Cricut versus Silhouette

One thing I would like to do on this blog is highlight some of the awesome products that are out there in the market.

Disclaimer: Since I used to work at a small local store, I will repeatedly remind people to shop locally. I do however admit, that there are some deals online and in the big box stores that can not be beat. Do not be surprised if I have a few blog entries slamming bbs's. I would still work at a sls if the economy was better and it was still open.

Currently, I am more familiar with the ProvoCraft Cricut. I just bought my QuicKutz Silhouette. I've been using the Cricut for over three years now (but just bought my own last fall) and pretty much know it inside and out.

At first glance, I can point out some large differences.

The Cricut is designed for the basic user. Pretty much anyone could pick up this machine and use it with some success. Only with the Design Studio software (for an extra $60 some bucks) does this system evolve and your personal creativity can really shine. The simplicity of this system is the reason (I think) it has done so well in the market.

The Cricut comes in two cutting sizes- 6" wide (the original or Create), or 12" wide (Expression).  I find that sometimes the original is not large enough for some projects, and the Expression is too bulky to carry around (a pitfall for me, someone who lives in a dorm).

In my opinion, the biggest downfall of this cutting system is the need for cartridges to work on any project.  

(I'll rant about ProvoCraft's marketing, consumer and retail issues at a later date.)


The Silhouette is definitely for the advanced user. There is no keyboard on the machine- you must use a computer to design and cut with this system. But that's not to say the basic user couldn't use it- you just have to be comfortable with the software.

I like the fact that you can design with any TrueType font on your computer (free fonts can be downloaded from sites like dafont.com and 1001freefonts.com).  The computer software interface is definitely more complex than ProvoCraft's Cricut Design Studio.  Since I haven't gotten a chance to use it much yet, I'm hoping that it's worth all the extra buttons!

(Hopefully I don't discover issues with QuicKutz, but only time will tell.)

I think that's where I'll end this entry. I promise I'll talk more about these two systems, especially as I learn more about the Silhouette. It promises to be interesting!

Originally posted on Kr8tivity Blog.