A desktop roll-feed cutting plotter, Craft ROBO cuts sticker and decal vinyls, masking film for painting or etching, vinyl lettering, decorative scrapbook papers, card stock, stencils, magnetic sheet, as well as all kinds of heat transfer media like flex, flock, MagiCut coloured paper and metallics for garments.

Priced at RM1,500, the Craft ROBO comes with the main plotter/cutter unit which looks like an average inkjet printer, media trial kit comprising various materials that can be cut, power cable, AC adapter, universal serial bus (USB) cable, blade holder and ballpoint blade holder. It also includes a CD-ROM with a Windows (2000/XP only) printer driver and controller, ROBO Master design program, and Cutting Master 2.

The Cutting Master 2 for Craft ROBO is a plug-in for Adobe Illustrator 10 through CS3 and CorelDraw 10 through X3 on Windows 2000/XP/Vista. On Mac OSX, the Cutting Master 2 works with Adobe Illustrator 10 through CS3 running on OSX 10.2.8 through 10.5 Leopard and PowerPC G4/G5 or Mac Intel models.

To get started, just insert the CD-ROM into a computer’s CD drive. If you’re using Windows XP or Windows 2000, the Craft ROBO Start window will be displayed after a short interval. By clicking the “Install” button in the menu, the installer will be launched and completed without much hassle.

The next step is to connect the cutting plotter unit to the PC with the USB cable. A wizard and Help menu will be displayed. By following the instructions, the setup will be completed. Close the Craft ROBO Start window and click on the ROBO Master shortcut icon to begin creating designs.

A big plus for first-time users is that Craft ROBO has a number of templates they can experiment with. All they need to do is to open and select a design under the Samples folder. To print a gift box, for example, just select the output settings and select the printer you use in the Printer box. Make sure the computer is connected to the printer. It should be noted that the cut line and the registration mark for cutting has already been specified in the sample to facilitate the next step.

Before the design is cut according to the preset details, the cutting conditions have to be specified. This is done by selecting “Output” Click the Output to Craft ROBO button. Confirm that the driver name reads Graphtec Craft ROBO, and then click the OK button to start the Craft ROBO Controller. Load the printed sheet when pressed onto the carrier sheet in your Craft ROBO and mount the blade and blade holder.

What is tricky here is aligning the left edge of the sheet with the vertical guideline indented on the front guide. While ensuring that the sheet is straight, the feed knob has to be turned until the top edge of the sheet touches both pinch rollers.

To enable Craft ROBO to start cutting, users have to click the “Cut” button on the menu to perform auto registration mark reading. The registration marks are read automatically by the plotter/cutter. Users have to be mindful to not touch the printed sheet during the reading operation, as this will affect the accuracy.

Finally, click the OK button to start cutting. When cutting has been completed, the sheet can be removed by turning the feed knob. The box is complete and can be assembled.

Craft ROBO is relatively easy to use and is a perfect entry-level cutter for students, yet powerful and functional enough to satisfy professionals for desktop-sized jobs.

Product: Craft ROBO CC200-20

Manufacturer: Graphtec Corp (www.graphteccorp.com)

Enquiries: Syscom (M) Sdn Bhd (Tel: 03-79551378)

Price: RM1,500

Specifications

Configuration: Grit rolling

Drive system: Stepping motor

Maximum cutting range: 200mm by 1,000mm

Effective sheet width: A4 size

Cutting force: 230gf

Cutting speed: 10mm to 100mm/s (in 10mm steps; 10 levels selectable)

No. of pens mountable: 1

Media types: Film media 0.1mm or less in thickness; Kent paper (inkjet or laser paper up to

157g/m2), drawing paper, postcards, scrapbooking paper; inkjet photo paper (not all types of media can be cut)

Interface: USB2.0 (full speed)

Power supply: Dedicated adapter, +24V DC (2.0A)

Power consumption: 28 Watts (10 Watts or less during standby)

Working environment: 5°C to 40°C, 35 to 80 per cent relative humidity/R.H. (non-condensing)

Guaranteed operating environment: 16°C to 32°C, 35 to 70 per cent R.H. (non-condensing)

External dimensions: Approximately 397mm by 159mm by 112mm (excluding protrusions)

Weight: Approximately 2.5kg

System requirements

Operating system: Windows 98 Second Edition/Windows Me/Windows 2000/Windows XP

CPU: Pentium III 600MHz or higher

Memory: 128MB or more (at least 256MB recommended)

Monitor: 1,024 by 768 high colour (True Colour recommended)

Supported printers (when printing): Windows-compatible printers (inkjet printers recommended)

Our verdict: ***½
Physical design: ***½
Documentation: ***
User-friendliness: ***½
Features: ***½
Performance: ***½
Value for money: ***½