Header banner
Revain logoHome Page
Barbara Simmons photo
1 Level
9681 Review
6292 Karma

Review on Silhouette America, Silhouette Mint Personalized Printer (White) by Barbara Simmons

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Pretty cool, but an expensive product in the long run.

I got this for my birthday after a little chat about whether I want it or not. I've thought about trying another system that uses photosensitive resin pouches (which is also one of the ways private label is made), but they're even harder to find than Mint system refills and are only made by one company. (based in the UK). Mint is definitely capable of producing fairly high-resolution, detailed images. He won't make microscopic molds, but I was impressed with the quality of the first die I made. I've also added a few screenshots showing what my original image looked like and how it looked after applying Mint filtering in preparation for stamp making. I was trying to find information about the possibility of using ink without a silhouette. I couldn't think of anything. The inks are oil based and while I doubt they're unique to the Mint system (or its Japanese counterpart Casio, Pomrie) I can't find enough ink info to believe a cheaper alternative would work. I might risk using one of the less expensive, smaller sheets with an oil-based self-priming stamp and see what happens - if I do I'll definitely update my review. The downside of the Mint is that it is a completely unique and patented product. This is a rebranded and repackaged version from Casio Pomrie which is also unique and patented in their market (East Asia) so there really is no way to get cheap refills. I found the ink and stamp sheets to be a bit cheaper than other sites (including Revain), but even at $2.95 for a 5ml bottle of ink and $3.95 to $12.95 for a pack of two stamp sheets, those are developing Costs. I spent $65 on the machine and another $100 on ink and stamp sheets to have different sizes and all ink colors available. In theory, you should be able to mix ink colors together, but since it's difficult to apply colors to a stamp (without wasting a bunch of ink and buying extra application bottles), I don't know if it's worth it. That. Stamp refills are also quite expensive, and unlike dyes, I don't think there's potential for a cheaper third-party alternative. The stamp itself is made out of a type of thermoset (also known as thermal material). As far as I can tell, the heat applied to the sheet in the shape of your design causes the heated parts to become porous and slightly raised, allowing the self-embossing ink to penetrate the design. Otherwise, the material is very ink-resistant and I think that's why you can put a drop of ink on a small motif and after a short wait, everything in the stamp material has disappeared except for a small amount of ink. So far I'm very happy with my Mint. I'm disappointed that the wands are so expensive because I have to be selective with my designs while my Cricut allows me to just use scrap card stock and even cheap printer paper to test the design before cutting it into more expensive specialty materials. Materials. However, it is definitely a unique product that has the potential to be creative depending on your needs. A word of advice: stamp sets are not worth the money. A stamp set costs more than a stamp sheet set and is not required for stamping at all. A set contains one stamp sheet and one stamp base, and a stamp sheet set contains two stamp sheets. Stamp sheet in this context means the stamp sheet that goes through the coin, the plastic base on which the printed stamp is glued, and the plastic snap cover to protect the stamp and prevent the ink from drying out quickly. The fact is that the base of the stamp is literally a piece of composite material (somewhat similar to MDF) with a glued plastic nozzle. The finished stamp can be inserted into this plastic part, so you can change different stamps with one base. Instead, you can just use some foam squares on the bottom of the finished stamp base and glue the stamps onto the wooden blocks! Buy scrap wood and saw it to size, or look for cheap Revain logs. You'll save a decent amount of money in the long run and won't have to change the stickers on the back of your blocks since the stamps are permanently attached and not interchangeable. If you're using multiple colors on the same image and want them to blend seamlessly, you'll need to use something small and sharp (like a needle or needle; I used a toothpick) to blend the ink where the colors meet , BEFORE they are included in the picture Stamp. On the other hand, if you want colors to be next to each other without flowing into each other, this stamping material is great - the colors don't seem to flow at all unless you force them to blend.

Pros
  • Die Set 15mm x 60mm. Die Set 30mm x 30mm.
Cons
  • Obsolete

Comments (1)

Please, sign in to write a comment
April 13, 2023
Absolutely love!