Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter is a home die-cutting

Die (manufacturing)

A die is a specialized tool used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape material using a press. Like molds, dies are generally customized to the item they are used to create...

 machine used for scrapbooking

Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is a method for preserving personal and family history in the form of a scrapbook. Typical memorabilia include photographs, printed media, and artwork. Scrapbook albums are often decorated and frequently contain extensive journaling...

and paper crafting. The machine is capable of cutting paper, chipboard, and vinyl sheets into specific shapes. It is a cartridge based system, with hundreds of coordinating images on each cartridge. Cartridges come in a variety of themes including baby, wedding, seasons/holidays, home décor, cards, and birthday. There are currently over 275 cartridges available with new ones added each month. While some cartridges are generic in content, Provo Craft has licensing agreements with Disney, Pixar, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, and Hello Kitty.

History

Provo Craft began in 1963 in Provo, Utah as a small retail store and has grown over the years, expanding dramatically to become a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of craft and hobby products to the paper crafting, scrapbooking, arts and crafts, home decor, and gift industries. Innovative designs and quality materials have allowed Provo Craft to receive more than 67 awards from leading industry publications.

Models

There are several different models of the Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter. The first is a compact machine that cuts a range of ½”-5½” in half inch increments, and was released in 2006. The Cricut Expression Personal Electronic Cutter was released in 2007 and has a range of ¼”-23½” in quarter inch increments. It also adds many new features, such as cutting the mirror of an image, or many of a single image. The Cricut Create Personal Electronic Cutter was released in 2008, and combined the compact nature of the original machine with the added features of the Cricut Expression.

In 2010, Provo Craft released the Cricut Cake Personal Electronic Cutter, which has all the functionality of the Cricut Expression machine, but was FDA approved and food safe with a washable stainless steel interior ideal for cutting edible materials such as fondant and gum paste. The Cricut Cake Mini machine was released late in 2010 and is a smaller version of the full size machine.

The Cricut Imagine machine was released in 2010. It combines the printing and cutting process, and features a color LCD touch screen. The printer included in the machine is a HP Inkjet model. The Cricut Imagine cuts and prints with a range of ¼”-11½” in quarter inch increments.

All Cricut models use adhesive cutting mats to hold the material in place. These mats are available in 6”x12”, 12”x12”, and 12”x24” sizes.

Software

All of the Cricut models require cartridges manufactured by Provo Craft. The cartridges retail for approximately $20 to $89 and allow the Cricut to cut the letters and/or shapes on each cartridge. Cricut Design Studio allows further manipulation of the cartridge data.

Craft Edge sells Sure Cuts A Lot, a software program that enables Cricut users to use any TrueType font or drawing for projects without requiring an additional cartridge. In January 2011, Provo Craft sued Craft Edge for copyright infringement in an attempt to stop the distribution of Sure Cuts A Lot software.

External links

• cricut.com Official Cricut Website

Crafting Machines