If you want to know whether or not the Silhouette Curio is worth investing in, then you came to the right place. In this Silhouette Curio review, we examine the object and compare it with some other popular types of craft printers.
If you find yourself interested in diversifying your craft set, then you may come across the Silhouette Curio craft printer. Craft printers, in general, can work with a large number of materials. They also typically utilize some software and stronger engines.
But does the Silhouette Curio represent a good value? Or is it more trouble than it is worth. In this Silhouette Curio, we will take a brief look at the object and give you a definitive answer. Let us first go over what a Silhouette Curio is and what it does.
What is the Silhouette Curio?
The Silhouette Curio is a craft printer and cutter. You connect the device to your computer via a USB cord and then access the company’s art software. This software lets you choose both design patterns and edit photos.
You can use the Silhouette Curio for embossing, cutting, etching, stippling and debossing. It can work with almost one hundred different materials. The device also includes fifty free designs and a one-month subscription for the Silhouette Design Software.
Silhouette Curio Product Specifications
Now that we know a little about the general features that come with the Silhouette Curio let us look at the specifications of the device. The craft printer comes with a base, cutting and embossing mat that measures out to be eight in half inches by six inches.
It provides a cutting clearance of five millimeters and weighs seven in half pounds. The Silhouette Curio also comes with some space-saving functions. You can find four storage slots on the device — two located on each side.
You can cut through more types of materials thanks to the dual carriage. It also comes with three types of embossing methods including path emboss, score & emboss and print & emboss.
The Silhouette Studio Design Software that comes with the device lets you purchase and browse designs.
Spec List
Cutting Mat Dimensions — Eight in half inches by six inches
Cutting Force — Two hundred in ten grams
Cutting Clearance — Five millimeters
Item Weight — Seven in half pounds
Built-in storage? — Four storage slots
Dual Carriage? — Yes
Types of embossing methods — Three
Software — Silhouette Studio Design Software
Where Can You Purchase the Silhouette Curio?
You can purchase the Silhouette Curio on most major online retailers like Amazon and eBay. Alternatively, you can also buy the crafting device from the company’s website. If you want to purchase the product in person, then you can find it at stores like Walmart and Michaels.
How Does the Silhouette Curio Compare With Other Hobby Machines?
In this section, we compare the Silhouette Curio with two other popular crafting printers so we can identify its strengths and weaknesses. Specifically, we compare it with the Cricut Explore Air 2 Mint and the Canon TS9521C Wireless Crafting Printer.
Cricut Explore Air 2 Mint
If you want a simple and straightforward cutter and crafting printer, then you will probably prefer the Cricut Explore Air 2 Mint over the Silhouette Curio. The product comes with a set of detailed instructions and a test map for practicing before you begin for real.
Not only does the device feature and easy-to-use setup, but it also offers a bit more speed than the Silhouette Curio. However, if you want a device with more customization, then look elsewhere.
The software that comes with Cricut Explore Air 2 Mint makes it incredibly limited. This feature is frustrating because you still need to subscribe to the service for a reasonably inferior product. Some people may tire of this quickly.
Canon TS9521C Wireless Crafting Printer
The Canon TS9521C Wireless Crafting Printer does not offer the same cutting capabilities as the Cricut Explore Air 2 Mint and the Silhouette Curio, but it provides some excellent designs on printing paper and other unique material.
Also, the printing quality on the paper and printing sheets looks fantastic — well worth the price. The device supports both borderless and tabloid types of media material, and it uses five inks for pop-out color.
If you are a scrapbooker and enjoy making decorative designs, then the Canon TS9521C Wireless Crafting Printer offers you a lot in terms of smart-home features and pattern varieties. However, there are some issues with the product.
For many people, the lack of material options may be a deal-breaker. It also lacks a direct wifi connection. Also, we found that it prints much slower compared to other types of printers. This issue is not severe, but we still think it is worth noting.
Silhouette Curio Pros and Cons
In this section, we identify some of the things we like about the Silhouette Curio and some things we think could use improvement.
Pros
- A large variety of materials
- Saves time
- Good cutting capacity
Cons
- Requires a lot of additional equipment
- Weak cutting power
- Large learning curve
Silhouette Curio Review Conclusion
In our opinion, the Silhouette Curio represents a pretty great value. It works on tons of materials and does a pretty great job on most of them. However, do not get us wrong: you will need to put the time into learning how to use it.
Particularly in regards to the Silhouette Studio Design Software that comes with the device. Also, it is a little annoying that you need to invest in certain types of equipment to unlock the full potential.
But, if you do not mind investing the time and money, then we think the Silhouette Curio will quickly become a staple in the way you craft.
As such, we give it a final rating of four stars out of five stars. We hope this Silhouette Curio helped you decide if the device suits your needs. Good luck crafting!
