5" Xyron Create-A-Sticker Sticker Maker

I saw this on sale, so I bought in on an impulse. I love it. I had been buying label paper and print random stickers for my son, then cut them into squares. Once you cut label paper, it is hard to get the labels off, labels don't stick to many things, can be super annoying to line up in the printer with the templates, and oh the jams from using fancy label paper.And again labels are very short term, so what If I want to actually make something crafty. Well I can't draw, paint, even write legible so I need to print. Then glue, yeah not enough, too much, paper gets wet, I glue my fingers together, almost glued my lips together once (you know how lol) point is, not crafty, but want to beWe have stuck these to glass, plastic, metal, the walls. Very simple, I print a bunch of little whatever we are doing. Try to cram as much together as not to waste. Feed it in, often it is small so I might push with my fingernails, slowly turn the dial. The adhesive is perfect, they can be stored a while, and larger things my 5 year old can even run himself.I love this thing.If I had to come up with a negative, it is the paper ripping edge thing. Just like with saran wrap, foil, etc, it is just pointless. I'd like some sort of little cut button with a blade, but I will just use a scissors.ETA, When I reviewed this in 2018, it was for the xrn500en, which is still showing in the product video. the pictures now are of a different model. A newer model it seems. overall, while they look different on the outside it is still using the same cartridge, same turn knob, same tear edge, so everything I said probably still holds true. My original is still working great, I was looking to get one for a gift, but wanted to clarify.

This machine works like a charm, I am pretty happy with the purchase. I notice a lot of the same questions and such popping up, though, so I figured I'd take the time to try and clear some things up for anyone who actually reads through the reviews.So ,what this machine does is it takes whatever you roll through it and adds a layer of adhesive to the bottom of it (covered by peel-back paper). That's pretty much it. While the diameter of your sticker is 5 inches, the length can be quite long since it simply outputs a continuous sheet. Ideally, if you are making small stickers (2 inches, 1 inches) the best thing would be to group them together in a page making program or something like that so you are not wasting the roll on one or two very small stickers. Making them in bulk is more cost efficient.The machine DOES NOT add any sort of matting or laminate to the top of the sticker, so keep that in mind. It doesn't use batteries or power; it's totally operated by a hand crank knob which works fine.It tends to be at it's best when your stickers are relatively simple shapes with broad curves. Complex and detailed die-cuts will probably not work too well because of the way the adhesive sticks to the paper. If you want to make stickers of complex shapes, I would recommend NOT die-cutting the shapes (like in a Silhouette machine or a Cricut) but rather giving them a loose border instead. The important thing to keep in mind about this machine is that the quality of the sticker that comes out of it is wholly dependent on the quality of what you are putting INTO it. It will make perfectly decent, basic, casual stickers with just plain printer paper or craft paper. But if you want really solid stickers, you will have to pick your medium. And, additionally, if you want stickers that can be placed outdoors or on cars or something like that, you will either need to seal your stickers with some form of waterproof matting spray OR use single-sided laminate sheets (which are easy to find in office supply stores). Personally, I have been able to make near-professional quality stickers on this thing using good quality photo paper to which I then apply a laminate sheet. You could also put vinyl through this machine, but most printable vinyl already has adhesive on it, so it's kinda redundant.The "permanent' adhesive rolls are definitely permanent. The glue is very good, about the same as the average sticker you would buy in a store. You can put it on glass if you want, but keep in mind that getting it off will probably require some chemicals or scraping. (if you want to make stickers for glass, you might want to instead try static-cling vinyl sheets).Anyway, it's a great little machine and makes way more durable stickers than the average sticker paper sheets you find in craft stores. Kids will probably love it, and it seems like a very child-friendly machine. Now I'm tempted to buy a slightly bigger model of the Xyron machines.

I debated on swapping this for the new machine which also does magnets and laminating, but for the price, I figured I could just buy another machine if I was sold on this brand. And for the most part, I am just interested in making stickers. I run a lightweight glossy paper through a color laser printer and then put the designs through this bad boy. Great quality stickers. I've only had a few instances where the edge got caught going into the machine and bent.My beef with this machine, however, is that it wastes a lot of adhesive. When you tear off a design, you're ending up with a good inch and a half or so of border when you start your next project. To get the most out of this machine, I'd recommend running through as many pieces as you can in one fell swoop. It can be a bit tricky to get them to not overlap as they go into the machine (another bummer that's happened to me) but once you get the hang of it, you'll maximize your adhesive. I also send small items in side by side.As some comment, there is no indication when you're about to run out of adhesive, and the machine just stops. You're left to try to salvage the piece by unrolling out of the machine (I was able to do this once successfully) and then I ran it through again on a new refill cartridge. If only the manufacturer would put some sort of indicator on the refill to tell you when you've got a little left (like, a foot). That would be extremely helpful.All in all, this is an expensive way to make stickers for projects and a heck of a lot easier than using double stick tape.