Today is the first day I've been on this forum, and I have lots of questions that I'm sure will be answered when I begin reading all the posts. However, I'm feeling impatient, in that I really want to rush out & buy myself a cricut and start cutting. I wondered if anyone would be so kind as to answer a few questions I have so that I don't make some colossal mistakes with my purchases. I am looking at purchasing a Cricut Create, along with the SCAL program. Am I oversimplifying matters in thinking that once I have my cricut and the software and get everything running, I will be able to use fonts I have downloaded onto my computer, along with images that others are kind enough to create and post as free downloads? If this is an incorrect assumption, can someone point me to a forum for beginners? Any help and guidance offered would be so much appreciated! I'm really excited about learning, just feeling like an eager beaver today.
TIA!
Rhonda
Newbie checking in... as will soon be obvious!
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HeatherM
- Posts: 3913
- Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:16 am
- Location: Michigan, SCAL1; SCAL2; eCAL; Windows7 64 bit; eCAL Mavericks
- Contact:
Re: Newbie checking in... as will soon be obvious!
Are you planning on using cartridges with your Create? If not, you might be better off with the Personal (the original Cricut) since the extra features on the Create are not used with SCAL.
Another thing to consider is the size of what you might want to cut. If you can't possibly see cutting anything larger than 5.5x11.5 inches, you are good with the Personal or the Create, but if you might want to cut larger things you might want to consider an Expression. I bought my little Cricut before SCAL was available and couldn't see cutting anything larger than the Personal would cut, and then once I found SCAL and saw what I could do with it I wanted the E.
Another thing to consider is the size of what you might want to cut. If you can't possibly see cutting anything larger than 5.5x11.5 inches, you are good with the Personal or the Create, but if you might want to cut larger things you might want to consider an Expression. I bought my little Cricut before SCAL was available and couldn't see cutting anything larger than the Personal would cut, and then once I found SCAL and saw what I could do with it I wanted the E.
Re: Newbie checking in... as will soon be obvious!
Heather is right, get the Expression! Trust me, you won't be sorry.
Todd
Re: Newbie checking in... as will soon be obvious!
Thanks for the welcome, talanhart! I am super excited to find this forum and begin learning all about this stuff.
HeatherM, I am sooo uneducated about the cricut machines. I don't really want to have to buy all of the cartridges if I don't need to. Am I understanding things correctly when I think that you just hook up the Cricut to a computer and install the SCAL software? I love downloading free fonts, and I've seen blogs where people post files of images they've created (SVG?), but I don't want to oversimplify. Is there any need to buy the cartridges if you can access free stuff online? Does that sound terrible? I have thought about the cutting size issue, but I wanted to start with the smaller, inexpensive machine and go from there. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to answer my post. I know there's a learning curve with this stuff, but it's all I can do not to run out and buy a machine immediately. I just don't want to have buyer's remorse. Is that what you would recommend, buying the Personal Cricut and the SCAL software? Hopefully, I'll get it all figured out and maybe become a productive forum member
!
HeatherM, I am sooo uneducated about the cricut machines. I don't really want to have to buy all of the cartridges if I don't need to. Am I understanding things correctly when I think that you just hook up the Cricut to a computer and install the SCAL software? I love downloading free fonts, and I've seen blogs where people post files of images they've created (SVG?), but I don't want to oversimplify. Is there any need to buy the cartridges if you can access free stuff online? Does that sound terrible? I have thought about the cutting size issue, but I wanted to start with the smaller, inexpensive machine and go from there. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to answer my post. I know there's a learning curve with this stuff, but it's all I can do not to run out and buy a machine immediately. I just don't want to have buyer's remorse. Is that what you would recommend, buying the Personal Cricut and the SCAL software? Hopefully, I'll get it all figured out and maybe become a productive forum member
!Re: Newbie checking in... as will soon be obvious!
You guys are killing me! I really want the Expression, but I'm so new to all of this, almost hate to lay out that much $$ at the start. I am hoping to create a few things I can sell, so I don't want to be limited to small cuts. What to do, what to do?!! I was thinking of starting small, then seeing how it goes, then maybe upgrading to the Expression? 
Re: Newbie checking in... as will soon be obvious!
There are many tutorials out there for SCAL but here is the link to the official Craft Edge
http://svgcuts.com/blog/category/tutorials/
With that said there are several others as well
http://imagesbyheatherm.wordpress.com/m ... tutorials/
Now I am drawing a blank to the others but they are not hard to find from here.Yes it is almost as easy as you think but there is a fair amount of learning but if you are good with computer you are already off to a running start. There are some fonts that cut better than others
If you can have the E take it you won't regret it
GOOD LUCK
http://svgcuts.com/blog/category/tutorials/
With that said there are several others as well
http://imagesbyheatherm.wordpress.com/m ... tutorials/
Now I am drawing a blank to the others but they are not hard to find from here.Yes it is almost as easy as you think but there is a fair amount of learning but if you are good with computer you are already off to a running start. There are some fonts that cut better than others
If you can have the E take it you won't regret it
GOOD LUCK
Scrappin My Way Through
Going Where I Please and Pleasing Where I Go
Windows XP, Expression, SCAL 2.041, Inkscape 47
http://darliciouscreations.weebly.com/
Going Where I Please and Pleasing Where I Go
Windows XP, Expression, SCAL 2.041, Inkscape 47
http://darliciouscreations.weebly.com/
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jasenj1
- Posts: 364
- Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:06 am
- Location: Newport News, VA, USA; SCAL 2.044-Expression; SCAL 3-Cameo; Mac; Inkscape 0.48; GIMP 2.6
Re: Newbie checking in... as will soon be obvious!
I'll add to the chorus encouraging you to go with the Expression.
Also, if you're ONLY or very mostly going to use your computer with the cutter, you may want to look at Xyron's Wishblade, or the Silhouette. These cutters do not have cartridges, but do have large catalogs of cut files you can buy online and have software that works with SVGs. They can also do "print & cut" much better than the Cricut.
IMHO, the strength of the Cricut is the cartridges. They contain lots of high quality cut files that are very well coordinated and can be cut easily using the controls on the Cricut. If you compare the cost of cartridges to buying cut files, I think the Cricut fares very nicely. Yes, cartridges retail for $90; but with a little patience you can find them on sale for half or more than half off.
As for getting the Expression vs the Create. If you actually get bit by the bug and start doing a fair amount of cutting, you'll quickly find yourself wanting to cut large things. Anything from Halloween masks to gift bags to wall decorations.
- Jasen.
P.S. Let me also throw this warning out there, too: SCAL is fairly buggy software. There are lots of people who use it fine, but it definitely has it's quirks and oddities. Craft Edge is adding features pretty quickly, and many times things are half-working when released. If you're the kind of person who can deal with software being a bit flakey, then come on board. But if you get frustrated easily when things don't "just work", you may find SCAL angering.
I haven't used "Make the Cut" or the software that comes with the other cutters, so I can't say how they compare stability-wise.
Also, if you're ONLY or very mostly going to use your computer with the cutter, you may want to look at Xyron's Wishblade, or the Silhouette. These cutters do not have cartridges, but do have large catalogs of cut files you can buy online and have software that works with SVGs. They can also do "print & cut" much better than the Cricut.
IMHO, the strength of the Cricut is the cartridges. They contain lots of high quality cut files that are very well coordinated and can be cut easily using the controls on the Cricut. If you compare the cost of cartridges to buying cut files, I think the Cricut fares very nicely. Yes, cartridges retail for $90; but with a little patience you can find them on sale for half or more than half off.
As for getting the Expression vs the Create. If you actually get bit by the bug and start doing a fair amount of cutting, you'll quickly find yourself wanting to cut large things. Anything from Halloween masks to gift bags to wall decorations.
- Jasen.
P.S. Let me also throw this warning out there, too: SCAL is fairly buggy software. There are lots of people who use it fine, but it definitely has it's quirks and oddities. Craft Edge is adding features pretty quickly, and many times things are half-working when released. If you're the kind of person who can deal with software being a bit flakey, then come on board. But if you get frustrated easily when things don't "just work", you may find SCAL angering.
I haven't used "Make the Cut" or the software that comes with the other cutters, so I can't say how they compare stability-wise.
Last edited by jasenj1 on Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Newbie checking in... as will soon be obvious!
Thanks for the links, Butterfly. I will definitely check them out. They, along with this forum, will surely mean a messy house for me! I can see this sucking up a lot of my time, it seems like so much fun.
Jasen, thanks for the input; not helpful to my checkbook but helps confirm what I was thinking I did wonder if there were other manufacturers besides Cricut, figured there were but hadn't done much research, so thanks for those. At this point, I do feel as if I would use the computer more. Just seems to me like I would have a hard time committing to one cartridge or the other, as I love downloading all sorts of fonts. Does that make sense? What I'm mainly interested in the machine for is vinyl cuts for gift type items (car tags, tumblers, key chains, window decals) etc. Would love to say I scrapbooked, but my intentions are bigger than my actions! Do you feel like one is better than the other, given that info?
Gosh, I don't wanna nag you guys to death, but I really appreciate all of the input given so far. I can't wait until I know more and maybe won't feel so out of my league! I wish my knowledge matched my enthusiasm...
Jasen, thanks for the input; not helpful to my checkbook but helps confirm what I was thinking
I did wonder if there were other manufacturers besides Cricut, figured there were but hadn't done much research, so thanks for those. At this point, I do feel as if I would use the computer more. Just seems to me like I would have a hard time committing to one cartridge or the other, as I love downloading all sorts of fonts. Does that make sense? What I'm mainly interested in the machine for is vinyl cuts for gift type items (car tags, tumblers, key chains, window decals) etc. Would love to say I scrapbooked, but my intentions are bigger than my actions! Do you feel like one is better than the other, given that info? Gosh, I don't wanna nag you guys to death, but I really appreciate all of the input given so far. I can't wait until I know more and maybe won't feel so out of my league! I wish my knowledge matched my enthusiasm...
Re: Newbie checking in... as will soon be obvious!
I cut about 99% vinyl with my Cricut. I have made all kinds of Car decals for Baseball and Soccer teams. I have cut Stick Families for friends and I even cut some decals for a Nursing home. If you are planning on doing anything like this, you will want to get an Expression. My biggest order was for 300 cuts. I was able to cut 8 at a time with my Expression and each sheet took about 40 minutes to cut. I can't imagine have a smaller machine and only cutting 1 or 2 at a time.
Todd