The Fabulous Brother ScanNCut Home and Hobby Cutting Machine

Everyone that loves to do paper crafts, sew or quilt will love having this fabulous ScanNCut device from Brother. Once I started using this device, I wondered what I did without it! This is the world's first home and hobby cutting machine with a built-in scanner. I love all the creative possibilities that we can do with the Brother ScanNCut.

I love that it is a stand-alone machine and there is no need to attach it to a computer or use software to start using. Since the machine is lightweight, I can take it to any space that is comfortable for me to work in.

I love how this machine helps me create outlines for cutting designs from a hand drawn sketch, original art, or anything that I scan into the machine from books, pictures and magazines without the use of a PC. 

We can also create designs using the free online program accessible through a computer by logging in to the Brother ScanNCut  site. It is easy to follow the instructions and save the designs on a USB then plug the USB to the machine and either cut or draw. There are also lots of projects on the site that we can use, if we don't want to create anything from scratch.

Brother ScanNCut CM550DX comes with two cutting blades, 8 pens and pen holder for drawing, mats, fabric support sheet, touch pen to easily operate the LCD panel, spatula, power cord, AC adapter, colourful pattern list, and a detailed manual. It is very important to read the manual before getting started. The paddle that is included helps remove small cut shapes to easily come off the sticky mats. 

The Brother ScanNCut includes 500 built-in designs, 100 quilting designs, 5 built-in fonts, and a built-in 300 dpi colour scanner giving us many options to get started and be creative. Once we choose the design we want from the built-in or scan in the image, photo or hand drawn sketch, ScanNCut will precisely cut the shapes or draw the outlines we want.

It can perfectly cut paper, fabric or plastic at the press of a button. Since I enjoy doing paper crafts, I have been mostly using the ScanNCut to cut a variety of paper to create cards to give family and friends, as well as some fun 3D paper crafts, which I will share about soon. I also like the draw function in this machine that allows us to draw accurate and perfect designs. 

I found the instructions on how to use the machine simple and easy to understand. However, we do need to try a variety of things on the machine to see what works for us and to understand how to make adjustment to the blades and change the pressure settings etc. to make it easy for us to cut paper with different grades and weight. 

The best part of this machine for me is how it automatically converts scanned images to cut data, as this allows me to do a variety of crafts within minutes while keeping each of my projects unique and creative. I love that I can use the same saved design - the ones I save to the machine or USB or the built-in designs - and manipulate the size and design right on the ScanNCut before cutting or drawing. 

Watch how the machine cuts the design beautifully on this thick cardstock paper. When the machine cuts, it makes a little bit of noise.

This machine is available to purchase at Walmart and in craft stores. With our imagination we can do so much with this machine. Everyone who enjoys paper crafts, sewing or quilting will find having this machine useful, as it is the first multi-function cutting machine that scans, cuts, draws, and allows us to use our imagination!

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