Vinyl

I purchased the Silhouette Cameo Pro 4 cutter.  This machine has a cut width of 24 inches, where as most go up to 12.

This machine is louder than many others that I have seen/used, but for me, the benefits far out weigh the noise.

The software that comes with it is very powerful and easy to use.  I have used a few different pieces of software, for vinyl machines, at work.  One of the things that I like the most, is that I don't have to be online to use it, unlike many of the others.  When I have finished a project, I am given the choice as to where to save the file, which I prefer.  

I know that many people like having everything they do saved on one cloud service or another, which is fine.  If you are unable to connect to the Net, which does happen, then you are not able to access your files and do any work, which is why I prefer saving to my computers harddrive.  I could go on and on about the different arguments for both sides, for a long time.

It is just my personal preference...

At work I do have a Cricut 3, which is a good machine.  One of my frustrations with it is  that I have to be online to use it and access my files.  There is probably a way around this, but I haven't found it yet.  I also have to keep signing in, to my online account, especially after an update.

My Silhouette software has never done that.  I run it and we're good to go.

There are several add-ons that I use, which fit my needs.  The first is an attachment that allows me to feed a whole roll of vinyl into the machine to use, which allows me to cut designs 24 inches wide and up to 10 feet in length.

Using the HTV (heat transfer vinyl), it is necessary to use some sort of heat press.

I purchased a heat press bundle from Swing Design and I have used many many times with HTV.  HTV is a great way to decorate on all types of shirts, hats, etc, without worrying about material content.  Sublimation is restricted to items that have been treated to become sublimatable, coffee mugs, bookmarks, etc.  Clothing on the other hand need to be polyester to work properly with sublimation.  HTV works on basically everything, which is why it is so versatile.