Stand Alone vs. PC Based Electronic Cutters: Choosing The Cutter That Is Right For You

With so many die cutters on the market, it can be tough to decide which one to buy. Wishblade, Creative Cutter, Cricut, Pazzles, Xyron… Which one is for you? Here are some factors to consider before making your decision:

Do you need an electronic cutter?

Really consider what it is that you are trying to do. If you are constantly cutting out templates of various sizes, cutting out photos from backgrounds and use tons of laser cut titles and custom words and phrases, this may be something you need. If you only do those tasks once in a while, maybe you should visit your local store that has one of these machines and use theirs.

If you have a mechanical die cut machine, this is a nice addition (machines that use dies are capable of cutting thicker and more varied materials than the electronic cutters). You can also use your mechanical machine to emboss and add texture to your electronic cut shapes.

Do you want portability?

Then the stand alone models are the way to go. You’re not likely to want to drag your computer system and special cutter and printer to a crop or party and let someone borrow your $1000 to $3000 machine and sticky up the keyboard of your $4000 computer system.

Okay — that is a wee bit of an exaggeration, but the PC based models are not meant to be taken around. Besides… didn’t that lady steal your adhesive runner last time?

How good are your computer skills?

If you have a hard time using Windows or scratch your head with any of the graphics programs, you may want to set your sites on the stand alone models. With the more sophisticated PC models, you should be very comfortable using a computer and be willing to read and learn and invest a little more time.

For that investment, you’re given a LOT more freedom in your cutting options. With the stand alones (to date), you can’t create custom cuts on the fly, only adjust the size of pre-programmed designs.

How much do you want to spend?

In general stand alone models are cheaper than the PC models because you use cartridges that are pre-designed to cut. You are limited to size adjustments and can’t stray too much from the programmed design.

For more freedom of artistic expression, you’ll have to shell out a lot more money. Also keep in mind that cutting blades and mats and in some cases, adhesives for coating the cutting mats need to be purchased regularly. The types of materials you cut determine the longevity of your blades and mats (thicker materials and cardstocks will shorten the life of cutting blades and mats quite quickly — because they take more effort to cut and they leave more debris on the mat). Also be aware you’ll need to invest in design packages and software updates.

Storage and Space Considerations

The footprints (size the machines take up on a flat surface) vary — some are quite huge — and you’ll need the huge machines if you intend to make large die cuts like boxes and gift bags that require big sheets of paper.

What kind of paper will you need to purchase and store in order to make the size of die cuts you desire? Some of the program cartridges are rather bulky, some are small flash media cards (like in cameras). Stand alone models tend to be smaller and use smaller papers.

As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when purchasing for a personal cutting machine. It’s much more than brand and price. You actually think hard about your current scrapbooking or cardmaking needs and where you want to go from there. But hopefully this article has helped you realize your priorities when researching your personal cutter.