I've been meaning to ask!

[Meg]

Is it just me and/or my Cricut or are some fonts too intricate to cut successfully? Some have real narrow letters or are too curly and don't cut very well--they tear. Is that a common problem? I've had SCAL for about 2 years and love it, but I've always wondered if I am doing something wrong. Of course, I have replaced the blade and mat but that doesn't seem to help.

[firstcut]

It's not just you. Fonts on Cricut cartridges are designed for cutting, but with SCAL we are picking random fonts out of the thousands out there. Almost none of them were designed with cutting in mind. Some are just too detailed or thin-lined to cut. As computers have added more memory fonts have gotten a lot more complicated with sketchy lines, grunge look, etc. No way are these going to work on a Cricut. The size you are cutting the letters plays a role too. If you are doing big wall words you can use some pretty delicate fonts. I'm sure you have noticed that after a while you start to develop an eye for what will work and what will not.

[JDahlie]

One trick I use if the letters seem too narrow to cut well is to cut them on Shadow-1 instead of normal.

[firstcut]

Great tip, J! Could also do an outset in Inkscape to beef up a font for cutting.

[Meg]

Thanks for your replies. That's just as I thought and yes, it's pretty easy to pick out the ones that will cut nicely.