2014 Review
The Pazzles Inspiration is by far the best looking machine on the market. Much like an Apple product, when you receive a brand new Pazzles, it’s obvious that lots of time and energy went into designing the machine as well as the box and product documentation. Branding and packaging may be cosmetic and irrelevant when the blade hits the mat, but we believe these characteristics are important and shed light on how much Pazzles believes in their product and how much they value their customers.
When we received our first machine, we had some issues with it not cutting properly. At first we thought it was user error, but after a few emails and a phone call with Pazzles’ customer support, it was confirmed that the machine needed to be replaced. Pazzles shipped us a new machine and they also paid for return shipping on the original. The new machine made a successful cut on its first attempt and has made many beautiful cuts since. Occasionally we'll get some tearing, but adjusting the pressure usually resolves the problem. Like any cutting machine, it's necessary to get a feel for the settings depending on what you are cutting and it is important to remember that machine performance is going to change depending on how old or new your blade is.
The Pazzles Inspiration comes bundled with the Inspiration Studio software which you can upgrade to a Pro version that supports SVG import (we have not tested this software). As an alternative to the Pro version, Sure Cuts A Lot 3 (or later) is compatible with the Pazzles Inspiration and is our preferred (and recommended) cutting software. Reading various online reviews, we've come to the conclusion that the majority of bad reviews are a direct reflection of the software that the machine is bundled with (Inspiration Studio software) and has very little to do with the actual machine itself. Sure Cuts A Lot 3 (SCAL) is our choice when it comes to software for the Pazzles Inspiration and had SCAL been included with the machine, we feel that that reviews would be much better. When posting the customer reviews below, we made sure to NOT include any reviews that included criticism of the Inspiration Studio since we ourselves don't use it.
Much like the Cricut and Sizzix eclips, the Pazzles Inspiration is very user friendly. Loading the mat is as simple as placing your mat into the machine and pressing the load/unload button. That’s it! The machine automatically sets the origin so that you get consistent performance using Sure Cuts A Lot or the Inspiration Studio software.
Overall, the Pazzles Inspiration is a great machine that is capable of cutting a variety of materials. Pazzles’ website states that it can cut up to 110 pound paper, stencil plastic , thin magnet material and other not-so-common materials. To date, we have only tested 80 lb cardstock, vinyl, .022 thickness chipboard and thin fabric with bonding material, but have been very happy with the results and can confidently say that this machine can handle any kit or collection from SVGCuts.com.
Customer Testimonials
I am very happy with this product. While it's an investment, the flexibility it offers has given me a lot of creative opportunities with my scrapbooking/cardmaking/etc. Some reviewers commented that it eats paper but I have not experienced this (I've also followed the directions very closely). It can't do things that are *super* intricate or have very thin lines, but overall it exceeded my expectations. I've only had it a few weeks or so but I have used it a lot - so far so good.
— Gianna (Review from Amazon.com)
I did a lot of research and decided on the Pazzles Inspiration over the other cutters out there as I can make my own designs and not have to depend on cards that are inserted. Works well and it also embosses, engraves metal and glass, distresses paper and cuts and even more! Love it!
— Dixielynn60 (Review from Walmart.com)
I bought the Pazzles about a month after its release. It does exactly what I expected and more. I have also read the ratings from other people here and it would seem that they have a problem with operating the software and presumably using the computer. This has no bearing on the machine itself. Once you get the grip with the software the world is your oyster. The build quality is great. It is a solid machine with great features. In my opinion it by far outways the Cricut which in essence you buy over and over again with the cost of the cartridges. Once you have the Pazzles you stop paying out and just design whatever you want. Outstanding machine!
— Craftyvirgo (Review from Overstock.com)
Pazzles Inspiration Q&A
Sorry, No FAQ Available!
Interface
The Pazzles Inspiration interface is simple and intuitive. When used in conjunction with Sure Cuts A Lot software, the arrow buttons (located above the power, pause, repeat and load/unload buttons) are not used.
- Power Button - Turns the Pazzles Inspiration on and off
- Pause Button - Press once to pause during cutting, press again to resume cutting
- Repeat Button - Used to repeat the last cut (note: some projects are too big to repeat and must be initiated via software)
- Load/Unload Button - Used to load and unload your cutting mat
- Position Adjustment Buttons - Used to move your blade to a specific location on the mat (not necessary when used with SCAL)
Chipboard
Click on the thumbnails for more details, including pressure, speed and blade depth settings.
Fabric
Haunted Peony Cottage
We used the Pazzles Inspiration to create a haunted version of our Peony Cottage. The Pazzles was used from start to finish. I noticed that some of the really small items didn't cut as clean as I would have liked (we're talking really intricate pieces, like the top of the tiny fence on the second floor), but it didn't really tarnish the final result.