What is a digital die cutter?
Digital die cutters (also known as "electronic cutting machines") are a more sophisticated variant of manual die cutters. You know, the sort that you turn by hand to push cutting plates and dies through a press. Manual die cutters are ideal for one-off forms, but they are inconvenient for cutting many shapes and cannot be used for design work. You must accept what the die manufacturers produce. As a result, your inventiveness is severely constrained.
Digital die-cutting machines resemble tiny home printers, but instead of ink, they utilize a thin blade to cut paper, cardboard, vinyl, fabric, and other materials. Each machine runs its own software and communicates with your PC. Then, using your device's software, you design your digital photos. This electronic cutting tool can cut any design that can be created on paper, even complicated shapes that are hard to cut with ordinary equipment.
Reasons to own a digital die-cutter
1. You’ll save money—tons of it.
If you're a frequent craftsman, you're aware that die-cutting equipment may be costly. Sometimes it's really, really pricey. But think about that for a moment, and let’s tally up the cost of “cheaper” hand-crank manual models. (Sorry, Big Shot, I’m about to diss you here.)
The bulk of manual die cutters cost between $40 and $150, whereas steel die sets for manual cutters cost between $10 and $25. For a single set of dice. Because you'll need to locate the right size and shape for your projects, it's easy to spend hundreds of dollars on a manual die cutter and a few dies. Many. Hundreds. Of. Dollars.
2. A digital die-cutter saves time (not to mention your paws)
With a digital die-cutter, you can easily create and cut 30 – 300 of the same form in minutes since the machine does all of the labor, not your hands and wrists. This is very useful when making crafts like Halloween treat bags, family gift tags, or any time you require a large number of shapes at once. Check out this lovely heart garland I created for Valentine's Day last year. Each heart-shaped unit is made up of three hearts that have been stacked and sewed together. That's a total of 66 hearts. They were all cut in around 5 minutes using my digital die cutter (there were several pages).
3. You’ll create like a pro in no time
Some individuals believe that there is a significant difference in quality between die cuts done using digital die cutters and those made with metal dies.
This is partially accurate since a wafer-thin blade cuts digital dies, but metal die cutting edges are bulkier.
Consider cutting a delicate cake with a razor-sharp kitchen knife and then another with a butter knife. Depending on the cake, there is a distinction. (Now I'm craving cake.)
When cutting heavy materials with a manual cutter (think thick cake, butter knife), the blade can rip or mangle the die cuts. This occurs because the die's smooth metal edge cannot "grip" the material and hold it for a clean cut.
4. A digital cutter lets you release your inner control freak
Digital die cutting machines are pre-programmed with hundreds of forms. The programme can handle everything from the most basic to the most complex tasks. But what if you desire a form that the programme doesn't have? You may design your own! Consider the fishtail tag form shown below. I made a tag form in minutes by merging a rectangle and a square in the design section of my Silhouette Cameo. And, once completed, I can make the finished tag any size I choose. This ensures complete control and perfect uniformity for projects. This isn’t possible with a manual die-cutting machine, where you’re limited to the dies you own or can purchase.
5. A cutting machine saves space
You could keep your manual die cutter out if you have a large enough craft space, but manual cutters are clumsy and heavy. Mine is stashed away in a closet, and I don't always want to drag it, the plates, and the metal dies out only to decide which die could (or might not) be appropriate for the activity at hand.
In all its bright pink splendour, my Silhouette Cameo sits on the extension of my desk, right next to my PC. (Don't worry, they also come in white and black.) I simply swivel my chair to get there. It's sleek, streamlined, and looks good out in the open, making it quite convenient to use.
