Crafting has always been a favorite hobby for decades, with lots of people enjoying the ability to create stickers, posters, or cut-outs. And as with all things, it rapidly moved into the 21st century through technology.
The latest trend is to use the American-made Cricut machines, designed for home-crafters to plot and cut out their creations. First, you are going to need a good printer like the Canon TS8320 All-In-One to create your designs on paper.
This is a really important question, as it will determine which printer or Cricut device is the best for you. Cricut machines don’t actually print on paper like a traditional home printer. The purpose of a Cricut device is to cut your designs out of different materials. If you only want to cut fabric, vinyl or one-color paper, you don’t need a printer. You will need a printer, though, if you want to create labels, cards, or paper-based objects. It gets a bit confusing, as Cricut Print and Cut allows you to do this, but you need to print your designs on your chosen material first and then feed it into the cutter.
This is another important aspect to consider. Depending on what you want to print and cut out, an inkjet or laser printer might be best. If you are going to create a lot of paper-based objects, a laser printer is perfect as it heats the paper during the process, but for things like vinyl stickers or labels that can be damaged by heat, an inkjet printer is the preferred way.
While there are several applications available, the most common among creators is Cricut’s Design Space. This is the main application that is used to design and tweak your creations. Through Design Space, you create your objects on a computer and send the instructions to the machine. Depending on the device, it will then either print it on your chosen material or cut it out.
You naturally want your cut-outs and creations to look as good as possible. For that, you need a Cricut printer that produces objects of high quality. The biggest factor that determines the quality is the dots per inch and the resolution. The DPI is how many dots of ink are crammed onto an inch of printing material. The higher the amount, the more detail will be visible on the end product.
Having a printer in your workspace is great, but it will be better if you are not bound to the restrictions of cables and wires. A Cricut printer with wireless technology will allow you to move the printer right to where you are working, and you can easily check if something isn’t as it should be. By having the printer nearby, you don’t need to get up every time you want to test a new design or layout.
Printing materials don’t like to be handled roughly when going through the machine, so a smooth transition from feeding to printing is important. The best method for this is to have a printer that features a rear-loading or top-loading tray. That way, the printing material is fed through the top or back, goes straight into the printer and pops out the front. The material doesn’t need to be flipped over or turned, resulting in fewer jams.
The average price of a printer that is compatible with Cricut devices will depend on the functions and the manufacturer. Entry-level printers retail for between $80-$100. Inkjet printers with more robust capabilities retail for between $350-$450.
A. The short answer to this is no. Not all printers are able to work with the materials that you want to print on. Depending on what you want to create, you need a printer that can feed and handle fabrics, vinyl or thicker materials.
A. There are several third-party applications that you can use, but the best is Cricut’s Design Space. It is free to use and is the main app for sending your designs to the cutting machine.
Canon TS8320 All In One Wireless Color Printer
What you need to know: A great printer that produces top-quality designs.
What you’ll love: This inkjet printer from Canon is perfect for multiple Cricut projects. It has a large 4.3 inch touchscreen for easy operation and can connect to your computer through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a USB cable. It uses a six individual ink system with an included photo blue ink tank. This helps to produce more vibrant colors. The printer can feed paper through a bottom tray or top feeding and is compatible with virtual assistants.
What you should consider: The ink cartridges can be rather expensive to replace.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
HP DeskJet 3755 Compact All-in-One Wireless Printer
What you need to know: An affordable printer for the home-bound creator.
What you’ll love: This device from HP can print up to eight pages per minute in black and white or five pages per minute in color. It connects to your computer wirelessly and can scan and copy. It has a top-feeder, making sure that there are fewer paper jams with printing Cricut designs. The printer has an Icon LCD display for easy operation and can print up to 19 pages per minute.
What you should consider: It can only print on plain paper and is not suitable for thicker materials.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: A great printer for all sorts of creative projects.
What you’ll love: The 2.4 inch display on the front makes for easy setup, as it can print, scan, and copy. With wireless technology, you can print from your computer or mobile phone, as well as print through voice activation. For high-quality prints like photos, the device uses Instant-dry Clarian ink, making the touchable immediately after.
What you should consider: The printer doesn’t come with a USB cable if you don’t want to use the Wi-Fi feature.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Charlie Fripp writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
