What machine is best for cutting vinyl?/A vinyl cutter is a type of computer-controlled machine. Small vinyl cutters look like a desktop printer. Like a printer controls a nozzle, the computer controls the movement of a sharp blade over the surface of the material. This blade is used to cut out shapes and letters from sheets of thin self-adhesive plastic (vinyl). The vinyl can then be stuck to a variety of surfaces depending on the adhesive and type of material.
No matter how good we think we are, we all need a helping hand. With the best Vinyl cutting machines, we can push our creativity beyond limits. Personally, I had always wanted to engage myself in a lot of DIY projects. Still, the problem was the amount of time it took me just to finish a single project.
If I look back at all the fabrics and materials that I ruined by trying to cut out the right shapes or try out some new designs, it gives me a headache. All that could have been avoided if I had just gotten the best Vinyl cutting machine in the first place! Regardless of what you want to design and cut out, it will help increase the quality of your output and alternatively bring you in more money if you are using it commercially.
Below is a review based on several Vinyl cutting machines that are currently in the market. They are definitely worth looking into.
List Of The Best Vinyl Cutting Machines
Cricut Vinyl Makers
This vinyl cutter from Cricut is one of my favorites. I can’t see where I would be right now if I did not buy one. It is possible to get a product that can change your life for the better. But the sad thing is that sometimes we don’t even know it until the day we do things differently. I started doing a lot of home-based DIY projects, and at first, I used to cut out the materials for myself.
To say the least, I was terrible at it! Worst of all, I couldn’t use some of the materials I wanted because my scissors couldn’t handle them or I would take forever to get it done. The Cricut vinyl cutting machine changed all that for me. It has completely simplified everything! The digital sewing patterns one can choose from are in hundreds! It has powerful blades scoring tools and pens and can also cut through any fabric.
Silhouette CAMEO 3 Wireless Cutting Machine
This Vinyl cutting machine is the only one that is compatible with a self-adjusting Auto-blade. My brother-in-law has a gift shop and does personalized projects for people as well. Sometimes I find a bit complicated to understand all the gadgets and machinery in his workshop. Still, I took an interest in this one after seeing it use it to cut 12 inches wide and 10 feet long worth of material!
He is more of a tech survey person and prefers this Vinyl cutting machine because he can use Bluetooth technology to cut or plug wirelessly into his computer at home! This specific purchase will include a Silhouette CAMEO cutting machine, an Auto-Blade cutting blade, a 12-Inch Cutting Mat, the Silhouette Studio software, a power cable and a USB cable.
Vinyl Cutter USCutter MH 34in BUNDLE
This Vinyl cutter machine has a pair of pinch rollers that can be fully adjusted. This means that you will be able to use an extensive range of materials. My friend had this as his first Vinyl cutter machine, and he said it was an economical buy. His justification was based on the fact that the Vinyl cutter had a blade holder that was Roland compatible.
This allowed him access to the most affordable, yet quality blades available. It also has a dual roller media system which has a superior ball bearing.
Cricut Explore One Cutting Machine
When I was thinking about starting out, I went to our local gift shop and decided to ask the owner some questions. I still go there to date to ask for advice, or to ask for his opinion regarding my designs. He has this particular Vinyl cutting Cricut model since it let him use apps which are cloud-based on designing using his iPhone or iPad, whenever he is not near his PC.
However, to cut wirelessly, he had to buy and add the wireless Bluetooth adapter separately. The main similarity it has with the Cricut Vinyl cutting machine we mentioned earlier is the fact that you could also upload your images and cut them for free.
USCutter Table TITAN 3 – 15″ Craft Vinyl Cutter
This vinyl cutting machine has four wheels. It comes as an Automatic Registration Mark Sensor (ARMS) that will contour cut for you. This stood out for me because the system has an optical eye that can triangulate the coordinates of the design which has been printed and cuts around the contour of the printed graphic.
I ordered for the Titan3 Vinyl cutting machine because I plan to get involved with solvent and dye sublimation printing. Another reason was that I could easily pair it with other types of printing too.
Silhouette Portraits
I also came across this best Vinyl cutting machine at my brother-in-law’s. It can cut heat transfer material, cardstock, fabric, transparencies, paper, vellum, adhesive Vinyl, and magnet paper. When you purchase it, you will get free software that is compatible with both Mac and PC. He said that when he bought it, he also got a download card worth 10$ included. Those bonuses seem worthwhile, considering the value they are worth.
Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine
Cricut Vinyl cutting machines are just the best when it comes to custom personalized home decor, unique greeting cards, custom-designed apparel, vinyl stickers and more. This model has what we call a smart set dial. This ensures that regardless of the material, the machine will be able to cut at the correct pressure and depth. My friend has his model, and he has no regrets whatsoever. You simply can’t go wrong with Cricut.
Silhouette Cameo Electronic Cutting Machine Vinyl
Coming to the top of the list of the best vinyl cutting machine, we have here the newest Silhouette Cameo model. This type of purchase comes with nothing more than added benefits. I got this for my neighbor’s kid on her birthday! I had never seen her that excited about anything. It comes with a Vinyl starter kit, 25$ worth of downloads, and an entire month of membership on the Silhouette download store, free of charge! Also, it has an impressive touchscreen control.
Bonus: Sizzix 660425 Big Shot Cutting/Embossing Machine
As a bonus today, I want to mention one last item. The Sizzix 660425 Vinyl Cutting machine is the newest model by Sizzix. I took note of it because I saw that it has an extension of a multipurpose platform. It comes in a color scheme that is white and grey and has dimensions of approximately 14-1/4″ x 12-3/8″ x 6-5/8″. This vinyl cutting machine is best suited for individuals who are looking to buy a Shape cutting and portable embossing machine. You will be getting the value of two functions for the price of one.
The machine is made with a roller style and also has two standard cutting pads. I would recommend it to those individuals who frequently use embossing tools, engage in die-cutting, and want the benefit of also working with the Sizzix product library in its entirety. The possibilities of the products you could come up with are endless here.
You could also decide to take the more straightforward route and create your altered art, quilting, scrapbook pages, home decor, fashion pieces, invitations, and cards with a little twist added on to them. You will rarely find yourself restricted because of its excellent crafting material accommodation.
Reasons To Buy This
- One doesn’t always have to make their finances suffer to get great value.
- It is so affordable that if you are having budget issues, it still will not take you long before you can buy the Sizzix 660425 Vinyl Cutting Machine.
- It never hurts to push your creative boundaries, invest in this Vinyl cutting machine, and see even more positive responses with your designs and output in general.
Top New Features of Vinyl Cutting Machines
2020 has seen the emergence of a few great features in some of its most popular vinyl cutting machines…
- Wireless capability – Some of the best desktop cutters, such as the Cricut Maker and the Silhouette Cameo 4, are now Bluetooth enabled, meaning that you can be designed on your iPad on the sofa in one room, and send your design to the craft cutter in another room with just one click. Ideal!
- Ability To Cut Unbonded Fabric – One of the most interesting things we’ve seen with the latest releases this year is stepping away from the focus from just vinyl and cardstock to more materials, particularly fabric. Both the Cricut Maker and the Cameo 4 is now able to cut the unbonded fabric just as well as any specialist fabric cutter worth it’s salt. The Cricut Maker has gone so far as to curate a huge sewing pattern library as well.
- Automatic settings – We remember the old days when you had to fiddle around with pinch rollers to experiment with the best blade pressure for different materials — now, some of the more advanced craft cutters are able to automatically adjust their own settings to a range of materials at the flick of a switch.
- Software – As always, software for vinyl cutting machines remains contentious in 2020. Our vote still goes to Adobe Illustrator for the best and most advanced designing, although we’ve also been experimenting with Sure Cuts A Lot, VinylMaster Cut, Silhouette Studio and Cricut Design Space.
Benefits Of Vinyl Cutting Machines
- They save time: They can do the same work we can do with great speed.
- They are efficient: Vinyl cutting machines can cut with accuracy and precision.
Wrapping It Up!
Getting a vinyl cutter will make a huge difference in your work, projects and customer satisfaction. Buy one and explore your creativity limits, with all the designs and templates in half the effort that it would have taken you.