Craft Robo

[Angel Crafts]

OMG! could not live without it!
Any font, any size,

I sell them and will give you a free gift!

[SteveG]

We have been looking at these with a view to offering using it as a service at the shop. People can then have their own designed reliably cut and sent out - plus the design could then be added for others to use in the shop.

I havent yet found a decent site that explains to me exactly how it works, what its potential is, resources for designs, what software it can interact with ( I have seen illustrator cs but I have photoshop CS :( ).

Have you any useful web sites I could look at ?

Thanks,
Steven

[Angel Crafts]

Steve, have you looked at Graphtec's site, or UK Scrappers?
They really are fab, I love mine

[SteveG]

Hmmm, I thought I had - But doing a direct search for graphtec produced some different sites to look at. Thanks :)

[kaznhel]

hiya
we love our craft robo.
You can cut wot u want and uk scrappers is brill. We have found a good french site as well.
Can ask my sis where she got ours from if youre interested, ordered it one day was delivered the next got a brill cd with it a lady showing how to
work everything and wot each icon etc was for.

kaz n hel

[Funkyhand]

The more I hear about craft robo..the more I want one!! :o I can't spend anymore money.
Anice xx :):)

[EMEvans]

Whenever your ready Anice i've got one left in stock at a bargain price of £215.................lol.

Only joking.

I'm beginning to think that i never gave mine much of a chance before selling it on so i've decided if i've still got this one here after christmas then i'm going to keep it and see if we can become friends this time :sm:

[JBJB]

Emma - have you still got it....???

If it cuts through felt, I want it. (Seriously)

[EMEvans]

Yes i have still got it ;)

[JBJB]

Oooh, just about to PM you ;)

[samsq]

Craft Robo - yes, I can happily live without it. I've had one for about a year, and don't have the time to dither with it other than cutting titles, also I've just changed to Vista and the Robo doesn't seem too happy about it!

I have reverted to my trusty manual die cutters - ahhh bliss!

[silverst170]

It's the best machine I ever brought I also sell them too now along with all my own designed files.........
Please take a look

[melchache]

Craft Robo - yes, I can happily live without it. I've had one for about a year, and don't have the time to dither with it other than cutting titles, also I've just changed to Vista and the Robo doesn't seem too happy about it!

I have reverted to my trusty manual die cutters - ahhh bliss!


works on my vista

[GlamGlass]

I nearly bought one, but it does not cut felt apparently, so got a big shot instead! Love the big shot!:D

[Manyhobbies]

I have been looking at these over the last week or so. I would like one, but, I'm finding it difficult to work out the costs involved. I spoke to a lady at a craft fair yesterday who said the price of the cartridges is around £70 - £80, but on coming home and doing search, I can't find out what the cartridges are for.
I would like to be able to cut out the templates that you see for around £3-£8 each, do you need any extra software to be able to do this. (I don't have photoshop or anything). I have seen the design master disc, but it comes as an extra - do I need this?
I have been looking at all the sites I can, but its all as clear as mud.

[claireybear]

I think the lady you spoke to must have got it confused with the cricut - you dont need cartridges for the robo, in fact you dont even need to buy templates as it isnt that difficult to design your own once you know what you are doing - and there are lots of free templates around too - try ukscrappers

[Abij]

Also it will work with any software that handles vector images, illustrator & corel are the most commonly used ones i think (NB photoshop is a raster package i.e. it stores images as bits, like dots, instead of lines & geometric shapes)

Mine came packaged with software but I've never even installed it as I use illustrator anyway, just installed the drivers and it cuts straight from my files. To me the flexibility of a craft robo means it's the most useful bit of kit i've bought, and has had the biggest returns...I use it to make personalise t-shirts & hoodies (using vinyl), signage, paper pop-up cards, bits and pieces for jewellery making etc

[SterlingWeave]

I hate my Craftrobo, it sticks all the time, struggles to cut even thin card. I have spoken to the help lines, replaced every part, updated software and it is still poo.

It CAN cut very well on some days but to be honest it is now in a box in the spare room gathering dust and I feel like kicking the box every time I see it, what a waste of money :(

I ending up buying a big shot and a few dies, much easier and less headaches all around.


EDIT I don't dare sell it as it doesn't work properly, I doubt anyone else would want it :(

Shame as I use to work as a student for a local artist (many years ago) and helped her design and work a professional vinnel plotter for bespoke signage, so I am pretty techical but the craftrobo has defeated me :(

[Manyhobbies]

Its funny, some really love 'em and some really hate them :) How funny. I wondered why they are so cheap on ebay lol, all you disgruntled buyers sticking them on there in disgust.
Thanks for your help on this anyway, I think for now I might also give the craft robo a wide birth.

[thepinksheep]

What is a craft robo?:confused:

[Abij]

wow, i've never had any problems at all, even tried out the optical eye at the weekend to cut out preprinted pieces using the registration marks and it works first time, that was through thick card (about 300gsm).

Sorry yours hasn't worked out for you as well, I bought it hoping to get maybe a year out of it for the price thinking i'd have to upgrade to a proffesional vinyl cutter when it packed in but it's still going strong (touch wood!) and only changed the blade once in about 18 months (and only then because i'd been cutting through flock and card and so wearing it down quicker)

Pinksheep - it's a plotter cutter, basically looks like a printer but with a blade, you feed your card/vinyl/media in, send it what you want to cut from your computer and the blade & media move cutting out whatever it is you sent. Not the best explanation!

[piglet33]

Can someone please clarify for me. If I put in a decoupage sheet will it cut it out for me (as I would have to do with scissors) or does it just cut around precut shapes ie a square. Can I scan any image and it will then cut around it? I don't just want to do a selection of pre loaded shapes but want the freedom to cut round the outline of anything.

[Abij]

essentially yes - it will cut any shape you want.

What you have to do though is this...if you scan in a decoupage sheet you will have to create an outline you want the craft robo to cut, I usually use the pen tool in illustrator to do this. Then you need to print out the sheet with registration marks for the cr. Again in illustrator this is very easy to do, you just select 'registration marks' in the menu.

The downside is the time taken to create the outline, and you also lose some page space because of the registration marks, it means your useable space on a A4 page is less than A4. But...once you get in the swing of it it's easy to do, allows you to cut things very accuratly and can be quicker and cleaner than trying to do it yourself (especially if you're cutting multiples of the same thing