Design Studio vs Sure Cuts A Lot

I have a little cricut and 3 cartridges. I'm trying to decide which piece of software to ask for for my birthday - Design Studio or Sure Cuts A Lot. I think I understand what each does but I'm not sure which will be more useful. I probably won't get the other until Christmas. I will probably add just one cartridge (stone script) before Christmas. So.... if you had to pick just one which would you pick and why?

I'm going to have to vote Sure Cuts A Lot. Especially since you only have 3 cartridges. Design Studio only uses the cartridges you own. It opens the possibilities for them. SCAL will cut from any True Type font including dingbats. It doesn't currently have a welding option that DS has but the creator is working on it.

Where do you get Sure Cuts? I have not seen anything about this. I thought they were the same program.

I have sure cuts a lot and LOVE it. I've downloaded so many free fonts and cut them with the cricut, definately worth the money.

Brid where do you get this Sure Cuts? Where did you hear about it and about how much does it cost?

oooooh.... they are working on having welding with sure cuts a lot?? That really does tip the balance for me towards getting SCAL first.

I got scal from craftedge.com, it's 70$ which is less than a lot of the cartridges. i've used it on a bunch of my recent los and LOVE it

Isn't SCAL the one that wasn't created by Cricut, and voids your Cricut warranty?

Sounds like it. It clearly states that they are not affliated with Provo Craft or Cricut. I went and read up about it by web searching. It requires 1.1 version of cricut to operate. To identify which version you have, just turn on your cricut and the version appears across the screen. Mine is only 1.0. And in order to up date it you must buy the design studio. There was something else that was a bummer, but I can't remember what it was...I'll look at the site again and get back to this thread.

Ah-ha! That is *key* information that I missed. Alas, my cricut is only 1.0 as well. That's sort of odd as it was new for Christmas. Oh well. I'm not sold on the design studio just yet either.

Tanya I agree...just wait. It seems like every time I finally gave in to buy something they turn around and make it bigger and better, ie, the cricut, the crop-dile.

I don't want to download from the web. I want a cd just if something happens, and it always seems with me, I have a back up. I have DSS, and I love it. However, I have like 40 cartridges, so I don't have a problems cutting. This is a large down fall. I love the welding part, which sure cuts doesn't do yet. I am kinda not to sure of pulling in something that isn't PC to the Cricut and I do have two, the baby bug and the Expression.

This info was on the Cricut Website today about Sure Cut A Lot. Just thought I would pass it on:


If you do decide to use it...
1) it 100% VOIDs any warranty on the cricut machines
2) Upgrades/Updates to CDS may cause the SCA to stop working.
3)Changes made by the program can cause your cricut to not function properly or not work at all and you have no warranty to fall back on.

Provo craft is NOT affiliated with the program manufacturers in any way but they are very aware that people are downloading and using it.

Thanks Ms Jackie.

you don't have to buy design studio, you just have to download the free trial version and it updates you cricut.

aaaah! That I have!

I actually *don't* have that. Or at least can't find it if I do. Can someone PM me the link to the free trial? I'm off to the cricut site to see if I can find it on my own.

got it at hallmark scrapbook!

Is PC working on their own program to cut any true type font? I would rather wait than void my warranty, but it's tempting, especially if they aren't going that way with Cricut..

• Brid Said:

Yes, you can try DSS free. However, you can only use the cartridges that come with the Baby Cricut or Expression. If you have any other cartridges the trial will not work with them.

I downloaded the trial before I received my DSS progarm just to see how it was. So when I received my progarm I was already in love.

I heard that some of the people whom has two computers have been using DSS on one, and then bought SCAL for the other. I am the same way. I don't know how PC will know if you have it on your computer. And if you have two bug, I have the baby and the EXpression, you could use one on one and one on the other.

I never heard of the SCAL. Exactly how does it work? It cuts fonts you ahve on your computer at any size then if you have the expression? Has anyone had problems with their cricut not functioning properly after using that program? That would sure stink!

• Brid Said:

Don't you need a USB cable to hook the Cricut to the computer? How does the free trial work, without the cable? I'm interested in maybe trying it.

Sure cuts a lot lets you cut fonts you download on your computer, weld them and now even draw your own shapes and cut those. It's awesome, the titles of the last 9 los I've done (except the 2 house ones) were cut with it. i LOVE it!!


You can download the free version just to update your firmware for scal. i don't have design studio, not interested in getting it, but i used the free version just to update my firmware for sure cuts a lot

yes you need a usb, for me it takes me same one my printer uses, so i just move it over from the printer to the cricut

Yes, my printer USB cable also fits the cricut. My scanner cable would as well. I think you can pick up a USB cable for a little of nothing.

OK, I am confused -- I need to be able to cut chipboard, but I also need to be able to access at least ttf, weld them, and ideally do images. I am so frustrated with the way my KNK is cutting or more to the point, not cutting -- but I have nearly unlimited capabilities when it comes to manipulating almost any text or image. It is sounding like DS AND SCAL still will not give me that or will it?? Not thrilled about voiding warranty either as I may be returning the KNK under warranty.

I think that SCAL will do what you want.

I haven't tried thick chipboard but the baby bug will cut the chipboard off the back of a paper pack in one pass with the blade depth at 6, pressure at 5. So I think chipboard is covered, especially if you use the multicut feature in SCAL.

It will cut TTF.

It will cut dingbats (shapes) and what I love is that I can transform them to fit the space I'm working with - stretch them up and down, right and left, etc. That's something I can't do with a stamp or a die or a cartridge shape (unless you can do it CDS).

SCAL has welding and shadowing functions.

It's still quicker to cut with a cart though and if I have a lot of letters to cut I find I am still pulling out my carts.

I bought SCAL last weekend and I've used my cricut more in this one week then I did the whole year I've had it! LOVE SCAL!!! In fact it's because of SCAL that I order an expression! I can make my own lace paper!!! Go check out the MB and SEE what everyone is doing with it!

Exxxxxactly. I don't know how long it would have taken me to buy enough cartridges to consider the expression. And the CDS software was really hard to use. But SCAL had me wishing for an Expression within 24 hours!

This product is asbolutely amazing.. you can literally cut ANYTHING!!!

SCAl allows you to to import .SVG files... so if you see some sort of pattern or shape out there in the internet world you like, save it as a jpg, or print screen it, use a photoshop type program to crop it down and rid of any background colour/lines...

Downlown inkscape for free and import the pic... then you use the trace feature to create a black and white image, erase the original, and save the B&W as an .svg... presto import to SCAL and you're good to go!!

I know it's bad.. but you can even use cricut cartridge shapes from the CDA trial, as a print screen :$

I still own a ton of cartridges, but I find I can be so much more creative!