You can not print images from your computer. The machine does come with about 75 shapes. Main disadvantage: You must have your PC if you want to use the Silhouette.Ĭricut Expression: Requires cartridges, and they aren’t cheap! Regularly $69.99 each, but if you wait for a sale you can get them for half that. Weight: 4.5 lbs (gotta keep that in mind for crops!) It prints first, and as it does so it makes small tick marks that tell it where to go back and cut it. Not only that, but you can tell it to print AND cut an image. You can always draw your own shapes, too, and use those.Īlso, the Silhouette can act as a printer.

Its called free clipart, and its all over the web! Surely you can find a simple shape somewhere so that you won’t have to pay for it. You can purchase more shapes as needed from the Silhouette website for $1.99 each, but seriously people, you know there are ways around that. Yes, I’m a bit of a font ho.) The machine comes with 50 shapes. For me, that’s well over 1000 fonts! (I won’t tell you the exact number. It can cut any true type font (.ttf) already on your computer. Silhouette: NO CARTRIDGES REQUIRED!!!!! This machine connects to your computer and can print any image or font saved to your PC (PCs only right now. Here’s a breakdown from my vantage point (I plan to use my machine for not only scrapbooking, but crafting also): The Silhouette website has a great chart that compares the features and capabilities of the SD to the original Cricut (the 6″ version) and the Cricut Expression. Oh me, oh my, I found my new die cut machine!!

I came across the Silhouette SD (not sure how it differs from the original Silhouette – I can’t find much information about it and it doesn’t seem to be available any longer). I loved it! I was all set to ask for one for Mother’s Day. THEN I started doing some research… I saw the Cricut Expression live and in person (it differs from a normal Cricut in that it can cut 12″ wide whereas the standard Cricut only cut 6″ wide) a few weeks ago at my scrapbook retreat. Its a digital die cut machine that has everyone in the crafting community simply gaga.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or are a nonscrapbooker/crafter), you know about the Cricut.

Cricut expression harry potter font