DO YOU USE YOUR CRICUT AND SCAL A LOT IN SCRAPBOOKING? A trial cut makes getting settings adjusted easy enough. For very small projects, it helps to have a mat in good condition and to set your SCAL settings to cut “slow”. I’ve cut less than 1/2″ in size (you would not want it to try a very complex font at that size). SCAL will actually cut SMALLER than the settings on the Cricut is preset to cut, which is often very handy. WHAT SIZE LETTERS WILL SCAL CUT–THE SAME AS THE MACHINE? HINT: T o make lining up letters straight a breeze, overlap them together in SCAL so that they are “attached”, like in the words “BALLOON” AND “MENTOS”.

My son picked the colors, helped me decide on fonts, and glued them on, running them through the Xyron to make “sticker letters” while I made cuts. GOOD FONT EXAMPLES–here is a 4-H “How-To” presentation poster we made in about half an hour: Poor font choices might be a grunge font, or a font with letters made up of small dots. Look for fonts that are closed (have no “breaks” in them). However, some fonts cut better than others. If you can burn a CD or save to an external hard drive, I’d just download it. SHOULD I BUY THE DOWNLOAD, OR THE CD? That depends on whether you know how to backup files. While these prices might be more than we are used to paying for software, consider that EVERY Cricut cartridge allows ONE font and is $30-$60 or so. $75.00 Downloadable only (see current sale price, if available, at the top of this post): you get the full program, burning your own CD for backup. $90.00 CD-ROM + Downloadable (meaning, they immediately send you the program and a CD for future reference). The prices may vary from the writing of this post, but current pricing from the SCAL website purchase page is: HOW MUCH DOES Sure Cuts A Lot, “SCAL”, COST? You update your cricut with a driver on their site, then simply hook the cut machine and computer together with a standard “printer cable”, run the program, design, and cut! It’s simple enough for ease of use, and yet complex enough for the seasoned designer. SCAL comes with software allowing you to type in your text, select your font, size things, then cut any font on your computer WITHOUT having to buy the $30-$50 Cricut cartridges. Sure Cuts a Lot is a third party program (not endorsed or affiliated with the Cricut makers) that allows you to hook up your Cricut to your computer, then cut out any fonts already loaded onto your system–the coolest thing. I downloaded each shape I needed and had the kids ready with costumes in less than an hour. Download a new font, use it immediately! I needed shapes one night for a child’s school play to make front plates for each “actor”. No switching cartridges or having to buy cartridges manufactured by Cricut and never a limitation on a project by the fonts Cricut decides to produce. I laid my photos and journaling spot on my page, estimated how large I wanted the title, sized each set of letters on my screen, chose fonts on my system, then clicked “cut”. You could not cut this design with Cricut cartridges, the fonts are not available. With the Cricut, to get three fonts, you are limited to the ones they make cartridges for, you must own those cartridges, and you must either buy a “jukebox” to link them together it you want to cut from them all at the same time so that they can all be plugged in at once, or you must switch them in and out, wait for them to load, and then cut. I cut this using three different fonts on one sheet of 6X12 paper with one setup in about five minutes. It will take some time to get through the details, so I’ll take them up on that! Plus, for my time, the company offers me a buck or two for anyone who follows this link to buy. Since I’ve been asked a lot of questions about the program and how it differs from using the Cricut Cartridges, I hope this post answers a few questions for those of you interested. I made this layout using my Cricut along with the Sure Cuts A Lot program (often seen abbreviated on-line as SCAL for short). “Sure Cuts A Lot” (SCAL) Software Review and COUPON CODE/SaleĪpat 11:02 pm 29 comments UPDATE 1-11-11: SCAL on sale $59.95, regularly $75.00.

Cricut expression 2 sure cuts a lot