment.
Second con is how quickly the cutting mat loses it's "sticky" over the course of that weekend retreat we had to move onto a second cutting mat and that had begun to lose adhesion as well. Without the stick the page will slide around during the cutting process ruining the letters. We resorted to using repositionable adhesive on the back of the paper to make it stick to the mat. Definitely not ideal.
I just ordered one for myself and am very excited to start using it.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Cricut Expression Cutting Machine
This is another great Cricut machine. It cuts great. No need for an overlay, you can see it on your LCD. You can also zoom on the images so you can see them even larger. It cuts with all Cricut cartridges.
As far as the other reveiewer, this is not a machine that lets you cut out images that you design on your own. If that is something you wish to do, you need to explore other types of cutting machine. With Cricut, they have cartridges that you insert into your cutting machine. They have over 300 cartridges that you can buy with many different types of images available. There are so many to choose from.
Cricut has great quality products. They even have a Cricut Craft Room where you can purchase and design online and then you can cut it with your Cricut machine.
This is another awesome Cricut machine. You will love it!
