/r/silhouettecutters
This is the place to talk about the Silhouette cutting machines, share tips, show off projects, and ask for help. Users of the Curio, Mint, and/or other cutting machines are welcome, too.
Filter by category
| Questions | WIPs |
| Assistance | Finished Projects |
| Tips | Silhouette Curio |
| Tutorials | Silhouette Mint |
| Project Ideas | Other Cutting Machines |
| Monthly Projects |
Rules
- Links to Etsy and other stores can only be posted in this sickied post. If these links are posted elsewhere, they will be removed and the posters issued a warning.
- While users of cutters other than those by Silhouette are also welcome, questions and assistance for those machines are probably better suited for other subreddits.
- Be nice.
- Use flair.
Flair
Questions: For general questions about the Silhouette cutting machines
Assistance: Need some guidance? Use this flair!
Tips: Share your tips in these kind of posts
Tutorials: For step-by-steps, instructional videos, etc
Project Ideas: These machines are powerful, so let's explore all they're capable of
WIPs: Working on something and want to show it off?
Finished Projects: Let's see them!
Silhouette Curio: Discuss the Curio machine
Silhouette Mint: Discuss the Mint machine
Other Machines: have a Cricut, Big Shot, or other cutting machine? This flair is for you.
NSFW: It's here, just in case.
Vinyl
Links
/r/silhouettecutters
18,804 Subscribers
Cameo 5 stopping taking breaks?
Hiya folks. I'm trying to cut a lot of text in stencil film and a few times during the process the machine just stops, or at least moves so slow I can't see it moving, for a minute or two then goes back to printing at normal speed for a bit. I've tried this cut twice now and it screwed up for unrelated reasons, but it happened both times, but it does eventually complete the whole thing. The text is generated in Silhouette studio and I didn't adjust the path or anything, so...any ideas why my Cameo is stopping to catch its breath?
15:08 UTC
Flying Internationally with Silhouette
Hi everybody. I will be traveling back to my home country soon and I want to bring along a Portrait 4 as a gift for my sister. However I am wondering should I put the machine in the checked luggage or have it as carry-on? I would love to hear more insigts about this. Thank you so much
Ps: I keep the machine in the original packaging and I will be flying from the EU.
11:59 UTC
Cutting detailed Christmas ornaments from felt
Hi everyone!
I just got my first cutting machine, which is a Silhouette Cameo 5. I have an idea for a friend's Christmas present, but don't know if it's possible to achieve.
I want to cut cat silhouettes from felt, and their names, and glue them together. Something like this: https://oriole.design/product/personalized-name-cat-ornament/
Is it possible to cut such small detail from felt? And what kind of blade do I need for this? I got an autoblade so far, but I read that the rotary one is better for such projects.
Any advice, article is highly appreciated ❤️
11:56 UTC
Tutorial: How to fix Electrostatic Mat disconnections, step-by-step with pictures
The Electrostatic mat is a nice add-on to the Cameo 5, but its design was a bit botched. As a result the electric connection to the Cameo is everything but reliable. The pins that make this connection are undersized, and normal working vibrations prevent constant contact. This leads the mat to randomly turn off, which usually causes ruin to your work in progress.
In this tutorial we will make the pins a bit more prominent, so they apply more pressure on the Cameo's connective pads.
Difficulty Medium. It is not difficult, but you need a bit of dexterity.
Time needed 1h.
Tools needed
- Drill with a metal ~3mm drill bit
- Medium-size cross-head screwdriver
- Utility knife, and ideally a way to heat it (lighter, blowtorch)
- Small metal file
Important: Not-a-lawyer, but this probably invalidates the warranty you may have with the mat.
Important: I deny responsible for anything you do with your mat. Follow this tutorial at your own risks.
Let's go !
Unscrew everything and open this baby
Be careful when opening it, there are two large springs which are very happy to pop out when you open the case. Make sure to collect them.
Now you can clearly see the PCB with the pins
Unscrew the PCB
Now you can see how the PCB is maintained in place by two screws in the back, and two plastic stops in the front.
Remove the springy cache. Be very gently, it looks pretty fragile. There is a little clip you need to gently bend so it gets loose and comes out towards you.
Now lets go to surgery!
Because we want the pins to be more prominent, we need to move the PCB about 1mm towards you. This involves two operations:
- Make the two plastic stops 1mm shorter
- Extend the two screw holes, so the screws allow the PCB to be tightened in a different position.
Lets start by the plastic stops
This can be difficult, as the plastic is hard, and you dont want to cut your precious fingers.
If you have something to heat your blade, it will help it go through the plastic like in butter.
I use a torch, but you can use a classic lighter.
Ok now this is done!
You can see the PCB is now allowed to protrude further. However the two screw holes on the back still forbid to tighten the PCB in this position.
Drill time! Find a drill bit about the size of the screw (I use 3mm), but not wider than the screw head.
Before the drill operation, I suggest you disconnect the blue flat cable from the PCB, so it clears your work space. You can write something on one side to remember which side goes where when you will plug it back.
Drill holes next to the original ones. If you've never drilled metal, make sure you use an indentation and lubricant (https://www.wikihow.com/Drill-Metal).
Still with the drill, gently gnaw the "teeth" created between the twin-holes. Finish with a metal file.
This is how it should look like.
Put the PCB in its final place, screw it back to the frame, in its protruded position. Reconnect the flat cable.
Reassemble the frame. Because the two big springs are annoying to position, I suggest to put the mat back upside-up. Make sure to realign the spring in their receptacle rings. Screw back everything.
Important: Rub some alcohol on the pins to remove fat that you may have deposited on it with your fingers. Otherwise this may prevent electric contact.
You're done!
Test your mat, if you did everything well, electric contacts should now be flawless.
Happy cutting :-)
11:47 UTC
Reload designs in the library?
Ok this is dumb and I should know the answer but I don't.
During the server apocalypse earlier this year I had a subscription to the design store I needed to cancel. Rather than loose credits I brought a bunch of random designs for things I could make use of later (I did not at that point realise that the server issue was even a thing otherwise I would have demanded a refund). Eventually the server issue was resolved and all the designs have downloaded but with the wrong thumbnail so I don't know what they are. How do i make the thumbnails reset!? Its driving me bonkers and I've never used any of these things I brought because I've forgotten what they are.
09:40 UTC
Save Selection Not Letting Me Save As PNG
Okay so I just bought a Cricut Maker 3 because I absolutely hate my Silhouette (lol) and am now transferring over my sticker files. For whatever reason, Save Selection options don't include PNG. Not sure if I'm just being stupid or missing something, but I'd love some help. Thanks.
00:58 UTC
Hack for making the silhouette 4 pens work in carriage 2 of cameo 5
I purchased Silhouette pens, not realizing that they are not for Cameo 5. I then purchased the pen holder, but it has to go in carriage 1. Not only that, but I also purchased a Pen Holder for Cameo 5 which fits in carriage 2. The problem is that the Pen holder for carriage 2 is not big enough for the actual silhouette pens. This means that I have to sketch from carriage 1 then replace the cutting blade after in order to cut. What a pain. Silhouette has been a most challenging company to work with. I have used Cricut in the past, and they are challenging as well. You have to subscribe to be able to do things like share projects. Does anyone know of a hack to make the silhouette 4 pens work in carriage 2 of Cameo 5?
20:56 UTC
Process for Transferring and Gluing Non-Adhesive Material?
Hello,
I'm trying to make some PVC coated fabric decal patches to glue to dry bags. I've got the settings on my Cameo 4 figured out for cutting it, and have a design at this point (will have a solid background piece, and my information in another color layered on top). What I'm not clear on, though, is what process I should use to actually transfer it to the background material (without placing each individual piece manually).
The problem with using transfer tape is that, at least initially, the transfer tape could have a stronger bond to the pieces than the glue would. But if I leave the transfer tape on it until the glue dries, there'd be a good chance of the transfer tape being glued to it.
The videos I've seen online all seem to use materials the have adhesive on them already, or are designs that don't need to be lined up. Any advice on what process to use in this case?
Thank you
20:43 UTC
New update/new machine
Hi all. I just upgraded my software (4.5.815) and got a new machine (portrait 4). I am using the print to cut feature. With my old machine and my older software, I never had an issue with my default design display. Now, the software seems to automatically rotate my page setup 90 degrees and it also does that when I download the pdf for printing. Is there a way to change the default setting so that it will be applied to all future displays?
TIA
18:40 UTC
Cameo 5 Autoblade Clicking
Hello everyone, first time Cameo 5 user here.
I just received my Cameo 5 today, and it only sorta cuts. It has not been able to fully get through 110lb cardstock or regular 20lb copy paper.
Whenever I use it, the autoblade starts clicking rapidly and doesn't stop. I've made 100% sure it was seated properly, unscrewed the cap and cleaned any debris, checked the sharpness of the blade, checked the carriage alignment, and checked my settings in Silhouette Studio.
Video link of it failing to cut: https://imgur.com/a/jRqvePv
If anyone can offer any assistance, I would greatly appreciate it!
03:29 UTC
Paper cut on my silhouette portrait 4
02:54 UTC
How to do you remove glitter from mat?
Without destroying the stickiness of the mat? I have a mat I'm trying to get every use as possible out of before I break into my new ones, but it has glitter in some areas.
21:45 UTC
Silhouette Studio updated & instantly removed itself from computer?
I don't use this very often - but I tried to log in today, received an error that it couldn't update and now its completely wiped off my computer (Macbook Pro). I am also have problems with the site from getting into the site. Is this an ongoing issue? I can't seem to login or do anything.
21:14 UTC
Cannot 4 Pro - Lines not Square?
Hello,
Doing some test cuts in some 18oz PVC coated polyester fabric, and really happy with how easily it cut through with the initial settings - I measured it at 0.5mm, and at depth 6 it cleanly cuts it without any drama, using the 3mm Kraft blade. This is only my second time using it so far, so still getting to know the machine. At the moment, I am doing miniatures of the outline shape that I will eventually be cutting, for saving material while testing.
My issues:
- Vertical and horizontal lines are not perpendicular to each other (horizontal looks good, but the vertical lines are slanted).
- The start and end points do not overlap, so I'm having to cut the last bit to free it. This will get real old if this is the case on all the letters of the final design.
Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/rGcjZvP
The slant in the larger one is less pronounced on the right-hand side, but it's definitely still there on the left. The smaller ones are very noticeable.
Any ideas how to remedy these?
Thank you
08:09 UTC
I didnt expect Silhouette 4 to be able to do this
06:58 UTC
A3 cutting mat
I'm looking for a cutting mat (cutting Cardstock) that will fit A3 card. I've a Cameo 4 Pro.
Having no luck so far, so if anyone knows somewhere that does them and delivers to UK, I'd be very grateful!
19:21 UTC
External monitor for MacBook
Hello all, I use a MacBook and so far my external monitor (an old 1080 HD Viewsonic) hasn't been able to work (it offsets everything) with the free version of the Silhouette. I read it was because the resolutions didn't match, but I'm OK using the MacBook screen so far, so I didn't give it much thought.
I'm on the hunt for a new external monitor and would like to know if any of you has been able to use the silhouette studio software on an external monitor and the make and model so I can buy the same :) I would love to have a bigger screen, eyes no eying properly :(
Thank U in advance.
14:33 UTC
Great Silhouette deals on Woot!
I was debating getting a Silhouette cutter on Black Friday but hesitated. So while going a Google Shopping search to find current prices, I discovered the Portrait 4 is currently $109 on Woot and the Cameo 5 is $199. Best deals I’ve found, so if you missed out on any Black Friday pricing, snag one of the Woot deals.
04:25 UTC
Sketch Action - Pen
Is there a way to write text with a single line? I want to write with the pen with sketch action, but it works like this. coz border :(
i want to write with a single line as normal text.
19:27 UTC
New to the Silhouette World
The wife wants a silhouette to make various things. I wanted to surprise here with a machine but do not know what to get. Any advice. I figure she would make stickers, t-shirts, invitations.
18:25 UTC
Joining a shape and a line
17:13 UTC
Autoblade drags across sheet
Hello! I am a new Silhouette user.
I have the Portrait 4 (received a week ago). I mainly got it to create sticker sheets. I previously created laminated Die Cut stickers without issue with the Portrait 4.
The problem I am facing is that the autoblade is dragging across my sheet and leaving random lines where it passes.
I used the lowest blade depth and it is still dragging across, leaving lines.
I also ensured that the autoblade was installed correctly. There are no gaps.
Here is my step-by-step if it's helpful:
Materials: Portrait 4 standard mat, matte vinyl sticker paper, autoblade.
I upload my pngs into Silhouette Studio, turn on registration marks, and align everything the way I want it to look. I turn on the bleed radius at 0.00 [I read this could solve the issue, it hasn't].
My sticker sheet design has a curved rectangle cut all around. This + the kiss cut stickers are line color "red".
I created a new curved rectangle shape and aligned it to the background of my sticker sheet. This is so I can cut the backing off completely from the rest of the sticker paper. This is the line color "green".
I saved it to PDF and printed it in Illustrator (colors are better that way).
In the "Send" panel, I move the green [backing cut] line color above the red [kiss cut] line color.
For the green line cut, I used:
- cardstock, plain
- depth: 3
- passes: 2
- force: 15
- speed: 4
For the red line cut, I used:
- sticker paper, white
- blade depth: 1
- force: 14
- speed 8
The red line cut seems to cause the issue when it creates the curved rectangle outline that exists in the PNG and then cuts the stickers.
I have tried cutting with the background layer turned off so the red curved rectangle line is not visible; however, the green curved rectangle causes the issue as well.
I have also tried cutting just the stickers itself (no rectangle) and then cutting the green line rectangle afterward. No dice. The random lines still appeared as the autoblade moved across the sheet.
I have no idea how to stop it from dragging across. It's already on the shortest blade.
I hope this makes sense. Any advice is appreciated, I am going insane lol
11:53 UTC
Problem with design store
Hi all, I don't know if anyone has experienced the same. I have bought few designs in the Design Store and the order is in the orders, but the files cannot be downloaded and are not visible in library. There is link by the order, but I cannot download. It says - No download records available.
I tried to contact support, but they started to ignore me. It it really frustrating, I asked for order cancelation, as I think, that just backend process did not worked correctly and the files were not added to my Library. I asked or to add or to cancel, but no response.
Is anyone from Silhuette team here and can help?
Thanks!
Voy
07:30 UTC
Etching balsa wood with cameo or brother scan/cut?
Is it possible to etch soft wood like balsa using a Brother Scan and Cut or Cameo 4/5? I do not need it to cut through the wood but leave enough of a groove to make a tracing board for letters - see image for example. Thanks in advance!
05:28 UTC
Print and cut wonky - Portrait 4
I have had the portrait for about a week now and it was cutting things fine when I first set it up, it's been a couple of days and I've gone back to use it and it keeps on cutting wonky and off center.
Does anyone know why this is or how to fix it?
17:08 UTC
What to buy?
Hello everyone! I am wondering what is the best model of silhouette cutter I could buy? I wanted to buy a cricut as a gift for christmas, but heard a lot of negative things and ended up here. I have no idea where to start, but I want the best…they’re interested in vinyl, fabric, and metal cutting if thats a thing! TYIA
12:17 UTC
Studio Mint keeps crashing
I'm beyond frustrated. I purchased a Silhouette Mint so I can make stamps for some of my coworkers. Every time I try to send the stamp to Mint, Studio then says "Sending to Cutter" and then the whole thing shuts down. I restart the program and it just keeps happening. I have cleared my memory and redownloaded the software but it keeps happening. I also turned of auto analyzing but that has not helped.
Could someone please explain what is going on and how I can fix this. I need to make 13 stamps and so far I have only been able to make 3. These stamps are also very simple with just text on them so there is no image so I would imagine that this is not much memory in these.
11:42 UTC