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CUTTING MACHINES:
By far, our favorite way to use our SVG Cut Files is with digital cutters, and our favorite models are made by Cricut.
We’re quite fond of Cricut machines, it’s what we use, and the whole user experience just seems to be easier. Silhouette creates a very worthy cutting machine, and their latest model offers a pretty sweet rolling feeder option. We’re long-time Cricut users, but that rolling feeder sure has us looking on longingly.
What Do We Recommend and What do we Base it on?
We like to treat our suggestions like we’re talking to a friend. So, we’re not going to go into any great lengthy discussions about all the specs, materials, cutting power, etc. Those specs can be found elsewhere, and we don’t share that kind of thing when we’re talking about the projects we’re making and working on. Nobody would want to hang out with us anymore. And that would be sad.
Ultimately, at the end of the day, we’d rather treat people like friends, and not like an algorithm or sales lead.
So here’s the scenario, let’s assume you called us up (Chris or Carrie) and said hey I’m at my local craft store and I’m about to buy a cutter, which one should I buy?
Maker 3
The short answer would be, if money is no option, go with the Latest Cricut Maker Model, which is currently the Model 3. It gives a couple of extra bells and whistles like faster cutting and matless cutting with select products. Matless cutting is dreamy for those of us that sell end products like signs etc. It might not seem like a big deal, but for large projects, it’s very nice.
Original Maker
If money is a concern, we’d say pick up the Original Maker (if they have it in stock still). If it’s not in stock, go home and order it online. It’s a steal at the price offered on Amazon right now. The extra cutting power is worth choosing over the new air model features at the same price point (the Air 3 is a little more expensive at the moment). You just don’t want to limit yourself on the products you can make, even if you might take a hair longer to make them. Our first machine was the Air, and we still love it, but there are so many more possibilities with the Maker. And again, the Original Maker is currently cheaper than what we purchased our Air for back in the day.
What About the Silhouette?
It’s a fine machine, and many of our customers use it. Though, it would be a bit dishonest for us to recommend it wholeheartedly, as we have not used it, nor do we know anyone who has one. But if we were going to switch over after all these years as Cricut users, this new model with the rolling feature has us drooling. 🙂
PRINT-ON-DEMAND / DIRECT-TO-GARMENT
When it comes to print-on-demand and direct-to-garment printing, we’ve not found any machine to be very practical for home enthusiasts/businesses. They require too much maintenance or are just too expensive or inconsistent to work for everyone’s needs. This is why we do not currently recommend any machines/printers for the home. However, we do recommend Print on Demand services for these products.
By far, our favorite platform, and the one we use, is Printful. They integrate seamlessly for automated sales and fulfillment with many platforms including Etsy and Shopify, the two major platforms for this space.
They don’t have minimum purchase quantities, fulfill as orders come in, have some of the best prices, best production times, and best shipping practices. With all the features they offer us creatives, they are hard to beat in this space.