Die Cutting Machines Review

Die cutting machines help you spend more of your creative energy on craft ideas and less time executing those ideas. They take any number of materials and trim them into beautiful patterns that will make your vision a reality.

We saw more projects than we could ever have imagined as we worked to compare electronic cutter and digital cutting tools. You can use these die cutting units to create and decorate scrapbook pages, purses, gift boxes, jewelry boxes, cupcake wrappers, vinyl lettering, personalized magnets and much, much more.

Even if you are wondering right now, “isn’t that what scissors are for?” you should read on. A die cutting machine may turn out to be the perfect gift for someone in your life, or you may have some thoughts on how one of these units could help you create lovely and totally unique items for your home. If you are already addicted to scrapbooking or any number of creative hobbies you probably have only one question: “which die cutting machine is best for me?” We can help with that too. We’ve researched the 10 most popular machines, incorporating the best die cutting machine comparisons and reviews, to weigh their various strengths and weaknesses. We found the best personal die cutters to be the Black Cat Cougar, BossKut Gazelle, and eCraft Cutter. These products help you cut right to the chase every time, making even your most ambitious craft ideas a reality. For even more information, refer to our articles about die cutting machines. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

Die Cutting Machines: What to Look For

The best die cutting machines are both powerful and flexible, able to manipulate a wide range of materials. They are easy to use and come with a great deal of customer support in case you need it. The best die cutting machines do not require dies. We focused on electronic units rather than the manual ones that force the user to swap out actual dies and turn a crank. Manual die cutters are still widely available and valuable to many groups, but we think electronic units will be the most popular now and into the future. Here are the criteria we used to rank the best cutter machines:

Features
We looked for die cutting machines that have a combination of features that will make your digital cutting experience pleasant. We prefer the die cutting units that work in concert with your personal computer but that don't have to be connected to it in order to cut. We also liked the digital cutters that offer features like adjustable blade depth, access to a wide range of patterns and portability.

Materials
Our favorite die cutting machines are able to manipulate a long list of materials, including cardstock, chipboard, vellum, vinyl, sponge, thin metal, sheet magnet and leather. Just when you think you would never need one of these units for anything besides paper, you will find some project you cannot live without that involves heat-transfer vinyl. The more materials the merrier when it comes to die cutting capabilities, we decided.

Capabilities
The best of these die cutting units cut a variety of materials with precision and ease, but they do more than cut. They also pierce, engrave and emboss, or draw on the media you are manipulating.

Help & Support
The best digital cutters are backed by companies that believe in their product and demonstrate that by offering quality customer service. These machines will take some getting used to, even if you have used manual die cutting machines before. The manufacturers should provide easy access to people who can answer your questions about the software or the machine itself.

The purchase of a digital die cutting machine represents a significant investment for most folks. The units that made the cut with us offer a great deal of versatility and value. We think our favorite die cutting machines will help you reach new artistic heights for years to come rather than being outclassed by up and coming cutters anytime soon.