Cricut versus Craft Robo for use in Cardmaking?

[Cheeks]

Hi All

I have been seeing and reading a lot of stuff on both the Cricut and the Craft Robo.

I understand that a lot of scrapbookers use the machines, but I do more card making than scrapbooking at the moment (hopefully soon to change....).

Do many of you use them a lot for card making and which do you prefer?

TIA

T x

[Scrapcomber]

From what i have seen demonstrated, the Cricut is free standing where as the Craft Robo or Robocop as my DH calls mine has to be linked to the computer.

[Josieanne]

With the robo if you want to cut shapes you either have to cut a dingbat or scan them in and trace round the shape/image yourself before you can cut it. Once thats done you can save the image and its always there but its a lot of work upfront.

With the cricut you cut the images on the cartridge that you have bought.

I am both a cardmaker and a scrapbooker. I love my robo but I honestly bought it for die cuts letters not shapes, I have dies and a big shot/sidekick for shapes.

For a cardmaker I would say the Cricut is better but I have never seen one in action I am only going by the fact that you buy cartridges with shapes pre loaded so you can then just cut them.

The only drawback with the cricut is you can only cut the shapes pre loaded on the cartridges and you have to buy the cartridges on top of the machine, so cost wise the cricut will be dearer in the long run, but with the robo you just need plenty of time upfront to scan and trace the images you want to cut.

For letters and dingbats the robo can't be beaten but for anything else you do need the time to create what you want to cut

Plus the cricut is free standing where the robo has to be linked to a PC

[Cheeks]

Hhmmmmm, they both have their + and - don't they!!

I suppose I don't really cut shapes that much and I do have a Quikutz for that so the Craft Robo would be good, but then as you say the Cricut is a stand alone machine.....

If only I was rich enough to afford both!!

T x

[paperparty]

I have recently bought a craftrobo and love it. I mostly make cards and ATCs. I think you need to assess your ability to use graphics programs on the computer because if you find them difficult you may not get on with the craftrobo. The dies for Cricut are about £50 a go and you are then limited to their designs whereas the craftrobo is only limited by your abilities. Graphtec who do craftrobo have just launched a new model which cuts thicker card so old versions and "nd hand will be going cheap I expect. Check out the craftrobo forum for lots of tips, info and free robo templates.

[dozyrosy]

As a cardmaker, for me there's no contest: the Craft Robo wins hands down. Not only can you cut any shapes you want in any suitable size, you can cut text including "written" (welded text) in any font you have, or can find to download, you can cut all sorts of shapes and sizes for matting/layering, plain or fancy apertures for cards, your own unusual shaped cards, and things like watefall card mechanisms, envelopes and boxes for your cards. You can "print and cut" so can make your own decoupage and medallion cards, iris folding strips, and teabag papers... And you can also use the CR pen holder with gel and metallic pens to write you greetings on your cards in gold and silver, etc... Anything you can draw or trace you can cut without having to worry about buying another expensive cartridge, and there are hundreds of ready made templates for all sorts of things that people have created and shared.

Have a look at some of my CR creations and then look at Stressed's gallery for some of the lovely cards she has made.

Can you do all that with a Cricut?

Oh and you can cut your own acetate stencils for embossing too...

Rosemary
(sounding a but like a CR saleman!)

[stressed]

Hi, stressed here thank you dozyrosy for putting the link to my gallery forward i would add with the exception of the snowman card every item has been made with, or has elements on it made with my craftrobo.

I bought my machine in june as a birthday present to myself i had only seen the tv demo ive put alot of time into working out software to make my designs but i think you will agree that what i have produced has been worth it and i love it.

someone asked recently if to buy a cricut or a robo and this is an answer that was given amongst others and i agree with every word

Will Cricut use every font you have on your PC?
Will Cricut cut a font as large as an A4 sheet of card?
Will Cricut cut a shape as large as an A4 sheet of card?
Will Cricut let you creat your own shapes and words?
Templates for CR are free all over the web are Cricut dies free?
Will Cricut let you trace round a picture and then cut it out for you?

If you answer yes to all these questions buy a Cricut if not buy a CR

the major advantage for me is that robo takes A4 size card which means you can personalise your cards with names/greetings actually cut into them, like my caitlin card etc.

The cricut doesnt take A4 card from memory it only takes card/paper upto 6inch wide

hope that helps

[cw18]

I'd consider myself a cardmaker more than a scrapper -- though I've not made many cards recently but have done a fair bit of scrapping (really need to get my weekly challenge cards uploaded, and get on with my Christmas ones!) .

I was about to purchase a CR for most of the reasons mentioned above, when they announced the new model about to come out. ATM it looks unlikely that ordering now would get it to me this side of Christmas (and I was thinking of using it to speed up making my cards!), but I've decided to wait for the new model.

One of the main reasons I want the CR for card making (rather than the Cricut) is the decoupage facility. I've got lots of sites with free decoupage bookmarked, but realise that the first time I use a particular image it's gonna take me a long time to set the CR up to cut it. However, I have already downloaded the CR software onto my PC to have a play with the graphics tools (it's available for free).

People always seem to prefer my decoupage cards above the others, but they can be very time consuming to make -- whereas once I've done an image for the CR it will be very quick to repeat the design. I will still be hand cutting for a while though, as I've got a huge stock of decoupage sheets -- and actually find cutting them very theraputic.

As such the CR will probably only be used for more distant friends/relatives (will just have to keep a note of what I send to who, so I don't send them the same again!) and for a MacMillan fund raising event I worked with last year and hope to again next.