CRICUT VS SILHOUETTE ✿ which sticker machine is best for making stickers? full comparison video
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 มิ.ย. 2023
- After just over two years of using the cricut explore air 2 for all of my sticker making needs, I recently made the switch to a silhouette portrait 3. Watch this comparison video to find out why I changed, and how the two machines compare when making the same sticker sheet! 🌸 ✨
Thank you so much for clicking on this video, I really hope you found it useful.Be sure to subscribe to this channel to see more behind the scenes of running my small business on etsy and shopify! 🌸
Love you all,
Milly x
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✩ Sticker machines ✩
Cricut Explore Air 2 - amzn.to/3JpdxO0
Silhouette Portrait 3 - amzn.to/42UzA6l
Sticker sheet tutorial I followed - • HOW TO MAKE STICKERS! ...
✩ Filming setup ✩
📷 Canon G7X - amzn.to/3xYWIUc
💡 Ring Light - amzn.to/3xYGCtz
✨ Editing software - FCPX
AFFILIATE LINKS: Product links used in this description may be affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase an item through one of those links, I'll get a little percentage of the cost. You don't pay any extra but it helps me out so much, so thank you! ⭐️
#stickershop #silhottevscricut #makingstickers #studiovlog #artistvlog #smallbusiness #stationeryshop #smallbusinessowner #stationery #comparison #stationeryshop #cricut #silhouette
I have the portrait 3 after owning a Cricut explore air 2 and a Cricuit Maker. It is night and day when it comes to making stickers. I do use my Cricuts quite often for other projects but my portrait is dedicated to stickers. I have tips for everyone for the portrait that have helped me tremendously. I calibrated my portrait (only once since I’ve owned it in the last 7 months versus the cricut almost weekly). Get the test cuts dead center on the calibration lines. Don’t just say “eh it’s ok looks good enough”. It’s not a Cricut. Your calibration will define your later cuts. Also before I cut, I have a little makeup brush that I use to dust off the sensor as sticker paper creates a lot of dust. Last tip is to have a light shine directly onto the portrait. Natural daylight changes depending on where the sun is and I have found that this can cast different lighting/shadows onto my portrait, affecting the scanning/cutting. So I solved that by shining a light right over my machine so that lighting is the same every time. My script stickers have always been in the center of the cut lines since implementing these tips.
yes but you have to import any other vector file into the silhouette software. Not happy with that. Mind, when they went on sale I got one recently, not as powerful as my industrial cutter but on the other hand the industrial doesn't fit on the desk..The software isn't as terrible as I had feared
Is portrait 3 the best for stickers or do you suggest to get the 4? Thank you for sharing your experience in the comment section of this video.
@@VictorFoote01 I personally own the portrait 3 because during time of purchase it was on sale. Several popular sticker shops that I follow on YT all have portraits varying in age and they all seem to do just fine. I don’t intend on cutting vinyl or cardstock on the portrait since I own two cricuts as well, so I use my portrait 3 specifically for stickers. It has done amazing so I don’t feel the need to upgrade to a 4 or even a cameo. It was budget friendly for me since I don’t do high volume (shop still new) so I didn’t want to invest in an industrial cutter either.
I have tried to calibrate my machine COUNTLESS times over the last 3 years of owning it but even if the cut lines on the calibration are accurate, it;s still all over the place when it comes to cutting my actual stickers... I am so frustrated with it and don't know what to do... It seems like some days it cuts well and others it just goes crazy (sometimes vertical lines aren't even straight and it cuts in a complete diagonal!)
I was thinking of switching to cricut because it works better with stickers, but it seems not like you say. I like Portrait much more, and its design program is simpler, but if I have a lot of delays and I have never calibrated it, it doesn't explain that very well. In addition, whenever I use it it doesn't fully read the registration marks and that takes up a lot of my time fixing it.
TO USE THE ENTIRE A4 PAGE:
There is an icon of a white square in the Silhouette software and when you click it there will be a bar you can drag right and left to select how big you want the sticker sheet to be. The TH-cam tutorial you linked shows this at 11:30. It doesn’t allow you to use the entire page, so you need to calculate how much paper it doesn’t use and then make that your paper size in the Silhouette settings. So for example, say it cuts 15mm away from the edge of the A4 paper when you want it to use the entire A4 paper. Tell the software you’re using a dimension that’s 15mm bigger than A4 paper (add 15mm to each 4 sides). You can place a scrap piece of paper behind the actual sticker paper if using a smaller paper will confuse the machine. But this way, your machine will think it”s cutting out an A4 rectangle out of a bigger paper when it’s really just letting you use the entire A4 paper with some scrap paper behind it so it looks bigger than A4. Hope this makes sense!
I have a silhouette and I always thought about whether a cricut would be better, but you’ve saved me from an expensive wonder! 😂💗
I’ve been doing research into a machine for making stickers, and OOOOH GURL. You saved me so much money, time, and stress. Thank you so much for showing the process and the breakdown! This was SO HELPFUL.
I do t have a machine yet researching 4 years now waiting to save money for machine printer and laptop. Very few videos w the portrait. Very good it sounds. And u speak very clear and slow which helps me learn and remember , thank you!
This helped immensely! Thank you for taking the time to explain all of this!
When you rotate it you can select it then choose the icon with the 3 bars on the right. There is a little circle with an arrow icon. Let’s you snap it to right angles for rotation. I spent so long trying to rotate things perfectly manually and it was the bane of my existence. Now it’s super easy.
Moving to the Silhoutte! thank you so much! This video was beyond helpful!!!!!!! Really touched upon all the pain points I have with the Cricut!
When I opened my stationary shop last year I was debating on if I wanted to get a Cricut (which one of my siblings had and loved) or if I wanted to get a Silhouette. After about 100 videos comparing the two I went with the Silhouette. After watching your video I'm SO happy I did. All that fiddling sounds like a nightmare! Welcome to the Silhouette Family :)
Omg thanks for this, i’m a button away in purchasing cricut 😅
Thanks for the review kid! Definitely helping me with my decision. Good luck on your biz!
This was a great comparison video. I was convinced to convert to a silhouette and my cricut actually works just fine (knock on wood), hahaha. I do have to calibrate once in a while but definitely not everyday, so I think I just got lucky. My cricut is only a year old so maybe those issues have yet to come (again knock on wood). I do agree that creating workarounds for sticker sheets are annoying and wow, I didn't realize how long the cricut takes to cut. You save significant time with the silhouette. For me, worst case scenario, I do have a silhouette I've inherited in a new box, so I can whip that out if needed.
Thank you for this video. I find myself in a similar situation to where you once were. I have been using a Cricut Maker for my stationery business for the past 2 years. However, I've been facing numerous issues with the cutting precision recently. As a result, I am contemplating making the switch to a Silhouette.
I have the explore air 2 and cameo, this has been sat in its box for the past 3 months it’s the difference in the software that has put me off using it. But the difference in the sticker cuts is so much better! Think I need to get watching tutorials and try it out. Still love my cricut for cutting vinyl with though!
this is really interesting, great comparison ❤
Really good comparison video, just at the right time for me. I have a Brother Scan n Cut CM900 and have been thinking of upgrading it to the SDX2200D (UK) version, but I don't do Disney; so I will definitely go and have a look at the Silhouette Pro. Thank you for a great video. 🙂
i also have my portrait 3 on a wide mouse mat to help with the noise so its not just bouncing off a loud solid surface
I am In this same dilemma, love my Cricut but it is seeming after all of the research I've done Silhouette has the consensus for sticker making! thank you for this!!
I had a cricut for years to make my own tshirts and for cutting vinyl I love my cricut. But when I started my shop and began making stickers I soon realized the absolute mess that is cricut print and cut feature does not work well at all. With some research saw the silhouette fit the print and cut feature better and invested in a portrait and loved the results after getting through the learning curve of using silhouette program. I now have a silhouette cameo as well and love it. Overall after a few years with both machines I can honestly say investing in a silhouette to begin with is better for those who have not yet invested in either machine if you are making stickers or anything that requires print and cut. But if your cutting vinyl then cricut is still a great machine. But never would I ever recommend for a person who wants to run a sticker shop. Too much time and money wasted for the problem to never be able to be fixed and many of us have reached out to cricut about this issue over the past few years and nothing has been done.
what kind of image files do you need to use to make stickers with silhouette Portrait? What's the difference between the portrait and the cameo that you have (if you don't mind me asking) ;)
Thank you, my wife tasked me with finding her the right machine to start doing stickers. I just spent 2 hrs in the reddit sub and still didn't have an answer. Thanks for explaining the software differences and limitations, that was very helpful.
Thank you for this video❤️❤️❤️
Thank you! So helpful!!
Fab comparison, thanks x
Thank you for doing this comparison. I've been doing some research on this as I will be in the market for one of these machines soon. I want it to be able to cut fabric as well.
Just a suggestion: What about putting a cushioned placemat or shelf liner underneath the Silhouette to muffle the noise a little? I do that with one of my sewing machines and it does help.
Thank you so much for this ❤
to solve your registration msrk issue cutting off at the bottom, ehen ypur on the create tab, in the file menu, go to page set up and set the peint size to borderless (like you would if you were just printing). hope that helps
Glad I found this video. I’ve absolutely lost my rag with my Explore Air 2-even after several calibrations my print then cuts are still completely off even with a backing sheet with bleed allowance on it. I wonder how good it is for cutting other things since I don’t want to just do stickers. My Explore Air is just an expensive paperweight chilling in a cupboard and I’m out of warranty so I’m SOL getting any money back. Debating whether to sell it or not.
I have the silhouette cameo, wish I knew about it sooner! I had a cricut for 3 years and it always had problems.
Thanks for this review. So helpful!
You just saved my life. I’m just starting out and I was cutting my stickers by hand. I didn’t even know about the silhouette I was just looking for reviews on the cricuit explore air 2. I think I’ll be going with the silhouette portrait! Thank you so much for making this video!!
I had to recalibrate after an update on Cricut design space, and put through a pre designed and saved sticker sheet that was cut successfully recently and this time around was the same as you completely off around the stickers on the sheet and cut through to the back also. I have no idea why
Wow, what a video, all questions answered (buying SILHOUETTE)
I have questions
So which one be better for making for shirt stickers or just regular stickers for cars or anything regular stickers..???
I feel your pain on the amount of time & sticker paper you have wasted using the Cricut. I have gone through the same. After watching your video, I have ordered a Portrait 3. With the Cricut I could never just walk away from it & let it do its thing. I always have to sit or stand there & baby sit it.
I have a cricut maker 3 but everytime I use print and cut the printing quality is grainy and very low compared to how it comes out normally
can you guide how can I solve this
Great tutorial! But I know with my cricut explorer air 2 I can not get it to read the registration marks on glossy sticker paper.. so frustrating and a having to spend more time to just use mat tape and put it over the registration, then using a sharpie black marker, draw the lines carefully so it can be read... sometimes that is not always successful and it is a waste of tape, money and a lot of time....
What sticker paper are you using? There's so many, I'm not sure where to begin this journey!
Thing is I haven’t launched just yet and building up my stock 😢so I may have to save up for a cameo. Just not excited to learn another software program, along with adobe also
I am only at minute 3 but everything you said so far is so 100% me and I watch this after having purchased a Silhouette 3 just now because I am so done with my Circut lol
Now being done watching, thank you for this detailled explanation and walkthrough through the process, very very helpful!
Please do a video showing the steps in silhouette slower. I am having issues with my stickers not cutting correctly. Some of the sticker is getting cut off. Thank you for this video.
Which one is best for selling car stickers
I’m thinking of getting a portrait but don’t know if I need a computer ?
I am so confused because my experience with my Portrait 3 is the exact same as your experience with the Cricut - I have had to calibrate it CONSTANTLY and it still doesn't cut precisely! It kind of cuts off by 1mm or so as it gets to the edges of the paper. I have had SO many issues with the Portrait 3 that I have been wanting to switch to Cricut (it's also so loud!) but after watching your video I am not sure if I should switch to Cricut now... maybe I just have a bad Portrait 3 machine?
Random question but do you know how many 45mm stickers you can fit on an A4 sheet?
I had the same issues with my cricut, was never ending.
Can you make 4 a6 on one sheet ❤
Do you need a Llc to start business?
What Printer did you use ?
Great vid! It's always interesting to see other ppls take on both machines. I actually use both Silhouette and Cricut. I started with Silhouette and then got a Cricut so I could do scoring. But man, I was shocked at how fiddly and cumbersome the process to print and cut with the Cricut is. I hate that you can't import svgs with pngs, and that the program scales images for no reason and that the print and cut area is smaller than Silhouette's. I haven't tried making sticker sheets with the Cricut but after watching this video I'll definately be using my Silhouette for those lol. 😅
What type of image files do you need to make stickers on the Silouette @allec555 & @printsbymilly ?
@@SouthernTravelGuru Usually if I'm designing stickers I'll save the artwork as PNG, then just embed them into the SVG file. You could also just import a png into SIlhouette Design studio add cutlines in there, just depends on your workflow. Hope that answers what you were asking :)
Did you ever figure out the correct printer settings to get this to print the color properly? When I print from the silhouette software (or save as a PDF from the software), the color is significantly less vibrant. You mention this at the end of your video. Did you ever figure out the proper settings to make the color more vibrant as it should be when you print? Thank you!
I save the print file as a pdf and then up the saturation in Canva! There's probably a better/easier way to do it but that's the way I do it for now :)
I’ve been using silhouettes for 10 years now. I had the original cameo and just upgraded to the cameo 4 when my original died. Don’t understand the Cricut hype, think they treat their customers awfully.
I have had wonderful customer service, I have been using my cricut since 2006/2007 and have every machine. I ventured out and purchased a cameo 4 and business edition and literally found a wonderful youTuber to follow and I absolutely hated the software, gave it a month and it went back in the box and there it has been for 3 years just about. I use my Cricut every single day and have never had any issues, i have never had to calibrate any of machines except for the first use, in fact, I calibrate my printer more. I'm not in a mass production business but I have so many projects for family, friends, children, co workers, I'm not going to quibble over 9.99 a month for design space for so many others you pay a steep fee and you get credits and when those credits are up you pay a small fee for designs. I purchased 2 years worth of a subscription from creative fabrica and between the 2 I am perfectly set for my projects and if I want more I go through Etsy. Just personal preference.
Hm i normally have a patterned background on my sticker sheets. I wonder how the silhouette would work with that …
It would be fine! If you look at the video I’ve linked in the description, she shows you how to de-select the parts of the image/pattern that you don’t want to silhouette to cut around ☺️💓
One last thing. Do you need laminate over regular car stickers (not decal) ? I just want to make regular car stickers. I might go with the cricut vinyl but don’t know if I need to laminate it for extra protection. Trying to save money and time. Thanks
Laminate definitely helps the sticker with water and uv resistance (most customers will ask and expect this from car stickers)
@@GothlyRaven Thanks
do you have to pay for a sub to use silhouette online space and have to always upload to silhouette space? Or can it send direct from your computer. And do you know if you have to use silhouette design software, or can you use commercial vector software (which is what you use with commercial cutters)? Being forced to use dedicated brand software is my worst nightmare. They are always useless for me, I have to have total control
The program is simple, once you have familiarized yourself, there is the basic one that is free and the business one that is a single payment, which you can work on saving and importing files in svg, png, etc. It does not have any subscription, you save everything in your computer, and you can cut with more than one machine at the same time.
23:20 See it should not be that hard for it to read the guidelines and cut a circle, I have been having this problem for the last year and finally decided to stop sacrificing the way my stickers look and sticker paper when I forget I have to recalibrate it every time I turn it on and use it.
I glad it's not just me facing the problems of cricuts constant recalibrations and the calibrations just not working and the cuts being lop sided
Ahh I do not miss it one bit!!
Do you get all the Silhouette features you need to make the stickers FREE or do you have to pay for the subscription in order to be able to do the stuff in your video ? Thanks :)
For free! 🩷
I can't figure out how to cut on the silhouette.
What is it that you are struggling with in particular, and which silhouette do you have? I just followed tutorials on TH-cam and thankfully it was pretty simple to get started with! If you have any questions just let me know and I’ll help as best I can :)
@@printsbymilly I have the portrait. I struggle with stuff like this. It took me a few months to understand the cricut. I may give it one more try.
Manoj NilaKshiM seaope
this was very helpful and informative. plus you're cute as a button and really quite beautiful.
i wish i saw these videos before i bought my cricut 😭 i bought my cricut specifically to make stickers but i have so much wastage
as a highschool student with limited savings, its really a pain
💜🩵
Lmao it was loud
Neither of these are a "sticker machine".
They are for me as that’s all I’ve used them for, which is why I’ve used the term sticker machine in the title to make this clear :)
I was thinking of getting a Cricut to make custom stencils for painting. I like heavy-duty stencils. Do you think the silhouette would be a better choice 🤔?
I personally would always recommend a silhouette now over a circuit purely because of the accuracy of the cut, but as I’ve not tried many other materials on the portrait, I’d have a look at the silhouette cameo if I were you as I think that can cut more materials than the portrait! 💓
@printsbymilly thank you for being so prompt with your reply. I went to the company's website and have been reading. No doubt, the Cameo would be the better choice. Thanks again.
@@metalmocha5118 I’ve used a Sil Cam for years on vinyl works just find. I’m upgrading my machine now.
I never had a perfect cut with Cricut!! I feel you totally with the number of grey hairs you've grown with Cricut 🫠 I super agree with everything you just said. So disappointed, but I feel a bit of hope with Silhouette. 🥺