Tech review: This fuss-free crafting machine is compact enough that it won’t take over your desk
Four years after Covid lockdowns began, some of the hobbies we took up to kill time have endured. It may have been a while since you saw someone’s home-made banana bread or sourdough showcased on Instagram, but the crafting boom appears to have taken root.
So what can you do with it? The Joy Xtra cuts more than 50 different types of material, including heavy card stock, iron-on vinyl and permanent vinyl, with settings built into the software so you don’t have to guess what cutting pressure to use or mess around with it.
It’s relatively easy to get started. You will need a mobile device or laptop on which you can install the Design Space software. It is compatible with Windows, Mac iOS and Android, although the mobile versions of the device differ slightly in functionality from the desktop software. During the set-up process, Design Space asks you to run a test cut – that’s where the material samples are useful – and then directs you to its learning section so you can familiarise yourself with the new machine.
There are plenty of projects that Joy Xtra can handle with ease. Apart from the card and vinyl, it also deals with some very thin faux leather for hair bows. It does, however, have a more limited cutting depth than other machines in the Cricut range, and it won’t do scoring, so if your project requires that, you’ll have to find a workaround.
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