Almost four years have passed since Cricut refreshes its central products, but today the company is updating popular manufacturers and exploring cutting machines that you can buy now. The new Cricut Exploration 4 and Cricut Maker 4 are undergoing large upgrades, focusing almost on improving the features of previous versions.
Nowadays, you won’t be in the craft space at home without hearing the name Cricut. Over the past few years, most of the direct competition for companies has gone away or become less and less, which is the immediate obvious fact when you walk into any craft store. You don’t have to walk far to see handmade stickers, ironing clothing art, vinyl decals and exquisite greeting cards, almost all of which are made with the help of these popular machines.
At first glance, the biggest difference between these 4 Series and its predecessors is the bold array of color options. The 3 Series exterior features lighter, softer shades and you’ll find this upgraded deeper, richer color options. The manufacturer and Explore both look nearly the same as the previous models, but if you look under the main cutting blade you will find a small white plastic foot.
The housing hides a new optical sensor designed to provide greater accuracy when cutting printed designs such as stickers or iron designs. The light shines under the plastic to illuminate anything you want to cut, and it works fine no matter how bright your craft space is.
New features you won’t be able to see immediately are specifically targeted at Cricut’s large home-made audience. When you use smart materials from your own brand, the Cricut’s 3 Series offers significant cutting speeds, while the 4 Series raises the same speed to all the speeds you will cut on one of the Cricut’s cutting pads. For smart material users, especially those who prefer to buy larger vinyl rolls, the 4 Series can now also design and cut projects up to 12 feet long. If you don’t use smart materials, you’ll only be limited by the longer 24-inch cutting pad.
Many differences between Explore and Manufacturer Cutters remain the same. Cricut $400 Manufacturer 4 Supports a wider range of cutting tools and pressure options, allowing you to cut leather and fabrics, and even slice them with other accessories. Exploration 4 Although it is less capable, it still cuts a large amount of thin material in much lower thin material Starting at $250. Both can be purchased separately, or with a bundle containing the starting materials.
