Hello all,  I wanted to get a craft cutter that I could use to cut out gumpaste, but I’m not sure which one to get.  <so confused> I searched the forum and read some post, but most of the responses are a few years old.  One of the biggest complaints with the Cricut was that you needed to buy cartridges, but it looks like the newest Cricut will let you cut from your own image.

So given the 2016 models now available which do you think is the better machine for cutting gumpaste?

Thanks

I have a circuit cake (that can use SCAL software ) and a silhouette cameo.  While I love the print 'n cut feature of the cameo for edible images, I never had good luck cutting paste on the cameo...so I still use the circuit cake,  but it looks like they have greatly improved the explore's ability to cut and it also has software that allows you to cut your own designs unlike the old cartridge based crickets.  

Maybe someone else can weigh in on the explore....

Grr. Lost my entire post. Let's try again. I have a Cricut Explore Air for paper,  and I like it so much I purchased a second machine dedicated for cutting food products. I have cut frosting sheets, gum paste, and fondant. I  also have an old red cricket cake that I use to cut designs from my cartridges. However, the new machine allows me to design on my computer and then simply send it to the machine like a printer.  I have never worked with a cameo, but I've heard good things.  Here is an example of a cake with letters cut from a blue sugar sheet on my Cricut Explore Air:

[postimage id="4370" thumb="900"]

The cuts are clean and precise. Perhaps someone with a Cameo can chime in.

Thanks Jeff & Jselle,

Jselle your cake is great!  The letters are so crisp and clean; that is just what I’m after.  I’ve been making a lot of graduation cakes for family members and cutting the school logos and lettering is a pain.  Do you use the cutting blades that came with the machine or did you buy something specific for cakes?  I’ve read that the gumpaste and fondant will dull the standard paper cutting blade…

Jeff, thanks for info on the Cameo.  I’m leaning towards the Cricut now...

I use the Explore blade.  I'm not sure if the others would fit. You can sharpen the blade by wadding up a small piece of aluminum foil and then "stabbing" the blade into it several times. There's a bit of a learning curve with the Design Space software, but once you get the hang of it it's a great tool. 

If you are going to print gumpaste, then you should go after the one that Linda McClure sells.  Do not be confused by the one that is on our Icing Images website that it a kit Linda designed for Icing Images as that one is designed for cutting Icing Sheets. If you are wanting something that is tried and true, then the Cameo is the way to go.  It has been around the longest and the most successful.  It is accurate and reliable.  At Icing Images, we prefer to use the Icing Sheets and wafer paper for the machines.  It is the most reliable and accurate.  Icing Images has put a lot of time and research in to creating and keeping accurate the instruction manual adapted from Linda McClure directly as she was the inventor of the original method many many years ago and it is important to us that honor her for that discovery.  The Icing Images Premium Icing Sheets and Premium Flavored Wafer Paper work beautifully and we have full instructions for both mediums.  In addition, we sell mats that are designed for the edible papers that were designed by the Icing Images Edible Technologist, Chef Mike Terry, CMSA who was originally trained by Linda McClure.  We will be redesigning all our kits over the next few weeks and all our kits include edible papers and much more.  Please feel free to call our office and ask questions regarding the Cameo and we will be glad to assist you at 540-323-7990.

Thanks for the info, Icing Images.  I had already purchased the Cricut before your post came out, but if the Cricut doesn't work I will give the Cameo a try. 

PS:  your DecoGel looks very interesting.  I will have to order some of that!

Lets hope the Cricut works! I would hate to see you spend money unnecessary.  We also do have on our website how to use the Cricut (it was the older model) without sheets. 

The DECOgel is very cool! It is so fun to play with!  We also have a few new products which are a lot of fun to work with.  The paper potion (which we are finding has many more uses then just conditioning wafer paper) but the Simi Transfer Sheets are amazing!  We get to play with them in our office and it is so much fun! I invite anyone who sees this post to enjoy 10% off your next supply order on our website.  It will have to be only for supplies and the order does have to be placed online.  I will make this coupon expire on 7/15/2016 so you all have plenty of time to share this code "morecake" after the person who started this thread! This offer can  not be combined with any other offer and you can only use this coupon once per person.

Please feel free to share this post on social media with all of your friends!

I use a circuit explore to cut fondant and gum paste and I like it. The software I hate hate hate and before you even get there the main pain is converting your images to SVG files. I use a circuit cake mat with some shortening. A can of freeze spray (you can get it at chef rubber ) is helpful for little cuts, you can spray it ahead of the blade. But be mindful that you still have to get whatever you cut onto the cake, so little pieces are still hard.