Cricut Foil vs. the Foil Quill

October 3, 2020 Mom MD Hawaii

This article will go over Cricut Foil vs. the Foil Quill. Both the Cricut Foil tool and the Foil Quill are special tools for the Cricut die cutting machine that allows foiling of projects to make them foiled, shiny, and eye catching. They both transfer foil by drawing designs onto a wide variety of materials like cardstock, paper, faux leather, and vellum. See the positives and drawbacks of each foiling system option.

See the replay of the LIVE YouTube Video Comparison Below

Cricut Foil on the Left and Foil Quill on the Right

Cricut Foil Positives

Made for Cricut Machines by Cricut, works seamlessly with Design Space
No Wires
No Heat
Easier to change out the different tips: Fine, Medium, Bold
Cheaper starter Cricut Foil transfer kit $39.99
Comes with Foil and adhesive tape strips, to start foiling immediately
Adhesive tape strips easier to use than washing tape rolls
Transfers foil more smoothly on textured surfaces due to the way it embosses the foil into the material

Cricut Foil Drawbacks

NOT Compatible with other die cutting machines
Cannot be used with the Cricut Joy, only compatible with the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore family of machines
Less number of compatible materials to foil on
Currently less variety of foil colors available
Cricut Foil only uses pressure sensitive foil that is currently more expensive than the heat embossed foil compatible with the Foil Quill
Rubs off a little more than the the Foil Quill from completed projects

Cricut Foil Compatible Materials

What can you use Cricut Foil on?

Cardstock of all weights
Watercolor paper
Pearl paper
Vellum
Printable vinyl
Printable sticker paper
Kraft board
Mat board
Pasteboard
Copy paper
Photo paper
Faux leather

Foil Quill Positives

Compatible with other die cutting machines – comes with adapters for Silhouette, Brother, Cricut, and Sizzix machines
Can be used with the Cricut Joy
Additional compatible materials: All types of vinyl, fabric, wood, real leather, canvas
Currently more variety of heat embossed foil colors available
At this time Foil Quill Foils are more affordable than Cricut Foil
A separate reusable magnetic mat is available for holding foil in place on your project, and is compatible with Cricut Foil
Separate Foil Quill Freestyle Pens allow freehand drawing and correction of any mistakes or missed spots on projects
USB drives with designs for foiling available
Rubs off less than the Cricut Foil from completed projects

Foil Quill Drawbacks

Needs a USB port or battery pack for power
Uses Heat, potentially dangerous, especially for children
Extra time needed to warm up the tips (5 minutes recommended)
Wires may get in the way and potentially could get caught up or stuck in the machine
More work to change out between the different tips: fine, regular, bold
Washi tape roll not as easy to use as Cricut’s adhesive tape strips
Only the starter kit with all 3 sizes: fine tip, standard tip, and bold tip comes with 3 rolls of heat reactive foils and washi tape, if you purchase them individually they do NOT come with foil or washi tape.
Foil Quill Starter kit more expensive than the Cricut Foil transfer kit

Compatible Foil Quill Materials

What materials can you use a Foil Quill on?

Cardstock of all weights
Watercolor paper
Pearl paper
Vellum
Printable vinyl
Printable sticker paper
Kraft board
Mat board
Pasteboard
Copy paper
Photo paper
Faux leather
Real Leather*
Fabric* – test first
Adhesive, Permanent, Removable and Chalkboard Vinyl*
Wood*
Canvas*

*Materials that cannot be foiled using Cricut Foil

See How to use the Foil Quill with a Cricut Joy and Maker Video Below

Thank you for reading about Cricut Foil vs. the Foil Quill. This article is meant to provide a comparison between Cricut Foil vs. the Foil Quill in a clear and unbiased manner. Hope this helps with any decisions between the two different foiling systems. Please let me know what you think about Cricut Foil or the Foil Quill and if there are any questions or comments. I love to see pictures and hear about your projects. Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Linked in. The product links above are provided for your convenience with no cost or obligation to buy. I am a Cricut and Amazon affiliate and may make a small commission if you choose to use the links to buy products, at NO COST to you. All opinions are my own.