A cutting machine with various functions and special features is what our D-I-Y users need the most to make their arts and crafts project much easier to handle. Additionally, the use of a modern cutting machine will help them from saving money since they can highly minimize the errors when cutting or designing their materials.
So which one is the best to be used? Is it the Cricut Maker or the Silhouette Cameo 3? Let’s find out their pros and cons to help you in making a solid and sure decision.
A Short Review of the Cricut Maker vs. Silhouette Cameo 3:
| Cutting Machine | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| #1. Cricut Maker |  | - Powerful blades - Flexibility in operation - Unparalleled cutting power |
| #2. Silhouette Cameo 3 |  | - It has AutoBlade automatic settings - Features Dual Carriages - Bluetooth functionality |
What Can I Do with a Cricut Maker?
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A Cricut Maker is a smart cutting machine that will allow you to cut various kinds of materials with greater precision and agility. Whether your project is involved with leather, papers, vinyl, or even balsa materials, you can be sure that the Cricut Maker will help you in achieving all your projects since it can work with 100 and more materials. You may also wish to check out the predecessor version of Cricut Maker is the Cricut Explore Air 2 machine.
This cutting machine is very portable and space-saving. That means you can work even in a small workspace without piling up too many materials in your table because, with Cricut Maker, you will be given a chance to work with your designs wirelessly via its Bluetooth wireless technology.
Cricut Maker Machine Tour – Working with Cricut Maker
More: Check out a comparison of Cricut Maker vs. Cricut Explore Air 2 or a full comparison & reviews of Cricut machines.
So if you want to create your own designs using your tablet or smartphone, you can do it so! You can also upload your desired fonts and images for free by means of its Cricut Design Space software which is available for Android, Windows, Mac, and iOS users.
And what is great about this cutting machine is that it has a slot for your tablet or smartphone to make everything more convenient for you. And if you need to charge your device, you can do this by using the USB port.
However, despite its enormous advantages, there is a slight but manageable downside about it and that is the maximum cutting size which is about 11.5″ x 23.5″ only. So if you want to create signage or long designs, this is a bit hard to achieve. But if the majority of your creations are compact designs, then no need to worry about this matter.
Another unfortunate thing about this one is that the cut sizes are limited when you use the Print and Cut function. If you are using Google Chrome browser, the maximum size is 5.5″ wide and 8″ in height; for Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari, you can print then cut from 6″ wide and 8.5″ in height, then for iOs apps, the maximum size is 6.5″ wide and 9″ in height.
All in all, regardless of its downsides, you can still manage to find better ways to fix such because solutions were still presented to give the users more convenience while using this. Want to know deeper about this item? Here’s a brief information about the Cricut Maker:
- With expandable suite of tools such as pens, scoring tool, and powerful blades like the rotary and knife blade
- Hundreds of digital sewing patterns to choose from to make your quilting and sewing projects faster and easier
- With dual carriage to do two functions in one step (scoring and writing, drawing and writing)
- Minimalist design that comes in 3 pastel colors such as baby pink, mint green, and baby blue
- Bluetooth technology for easy cutting and designing according to your own preferences
- Cricut Design Space software system with basic functions that can be used for Android, Windows, Mac, and iOS
Or you can check out the best Cricut bundle deals for beginners.
What Can I Do with a Silhouette Cameo 3?
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Silhouette Cameo 3 is your ultimate D-I-Y machine that can cut 12 inches wide and 10 feet long 100 plus materials such as vinyl, fabrics, cardstock, paper, and many more! That means if you want to create longer designs such as signages, you can perfectly create this using this cutting machine.
This cutting machine will give you the freedom to use your own designs as well because of its Silhouette Studio design software and Bluetooth technology. So whether you are using an iPad or what not, you can be sure that your design will turn into life with the help of this machine.
Additionally, this cutting machine is compatible with PixScan and Print and Cut technology. Meaning to say you can capture a certain image using your smartphone or scanner, import it, and make the image into a cut file!
Introducing the Silhouette CAMEO® 3 Desktop Cutting System
You can also expect that the Silhouette Cameo 3 will help you from avoiding mistakes by means of its touchscreen menu with speakers and autoblade setting. This is a good and awesome feature for beginners because you will get a guidance while you are using its functions.
The Silhouette Cameo 3 has also a matless cutting capability. That means you don’t need to use a cutting mat for heat transfer and vinyl cutting. Plus, when cutting thicker materials, there’s a 2 mm clearance for deepest cuts. However, there are also disadvantages that you will encounter while using this cutting machine.
First of this is that its speed is too slow and not that precise most especially when you use its dual carriage because its cutting is a bit weaker than it cannot give you the chance to cut intricate designs unlike with Cricut.
The second thing about this machine is that you have no color designs to choose from because it is only available in white. This may not be considered as a disadvantage because its design is very sleek and simple which will suit for those who are not that picky when it comes to physical design.
And the last thing is the difficulty level of the Silhouette Studio software which is not suitable for beginners because the learning curve is too steep that only the advanced users can only appreciate. But they are already on their way now on upgrading their software to make it more beginner-friendly.
So overall, if you think that the Silhouette Cameo 3 is for you, here are the additional details about this machine:
- Storage compartments where you can put your Silhouette and blade tools
- It can cut larger materials for about 12 inches wide and 10 feet long
- Available in one color only (white)
- Autoblade technology to get the correct depth for your project without you adjusting the blade
- Pixscan compatible
- Matless capability
- With touchscreen menu to avoid errors
- Bluetooth connectivity for wireless works
- With dual carriage but cutting is not that precise
Or you can check out the best Silhouette Cameo bundle deals for beginners.
Similarities Between Cricut Maker and Silhouette Cameo 3
Both of these cutting machines can perform wirelessly because of their Bluetooth technology and the use of their software systems. They are both easy to use and portable which will help in making your job much easier to handle.
You can also trust that different kinds of materials can be used in both of these cutting machines. Plus, they are both minimalists in design which can be put even in a small working table.
Is the Silhouette Cameo 3 better than Cricut?
If you want more convenience, preciseness, and faster performance, then Cricut Maker is for you. If you want to create larger designs using an autoblade technology, then the Silhouette Cameo 3 is the ideal one for you. In a word, the decision is all yours. The pros and cons were all given even the smallest details about them. So whatever is your choice, you can be sure that your arts and crafts project will become more efficient since the use of cutting machine will help you from saving your time including your money.
* You may wish to check out an alternative option for more saving is Cricut Expression 2.
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