The Xyron Creatopia is a great new product
from one of the leaders in the crafting and laminating industries. This
device brings lamination, cutting, embossing and more into one
complete package that will appeal to crafting enthusiasts and anyone
else who feels like getting creative. So here are the strengths and
weaknesses of this machine.
The Xyron Creatopia is a great new product from
one of the leaders in the crafting and laminating industries. This
device brings lamination, cutting, embossing, and more into one
complete package that will appeal to crafting enthusiasts and anyone
else who feels like getting creative. So here are the strengths and
weaknesses of this machine.
Strengths
This machine has a number of different functions. It is
a cold laminator that can laminate one or both sides of a document, as
well as apply adhesive to a lot of materials including paper, fabric,
and ribbon. You can emboss and cut paper, as well, using special
accessories. (More on this in a moment.)
This
machine has a generous 12-inch feed opening that can accommodate 12 x
12 scrapbook paper, legal- and letter-sized paper, and so on. Indeed,
this machine can accept just about any item so long as it's 1/2" thick
or less.
To change functions when using this
device, all you need to do is change the cartridge. There are a number
of cartridges for lamination and applying adhesive (these are known as
Refillz), and there are other ones that can do some pretty nifty crafty
things. These are known as the Patternz, Cutz, and Shapez cartridges
and depending on which one you use, you can emboss your paper, give it
a straight or specialized cut (i.e. wavy or deckle), or even use dies
to cut or emboss your project.
As with all of
Xyron's laminators, the Creatopia is a manual machine and is not
powered by batteries or electricity. Heat lamination isn't possible
with this unit, but that is okay because the cold lamination this
machine produces is very nice.
This product
comes in a nice, neutral color: gray. This is a welcome change from the
pinks and purples the company has used on devices such as the
Create-A-Sticker 150 and the Wishblade. Since this machine comes in
such a neutral color, it will be more likely to appeal to a variety of
people since pinks and purples are stereotypically feminine colors.
This device can do a lot, but one thing it won't do is take up a lot of
room. It's about 10 inches long and 22 inches wide, so finding space
for it shouldn't be an issue. Storing it won't be hard either, because
the handle can be folded up.
Weaknesses
This product has a lot of different accessories such as
the laminate and adhesive cartridges, and all the accessories used to
emboss, cut, etc. In fact, there are so many accessories available,
it's a bit difficult to keep track of them all. While it is wonderful
to have so many creative options, this is almost a case of too much of
a good thing. Plus, all the accessories are sold separately, so while
the Creatopia itself won't break the bank (it's priced at $149.99),
your pocketbook will definitely take a hit once you start buying the
accessories.
This machine isn't a good choice
if you need to do a high-volume of laminating. Also, you should pick a
different machine if you need a laminator that can work with paper
that's wider than 12 inches.
Although anyone
can benefit from using this machine, it is more likely to be purchased
by crafters, teachers, and artists rather than professional types
because it's really more of a crafting tool than a straight-up
laminator.
As you can see, the Xyron Creatopia
offers a lot to crafting aficionados even though those who just need a
laminator might not take to the machine. Although there's almost too
many accessories for this machine (and they're all sold separately),
this is a great product for people who want an all-in-one crafting
center.
If you're interested in buying the Xyron Creatopia, you should really visit MyBinding.com. They have a great price on this machine and they offer the full line of Xyron Laminating Cartridges. Plus, they offer free shipping on all orders over $75.00. Check it out for yourself today!
