Bosskut Gazelle Review By Julie Flanagan, BM, MT-BC May 13, 2013

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1 Bosskut Gazelle Review By Julie Flanagan, BM, MT-BC May 13, 2013 The Bosskut Gazelle cutter appeals to crafters who need a compact, but powerful wide format cutter. The Gazelle is a real work horse that never tires, and yet it is small enough to travel on vacations, retreats, outings, etc. It cuts heavy media with ease, and is equally efficient with lighter projects. Although not recommended for commercial use, its mostly metal construction ensures home users that it will hold up under the heaviest cutting workload. It will not overheat under constant use. Unique features: The Bosskut Gazelle boasts of a unique closing lid, that when open, serves as a platform for the mat. Nice storage drawers are built into the lid for holding extra blades, pens, and tools. The lips of the drawers serve as guides for feeding the mat into the machine.

2 No pen holder is required for drawing with standard pens. It can use regular or art pens of all types and heights, measuring up to 9/16 in diameter. The cutting head is equipped with a laser light feature which assists in perfect alignment of the blade with printed registration marks, for accurate cutting around printed designs. The Gazelle ships with a standard blade holder that boasts of infinite blade depth settings and easy-to-use top plunger for simple blade removal. The blade is held in position inside of the holder with a magnet, allowing the user to simply remove the blade by pulling on its tip, and popping a new one in. An optional preset click style blade holder is available for those who prefer the click style blade depth control. Users of this holder may select specific blade depth settings for their favorite project types.

3 The Gazelle mats are sturdy and long lasting. The grid on the mat accommodates media up to 12 x12. There is an optional 12 x24 mat available for longer projects. Users may reapply temporary adhesive many times to extend the life of the mats. The Gazelle cuts with cutting pressure of at least 500 grams. It cuts heavy media as well or better than cutters advertised to cut with greater pressure. It also cuts faster than most other cutters in its class. It cuts thin media as well as thick media, and all in between. It will cut cardstock, glitter paper, chipboard, balsa wood, foam, Grafix plastic sheets, metallic papers, vinyl, rubber stamp material, rhinestone template material, stencil plastic, and other media up to 1mm or about 1/16 thick. The Gazelle cuts up to wide and 80 long. Because it uses a printer driver, the Gazelle cuts directly from its native software, Funtime Gazelle IV, as well as from several additional software programs: Illustrator, CorelDraw, Sure Cuts A Lot, and Make The Cut. The buffer on the Gazelle is lightening fast. When a project is sent to cut, cutting starts immediately. It never needs to pause to think as some other cutters do. Users have the option to pause projects mid-cut using a button on the machine. There are a number of additional handy control buttons on the machine for mat feed, laser alignment, test cuts, and speed and pressure adjustments. Being able to adjust speed or pressure while a project is being cut is a very helpful feature.

4 Gazelle Specifications: Support Configuration: Grit-rolling CPU 16 bit Drive System: Stepping motor, micro-step driver Max. cutting range x80 Max Cutting Width: Max Media Width: 13, 330.2mm Cutting speed 0.5 /second 12 /second, selectable from 7 speed levels Cutting Force 1N 5N (100gf to 500 gf) selectable from 7 levels Maximum cutting thickness: 1mm Mechanical resolution:1/1000, 1,000 dpi Repeatability: Cutter Blade: Super Steel Interface: USB 2.0 Buffer Capacity: 1mg high speed Cache Memory Excellent customer support is available to all Gazelle owners via the BossKut member s forum online, training videos, phone support, and extensive library of software video tutorials. There is a one year warranty on parts and labor of defective parts. Visitors are welcome at the Bosskut Visitor s forum where they can view sample projects made with the Gazelle. Visitors may visit or the blog at Questions are welcomed. Write to info@bosskut.com for additional information. The Bosskut Gazelle package includes: Gazelle 12 inch electronic die cutting machine 1 power supply cord and 1 power adapter.

5 Standard A to B USB cable 1 heavy duty blade and standard blade holder 1 12x12 cutting mat 1 program cd with Gazelle Funtime IV software and 700+ designs, 200 special cutting fonts, 100 bonus BossKut designs, and manual. Software security key (color and style may vary)

6 Optional Accessories Optional accessories are available for purchase from The blade that ships with the Gazelle is adequate for most cutting purposes. There are optional Deep Cut blades for cutting thicker projects. The optional blades fit in either the standard blade holder or the optional click style blade holder. When cutting vinyl, vellum, or very intricate or tiny detail, users may need the optional Vinyl blade. This optional blade works best with the standard blade holder, where very fine adjustments may be made in blade depth. The diamond tip engraving tool may be used with the standard mat for engraving many types of projects, including metal engraving plates, plastic, glass, leather, foils, cardstock, acrylic, etc. It will also emboss a very fine line for scoring with or without the optional embossing mat. The embossing mat is a standard mat that has a layer of dense foam adhered to it. The foam has a sticky surface to which media adheres. Users may use this mat with the embossing tool or engraving tool for line embossing on lightweight paper, vellum, foils, etc. The same mat may be used to cut around embossed projects. This mat is also good to use with pierced projects.

7 The optional embossing tool is equipped with a ball tip. When used in conjunction with the embossing mat, it can create embossed lines and engraving fills in lightweight paper and foils. Funtime Gazelle Software The Gazelle will cut 12" wide media. The Funtime software that ships with the Gazelle is easy to start using, and yet it includes many advanced features that will suit the growing needs of crafters as their interests expand. The Gazelle is entirely computer software driven. It does not run from cartridges or other type of controller. While users of a number of different software packages can cut to the Gazelle, BossKut supports use of the Funtime Gazelle Software. Updated versions with new and enhanced features of the Funtime software are sold when they become available. Users may choose to continue using the software shipped with their Gazelle, or to purchase software updates to take advantage of the new features. System Requirements: Windows Operating System (XP, Vista, Windows 7, Standard Windows 8) The driver will support Vista 32 or Vista 64 Window 7 or 8 64 bit or 32 bit CD-ROM reader 700 meg HD space 2 available USB Ports. Gazelle must be plugged directly into a computer USB port. The Gazelle should be plugged in to the same USB port each time it is used. The security key may be plugged in to the computer or into a USB hub. Security Key: The software may be installed on any number of computers, but the security key must be plugged in to the computer before the software will open. Software Features Overview Funtime Gazelle IV software includes all of the basic features needed by cutter users, and well as useful advanced editing and design features. Funtime Gazelle IV users have instant access within the software to 700 cutting designs from the software s Shapes collection. The software opens WPC files, providing a thumbnail preview of files before they are actually opened. The software

8 imports a number of popular vector file formats such as AI (version 8 or less), SVG, PDF, DXF, PLT, and others. Being able to import a variety of file types provides users access to thousands of free or purchased professionally designed projects. Additionally, the software will import picture images or clipart that the software can trace automatically to create cutting files. The software allows for scanning shapes directly, or capturing images that are visible on the screen, and converting to cutting files. Several conversion methods are available, including creating just the outside lines of images, complete conversion of black and white or color lines to cutting lines, or special effects for photo cuts or center line creation. Users may print their creations to a printer directly from the software and then cut around the printed designs accurately using the software s new three-point registration marks with the Gazelle s laser registration feature. The Funtime Gazelle software saves files in WPC format that may be opened by Funtime, Pazzles, or WinPCSign software, or imported into Make The Cut or Sure Cuts A Lot software. It also exports files in AI v8, DXF, EPS, PLT, and WMF formats for use in other software programs. Funtime Gazelle IV boasts of an auto save feature and restore from backup that can be very helpful. Not only will the software access all of the true type fonts installed in the Windows system folder, including images from dingbat fonts, it also includes an additional 200 cutting fonts that may be used as is, or welded together to form connected words or phrases. There are five rhinestone fonts and several single stroke engraving fonts included. Text may be imported horizontally or vertically, and spacing adjusted automatically. Text may be welded to shapes to form more complex designs. Funtime Gazelle has a number of instant special effects which appeal to cutter users, including converting selected shapes to charms, slotted tags, 3D cards, and puzzles. It can change a design into a pierced, embroidery, rhinestone, or lattice design project, and it can create an automatic outline, shadow, or blackout the shape. There are 14 different decorative scissors designs that can be instantly applied to any shape, design line, or text. Shapes may be cut into sections using the decorative scissors function. Users may also draw lines using the decorative scissors designs. Funtime Gazelle IV includes some updated rhinestone design features. Users may select the size and spacing of rhinestones. The software converts a shape to equally spaced rhinestone shapes. The user may manually add a single stone of the selected size to any location. A Fill Gap button adds stones in the space between two selected adjacent stones. A lasso button allows for selection of stones by clicking and dragging the mouse around the stones. The software can identify any stones that are touching or overlapping another stone. Any distorted circles can be reset to perfect circles with the touch of a button. All stones of the same color may be selected by clicking on the brush color button. A size button will select any stones that are the same size as the selected stone. The software will identify the total number of stones needed in each size and in each color. Make copies of selected stones with the press of a direction key.

9 Funtime Gazelle can multiply selected shapes to fill an area or an entire page. Select a shape, hold the Ctrl key, and drag to make a copy. Shapes and design features may be combined in unlimited ways to create fascinating projects. Funtime Gazelle includes many drawing options that users can access for creating rectangles, stars, polygons, circles, ovals, arrows, spirals, lines, curves, and a variety of line and curve styles. There is a freehand draw mode that can be used with mouse or graphics drawing tablet with stylus. Users may draw or erase with lines in 4 different thicknesses, use a variety of colors, and in various styles, including two different calligraphy line styles, or with scissors designs. Funtime Gazelle includes many advanced editing features not available in other cutter software. In addition to the drawing tools, users may make adjustment in the lines and curves that are present. Segments may be instantly converted to curves, and curves converted to lines instantly. There is a tool allowing users to move points, lines or curves. Replacing a jagged line or arc with a smooth one is quick and easy. Segments or curved lines may be joined or broken easily. The Vertical/Horizontal tool makes the selected line perfectly vertical or horizontal with a simple click. The corner rounder tool instantly rounds corners to the specified size. An entire design may be selected, and all tiny angles can be instantly rounded slightly at the same time, making the design cut more smoothly and cleanly. There is a stencil bridge feature that is helpful for creating stencil designs, or for connecting design elements. The software has a nice feature that will find open paths instantly, and allow the user to join them. Users may eliminate large numbers of excess nodes or construction points instantly with the use of a shortcut key. Design lines within the software may be grouped and ungrouped easily, or grouped with transparency. The design lines may be locked or unlocked for ease of editing. The front to back order of shapes may be changed. Design lines may be selected by line color. A lasso tool for selection of irregular shapes helps especially when editing rhinestone designs. The software includes a font creator feature that allows users to modify an existing font, or create a brand new font to add to the cutting fonts menu. Several styles of engraving fills are available in the software, along with some engraving fonts. These single stroke fonts may be used for creating custom rhinestone designs with text. The distortion menu in the software offers automatic and freehand adjustment of text or objects to fit inside of shapes for creation of interesting word art designs. Additional editing features include undo, redo, cut, copy, paste, duplicate, multiply, copy around a curve, wrap text or a shape to a path or another shape. A variety of zoom tools allow the user to zoom in or out to the portion of the design that needs work. Justification tools allow the user to control how portions of the design line up. There is a notes window where users can make note of font names, design sources, copyright, instructions, and contact information, etc. Users may change the look of the working area of the screen to include snap features, rulers, grids, dots, guide lines, etc., with the option of viewing designs in wireframe or filled mode.

10 There are a number of welding options available in Funtime Gazelle software. The most frequently used welding features have icons on the toolbars, including simple weld (union), subtract weld, and WYSIWYG, a feature that allows user to place all design elements on the screen in two colors, and the software automatically removes overlapping or intersecting lines. Funtime Gazelle IV also features a number of useful photo editing features, including shadow styles, texture fills, gradient fills, photo cropping, transparent fills, clone stamp, image softening, and other special effects that may be applied to images such as hue, noise, painting, pixilation, mosaic, etc. The software automatically scans the colors of imported images, and includes those colors in the color palette. Alternate color palettes are available as well. Line and fill colors may be assigned separately. Line fills may be automatically applied to the line colors, or line colors may be automatically applied to lines fills as needed. Images may be cropped using a rectangle, oval, circle, or any selected shape. Images may be flipped, mirrored, italicized, rotated or angled as desired. Small images may be adjusted in size without losing definition prior to being converted to cutting lines for cleaner conversion. Shadows may be added to the designs, and designs may be exported as images or printed. Cutting selection in Funtime Gazelle software is done by line color. Users select the line color(s) of the design to be cut. The user designates the number of passes for cutting in the cutter control window. There is an option in the cutting window to have the cutter create weeding lines around the shapes for easier design removal from the cut media. Offset may be adjusted as needed. Design lines may be moved temporarily in the cutting window for optimal placement. The design lines will return to their original positions when the cutting window is closed. Speed and pressure are set using buttons on the Gazelle cutter. Challenges Beginners may need help initially getting their software set up to work with their computer system and cutter. Excellent technical support is available from Bosskut for assistance in the setup process. Users should take advantage of this assistance. Feeding the cutting mat into the Gazelle is semi-automatic. Users press and hold either of the feed buttons on the machine to move the mat in or out to the desired location. Images displayed on the Funtime Gazelle software screen will cut in the same location on the physical mat. Cutting starts in the lower right corner of the screen and mat. As with any cutter, users will get the best results if they do adequate test cuts using the media of their choice, before starting a large cutting project. Practice with a pen in place of the blade holder will conserve paper, blade tip, and cutting mat during the learning process. Many find that lining the left edge of the cutting mat to the lip of the left drawer in the lid of the cutter, provides a consistent placement guide.

11 Those who have used other cutters previously may need to get used to the manual placement of the cutter head to its desired horizontal position on the mat. Most other cutters require head movement to be done using arrow keys on the machine or in the software. Doing this by hand with the Gazelle is faster and easier. Users should be careful not to turn off the cutter while it is cutting. Use of the Pause button, instead, will prevent projects from getting hung up in the printer queue. While the machine is paused, removing the blade holder from the machine, and allowing the machine to go through its motions to complete the cut is one way to clear the project from the queue. Some users find that selecting the Gazelle as the default printer prevents cutting delays. Those who like to cut vinyl using the Gazelle should plan to use the blade holder that ships with the Gazelle for cutting vinyl, as the preset click holder may not have a setting that works well with some types of vinyl. Users should take advantage of the test cut feature on the machine to determine the best blade and pressure settings. If a user accidentally plugs in the USB cable to a different USB port on the computer, a second driver may be installed to the computer, causing communication issues between the computer and cutter. New Gazelle users may need to contact support to learn how to remove the drivers and reinstall just a single driver to remedy the situation. Seasoned users will learn how to fix this issue on their own as it occurs. Those who prefer to use third party software with the Gazelle will need to seek support from the software vendor. Those who wish to do accurate print and cut projects with the Gazelle should plan to do that using the Funtime Gazelle software, as using other software may not be accurate. Conclusion The Bosskut Gazelle is an amazing all-purpose cutter for home crafters. It offers beginning and advanced cutter users an outstanding combination of software features and hardware options.