SCAL vs Make the Cut--ease of use for a nontechnical person

[issy]

Okay, this shows how nontechnical I am--I can't even find a thread on this on SCS. Help!!! I own a Cricut Expression and am trying to decide whether to go with SCAL or Make the Cut and have no idea where to begin. I would like the program that is the easiest to learn and use since I am all thumbs when it comes to computers and programs. Thank you so much.

[lindsaymay]

I have used scal for 2 years and I love it, it is easy and great, you can cut your computer fonts and dingbats, design and convert files in there too!

It works much the same as Cricut Design Studio but it is easier because you don't have to bother with cartridges. I never tried MTC because I am so happy with scal and the customer service is great and you can have it on 2 computers and they have a mac version.

Good luck1
Lindsay

[pakate]

Each has a trial you can download to try. You should download both and see which you like better. Check out their forums for any help, great people there. And search YouTube for videos (make sure to specify SCAL 2 when searching). Either program you choose will be well worth the money. It is wonderful to be able to use your Cricut to cut just about anything!

[grandmamichelf]

I use Make The Cut.

Here's my suggestion because you're going to get people who love SCAL2 and people who love MTC. I would suggest you download both trial versions of each software. Use the one that you find easiest for you to use. That's what I did when I made my decision. At the time, SCAL2 wasn't released and MTC did far more. Plus the upgrades to new versions is free. The owner of the MTC software is on the forum and there are tons of people to help out. The same thing is true of SCAL2.

I actually found MTC more user friendly than SCAL at the time I downloaded the trial versions. I know that SCAL2 has added some of the same things that MTC has in it, so maybe it's better than the first SCAL version that I tried. I completely happy with MTC. It's only been out since December.

But really, try the trial versions first. That way you can compare and see which suits your needs.

[djuseless]

I use Make the Cut and I love it!

I bought my software from Designing with Die Cuts. They offer trial versions of both softwares so you can play with them before purchasing them. Here's the LINK!

[issy]

Thanks you ladies for all of the wonderful advice and suggestions. I knew I could count on SCS.

[stenojj]

I have both - having had SCAL over a year now. I must say I think MTC is much nicer in a lot of respects. You don't have download the clipart to use it. Just copy and paste into MTC without having to go find where you saved it. I know SCAL had an upgrade recently to visually see what you have on each layer vs just text describing each layer, but it seems MTC's layers are bigger to see, plus I'm finding that SCAL's update crashes on me constantly. I like MTC as far as viewing what you're going to cut. You can color each piece in solid colors separately to see how it will cut out (SCAL you use colored outlines - it's just not the same visually). You can create a background or shadow much more easier in MTC. You can save all your hard work in your own gallery in MTC. You can export your tracings as an svg (to use in SCAL). You can export into the MTC gallery (and share your work with others). I like everything! There are just too many things to list. When I decided to teach a community ed class on SCAL, I didn't have MTC at the time. Now I'm switching my agenda and will be teaching MTC. I have only had it for 1 month, but I feel it is so user friendly, I can teach it.

[Magic Grandpa]

I own a Cricut Expression. I have used the two trail versions (SCAL and MTC), and I agree that MTC seems to be the more versatile of the two, but not by a far separation. I did notice that with the SCAL trial version the margins on the cut are dead on with the screen view. On MTC, the margins are off about half an inch. Since you have been using them both for a while and will be teaching MTC now, how do you make that adjustment -- just by setting the start points? I am most interested in relief design, or as it goes by other names -- stencils, masks, etc. My photos are behind cutouts and the text shows the page behind.
I don't want to buy both, but my trial cuts with each have not shown me a clear winner.