Wondering what to make with the Silhouette Cameo 4? This post is for you! Learn all about the Silhouette's capabilities + project ideas.
In November 2019 I taught a Foil Quill class on the Curio at the All Things Silhouette Conference and I hate to say it but I’ve hardly touched it since that time. Here is a photo of the project we did for that class. Note: this tutorial is photo heavy When creating classes, there is… Continue reading Silhouette Cameo 4 – Beginner Foil Quill
The giant list of places to find free SVG files that you can use in your cutting machine - Silhouette, Cricut, Brother and many more.
Makers Gonna Learn
One of the big brags of the Silhouette CAMEO 4 is the power of the high pressure right side tool carriage which is reserved for just three tools: the Rotary Blade, the Punch tool and the 3mm Kraft Blade. The 3mm Silhouette Kraft Blade, which can ONLY be used in the CAMEO 4, is a very powerful tool which not only can cut through thick materials, but can also take advantage of the increased force of Carriage 2. However, it requires a whole different type of cutting - and thinking and planning. I would suggest you read this blog post first before you get started as I've intended it to be an overview with some best practices for using the Silhouette 3mm Kraft Blade. Unlike the AutoBlade or even the CAMEO 4 Rotary blade, you can not just pop the 3mm Kraft Blade in the Silhouette machine and expect to have a successful cut. You need to plan. And you need to be patient. This is NOT a fast process - in either the design or cutting process. If you rush, if you pick the wrong design, and if you try to cut corners you will end up wasting a lot of material and potentially damaging your machine and certainly your materials. THIS is what happens when you put the 3mm Kraft blade in and try to cut with NO knowledge or planning of how to use this very powerful tool. I have spent days upon days and a whole lot of money in testing materials and bad cuts to finally crack the code on the best practices for using the 3mm Kraft Blade. This blade is so new there is NO information out there from Silhouette and there's hardly any default cut settings for materials the manufacture claims to cut. For that reason, I am giving you MY best tips. This is what's worked for me...based on the EXACT materials I'm using. There are a lot of variations of leather and balsa wood and mat board... What Materials Can the 3mm Kraft Blade Cut: The 3mm Kraft Blade should be considered for thick, dense materials. I have successfully cut - multiple times - this genuine Cricut leather, this 2mm balsa wood, and I am currently testing to find the right combination of materials and cut settings for mat board and basswood sheets. Preparing Your Material and Cutting Mat A high tack cutting mat is suggested for a lot of the materials that can be cut with the 3mm Kraft Blade. The mat will keep the material in place - and help prevent slipping - during the necessary multiple passes. You'll also want to tape your material onto the mat to ensure it doesn't move. I used washi tape on all four sides of my material to secure it to the mat. If possible try to put your material towards the center of the mat as opposed to right near the edge of the grid - or at least position your design there. I used both the Silhouette Strong Grip mat and the Cricut Strong Grip Mat. The Silhouette mat is thinner and more pliable. While I successfully cut balsa wood on it, I found the mat bubbled a bit - side to side - while cutting. I think this was due to taping the material to it and then it slowly moving out from under the roller. The bubbling caused the multiple passes to be slightly off which resulted in some bad cuts. There are also no mat supports on the CAMEO 4 so you need a mat sturdy enough to support itself and the material on it. The Cricut mats are thicker and more sturdy. I did not experience any bubbling or mat movement with them. However be aware the thickness of your mat CAN change your cuts because a thicker mat may result in more pressure during cutting. Finally, I found it best to cut from the back side of the material (so the design is cut in reverse). This keeps your mat cleaner (especially on materials like this leather), your cuts cleaner, and if you get a bad cut on the first pass you likely won't even see it on the front side. ;) Picking the Right Design for the 3mm Kraft Blade The 3mm Kraft Blade - and 2mm Kraft Blade for that matter - are NOT for small intricate cuts. I repeat, the Silhouette Kraft Blades are NOT for small intricate cuts. This is a big broad blade. It can not make small intricate cuts. A few other things to keep in mind when picking designs for your Silhouette Kraft Blade. It does better on curves than it does on sharp corners. Designs should be at least a third of an inch wide at their narrowest point. Designs should also be positioned so they are NOT too close to the edge of the material to avoid splintering and to avoid the blade going off the edge of the material. If you have a design - like this three piece bow - I would highly suggest you cut each separately and not all in a single pass. The reason is, if the blade gets caught up at any point, the multiple cut lines can end up off. It's better to have one piece off than three. Trust me...I did a lot of testing. Multiple Passes with Varying Force and Blade Depth Remember that video I shared with you up there? There are two big reasons it did all that grinding. The first is I tried cutting with the loops or smart cuts on. Those are the small cuts in the negative space that the software automatically adds for rotating the blade, when you use the Action "Kraft Cut". The problem is the blade often got stuck in them and then it messed up the entire cut. Turning those off helped significantly. Secondly, I tried to just cut the material at full force at full blade depth from the start. That's NOT how the 3mm Kraft Blade works....if you want to get good cuts. Believe me. I know. Basically you need to first puncture and then score the material with the initial pass. Then you need to add a few more passes increasing the force SLIGHTLY with each pass then finish it with a deeper cut but lesser force. What this does is after you have cut through the material about 95% of the way, the deeper blade depth then does the last pass with just the tip of the blade slicing through the very last layer of the material. By backing off the pressure on this last pass you are preventing the blade from digging in and grinding into your cutting mat. Setting Up Your Design for the 3mm Kraft Blade Since the Silhouette software can't automatically apply varying force with each pass - you'll need to force it to do it. You do that in both the Design area and the Send panel by setting up a stacked set of copies of your design and then utilizing the Cut By Fill Color option. Each of these layers will then be assigned a different cut setting - each with a different force. Cutting by Color with Multiple Passes and Varying Settings In the Send Panel, it will look something like this. You'll notice each color layer has a different Material. All of those custom material settings I had to add manually - and each has a slightly different force as we talked about earlier with the scoring then adding increasing force with each pass. This is something you'll have to do one time for each material you try to cut. Once you add the material set you don't need to do it every time you cut that material again. So the next time I cut a piece of genuine Cricut leather, the settings will already be in there for me. If I cut a different type of leather I will need to add settings for that leather since there are likely variations on thickness!! I will, of course, have a Silhouette tutorial soon on how to add these special types of custom material settings. For today, however, I don't want you to get overwhelmed with information. I just want you to be aware of this different type of cutting when using the 3mm Silhouette Kraft Blade. The final step is to hold on tight. Say a prayer. Sip your wine and press Send. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM YOUR MACHINE WHILE IT'S CUTTING. I would actually suggest you keep a light hand on the edge of your mat. This first pass is basically a score. You're making a track of the blade to follow for the rest of the passes. If the blade stutters at all - just kind of help it out of the rut by pushing or pulling lightly so it keeps moving. Don't worry if the second pass is slightly off from the first. As long as passes 2-5 are in the same spot you should be okay! The machine will slightly lift the blade between each pass as it adjusts the pressure/force you set up before completing passes 2-4. You'll adjust the actual blade depth after the 4th pass for that final pass. Before you unload the mat and material, check that you can pop your cut out. It should be a clean cut. Once you've confirmed it's a clean cut you can unload the cutting mat and your material. Now you're ready to either cut your next piece or start assembling your project!! Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine! Get Silhouette School lessons delivered to your email inbox! Select Once Daily or Weekly. Subscribe Here!
Learn to create your own custom stickers with Silhouette Cameo. It's fun, easy and you can create your own stickers you'll love and need for your Bullet Journal, planner to any other use.
Learn how to turn portrait photo into SVG & DXF cut file for Cricut or Cameo Silhouette craft project! It's simpler than you imagine, and trust me I have step-by-step YouTube video tutorial for you! Let me know how it goes!
New Silhouette CAMEO 4 blades and tools are now available to pre order! But what tools are included with the Silhouette CAMEO 4 and what must be purchased separately? Tools included with Silhouette CAMEO 4 As far as tools and blades, out of the box the Silhouette CAMEO 4 includes the Autoblade 2 and four tool adapters. With the exception of the CAMEO 3 Autoblade, the tool adapters can be used to fit Silhouette CAMEO 3 tools in the CAMEO 4. They all go in the left tool carriage, Carriage 1. The Silhouette tool adapters will also fit a lot of the popular third party tools including the Foil Quill, Amy Chomas Creations Etching and Engraving tips, and the CB09 blade. Silhouette CAMEO 4 Tools to Purchase Separately The Silhouette CAMEO 4 can also take the new Silhouette Rotary blade, the Kraft blade, and the Punch tool. These tools are all exclusively to be used in the CAMEO 4's right carriage, Carriage 2. They will not work in any other Silhouette machine. A new CAMEO 4 pen holder will also be available - and compatible with three different size pens. It will fit in Carriage 1 only. The Punch tool is to mark which areas of a cut design should be weeded. The Silhouette CAMEO 4 Rotary blade is for cutting fabric without a stabilizer and delicate materials like crepe paper. Silhouette Rotary Blade The Kraft Blade (which comes standard as a two pack) is for cutting thicker materials like leather, balsa wood, craft foam, and mat board. The tools are not included standard with the Silhouette CAMEO 4 however some retailers may include them with Silhouette CAMEO 4 bundles when they become available. These are not included in any of the first Silhouette CAMEO 4 pre sale bundles because it would hold up the shipment of the machines - which currently underway exclusively from Swing Design. A confirmed shipping date has not yet been announced for the specialty blades. The rotary blade will retailer for $19.99. The Punch tool for $12.99 and the 2 pack of Kraft Blades $14.99. I will be sharing Silhouette tutorials on using the specialty CAMEO 4 tools on Silhouette School Blog as soon as possible. Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine! Get Silhouette School lessons delivered to your email inbox! Select Once Daily or Weekly. Subscribe Here!
Today's Silhouette Love tutorial is all about printable heat transfer vinyl! Instead of layering 100 layers of vinyl- or if you want a photo on a bag- Inkjet printable heat transfer vinyl from Expressions Vinyl
A list of the three cheapest Silhouette and Cricut businesses to start, along with a few tips and supply lists to get started.
Use your Silhouette Cameo 4 cutting machine to create all these beautiful home decor projects. Cut fabric, burlap, felt, card-stock, HTV, vinyl and labels.
Learn how to use the Silhouette Pixscan mat with this easy and simple tutorial. Use your own images and designs to create your own unique projects.
Are you new to the Silhouette Cameo 4 and not sure where to start? This post will give you information on what this machine can do and help you feel a
Don't want an outline, but want to give your design or font a solid fill when using sketch pens or Foil Quill with your Silhouette machine? It's easier than ever to do in Silhouette Studio. This beginner Silhouette tutorial will walk you through the few steps to go from the standard cut file to a solid filled sketched or foiled design. Make sure you are using Silhouette Studio version V4.2.471 or higher. This technique is for all of the Silhouette machines. Open the design and/or add your texted in a Silhouette Studio Design area. Click the Line Effects tool (previously called the Sketch fill) from the right sidebar to open the up the tool panel. With the design selected, start by selecting the Solid Line Edge Effects. You can select any of the Fill Effects, but I prefer the hashed fill for pens and the line fill right above it when using felt tip markers. Next you'll want to move the Spacing bar to the left to reduce the space between each of the fill lines. The exact distance of the line spacing will depend on the size of the design itself. Keep in mind designs with a line fill like this will take longer to process because each line is considered a cut line which is a lot of data for the machine and software to process. Now you can move forward with sketching or foiling your design. That's all you need to do to solid fill a font or design in Silhouette Studio. Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine! Get Silhouette School lessons delivered to your email inbox! Select Once Daily or Weekly. Subscribe Here!
Video and written tutorial on how to DIY split monogram with Cameo Silhouette Studio. Easy to follow, and easy to understand tutorial by Caluya Design!
The Foil Quill and some of the popular other third party tools for Silhouette, including the Amy Chomas etching and engraving tips, can be used in the CAMEO 4. The Silhouette CAMEO 4 includes a set of four tool adapters and I can confirm those adapters will work with a lot of the popular non Silhouette tools. To use the Foil Quill in the Silhouette CAMEO 4, first screw the 'C' adapter onto the Foil Quill tip. Note this is NOT the standard Silhouette Foil Quill adapter. Then place that into the blue CAMEO 4 tool adapter. Lock the small tab on the adapter before placing the whole thing into Carriage 1 (left tool carriage) of the CAMEO 4. The blue tool adapter is intended for Silhouette sketch pens so in Silhouette Studio you'll need to manually adjust the material from Cardstock to your preferred Foil Quill Silhouette settings. The CB09 Blade can also be used in the CAMEO 4...but I will warn you it's a tight squeeze. Use the CB09 in Silhouette CAMEO 4 at your own risk. If you decide to try it - the blue adapter, again, is the one you'll want to use. Also keep in mind, Silhouette America is releasing a Kraft blade for Silhouette CAMEO 3 and CAMEO 4, which should offer the same benefits of the CB09. The Amy Chomas engraving and etching tips can also be used with the blue tool adapter. They go directly into the adapter. Make sure you lock the adapter up before placing it into the left carriage of the CAMEO 4. Unfortunately the Chomas Creations pen and marker adapters can not be used in the CAMEO 4. The screw on those tools gets in the way preventing the adapter from closing or fitting into the tool carriage. Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine! Get Silhouette School lessons delivered to your email inbox! Select Once Daily or Weekly. Subscribe Here!
If you've been trying to figure out how to use your Foil Quill with Silhouette CAMEO 4 you're in luck. In this Silhouette tutorial I'll show you exactly how to get your Foil Quill tips working in the CAMEO 4 - even with the re designed CAMEO 4 tool carriages. Are you ready to make some stunning foiled stickers?! The key to making the Foil Quill play nice with the CAMEO 4 is to use the D adapter that comes with the Foil Quill tools. Best Foil Quill Adapter in Silhouette CAMEO 4 This is labeled for Sizzix and is shaped differently than the A adapter which is the adapter needed to use the Foil Quill in the other Silhouette machines. If you got rid of the extra adapters thinking you'd only need the A adapter to use the quill in your Silhouette machines, you can buy a replacement set of Foil Quill adapters OR you can get a full set with the purchase of any of the quill tips including the new Quill Bevel and Etching tips. Once you have the D adapter, thread it onto the Foil Quill and place it into the left tool carriage - Carriage 1. The adapter does not have teeth, but you can still press in the lock to keep the Foil Quill securely in place. Plug it into a USB adapter or use the WRMK Foil Quill power brick to warm up your Foil Quill tip while you prepare your design. Remember to use the metal plate to prevent the heated tip from damaging the cutting machine while heating OR have it heat up before you place it in the carriage. Foil Quill Cut Settings in Silhouette CAMEO 4 If you are used to using your Foil Quill in your CAMEO 3 or other Silhouette machines, the same settings won't work. They produce too much pressure so you'll need to adjust them. Head over to Silhouette Studio and start in the Send panel. Pick the CAMEO 4 from the machine list and then select the Action as "Sketch". Change the Tool to Sketch Pen. The best cut settings for using the Foil Quill in Silhouette CAMEO 4 are a Force of 4 and a speed of 7 with a single pass. By the way, I found no matter what settings I used with the fine tip Foil Quill it was still too much force and the foil ripped so I would only recommend the standard and bold FQ tips for use in the CAMEO 4. Preparing Your Silhouette Design to Foil Prepare your design in the Design area of the work space. Single line designs and fonts are ideal for sketching and foiling. I'm using the entire set of 16 Foil Quill Christmas Stamps and foiling onto clear (printable) sticker paper from Online Labels. I prefer to place my design slightly down on the cutting mat. I do this as a habit when foiling so IF I decide to foil and cut, like I did here, I can remove the foil before cutting and it's not stuck under the rollers. OPTIONAL STEP: To cut out the stickers, I selected the outer circle and created a small offset. This line will NOT be foiled, only cut. Now you're ready to foil. Place your sticker paper or paper on your cutting mat and your foil on top of that held down with tape or with the edges stuck to the cutting mat and pulled taunt across the paper. If you do this be aware you will get foil bits on your cutting mat. Due to the big metal bar on the CAMEO 4, it's challenging to use the Foil Quill Magnetic Mat in the CAMEO 4 because the magnets want to stick to the bar. Load your cutting mat into the CAMEO 4. If you haven't yet loaded the Foil Quill into Carriage 1 do so now - just make sure it's been warming up for at least about five minutes. Move back to the Send panel. If you created an offset to be used for a cut line, turn that cut line off by selecting it (only) and clicking "No Sketch". When you're ready, click "Send" to begin the foiling. When the foiling is done you can remove the cutting mat if you are completely done. If you created the offset line to cut around your stickers, DO NOT REMOVE YOUR MAT! If you need to cut something out, like I did with the stickers, remove the foil from the mat (leaving the paper or sticker sheet on the mat) and take the Foil Quill out of the carriage. Pop the Autoblade in Carriage 1. Return to the Send panel in Silhouette Studio, this time turn OFF the cut lines for the areas that have already sketched. Turn the cut lines on for the outer offset circle. The AutoBlade and Auto Cut action should automatically be detected. For the Online Labels Clear Sticker Paper, I use the default cut settings in Silhouette Studio for Sticker Paper, Clear. Click Send again to begin the cutting. Once the cutting is done you can unload everything. You should easily be able to remove the negative space of the clear sticker sheet. I just LOVE these clear stickers with the gold foil. They are so classy and look gorgeous! I mean really, how cute are these?! And how happy am I that I can still use my Foil Quill in CAMEO 4. Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine! Get Silhouette School lessons delivered to your email inbox! Select Once Daily or Weekly. Subscribe Here!
The Silhouette CAMEO 4 will run on Silhouette Studio just like the older Silhouette machines. However, because of some added features and functions, it will be necessary for CAMEO 4 users to update their software. Silhouette CAMEO 4 Software Before cutting on the Silhouette CAMEO 4, users must download and install Silhouette Studio 4.3.240 or higher. As of this writing, this version of the software is available as an Open Beta software. As are all software updates, this is a free update available directly from the Silhouette America website. This version of the Silhouette software can be used by anyone - with or without - a CAMEO 4 machine and if you are getting a CAMEO 4 you can download the software prior to receiving your machine so you're ready! Keep in mind, Silhouette CAMEO 4 options won't appear in the software unless a CAMEO 4 has been connected and powered on. To update your Silhouette Studio software you can follow these steps. https://www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/2017/07/updating-to-silhouette-studio-v41.html Will Silhouette Studio Upgrades Transfer to CAMEO 4? The other big question about upgrading to a Silhouette CAMEO 4 is whether one time paid software upgrades will work with the new Silhouette machine. The answer is yes! If you were using Designer Edition, DE+ and Business Edition - they will all work with Silhouette CAMEO 4 and you do not need to repurchase. If you now have two Silhouette machines you might want to consider upgrading to Business Edition, if you haven't already. This upgrade will allow you to run multiple machines at the same time cutting down your production time. You can purchase Business Edition from standard if you are running the free version of Silhouette Studio or you can purchase a prorated partial upgrade to go from DE to Business or DE+ to Silhouette Studio Business Edition. Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine! Get Silhouette School lessons delivered to your email inbox! Select Once Daily or Weekly. Subscribe Here!
Download over 200 free SVG cut files with commercial use. Includes Valentine's Day, Wedding, Home, Christmas, Halloween, Fall, and more!
How to Update Silhouette Cameo Firmware - Tips & Troubleshooting for Getting It Done!
Discover the Silhouette Studio Modify Panel Cheat Sheet for easy design modifications. Download it now from the Teachable site.
Last time we talked about how to use Design Space on the iPad. It is very simple after you install the Design Space App and pair it up with your Cricut machine. In this article, I will tell you how you can use Silhouette Studio on your iPad.
How To Use Silhouette Sketch Pens: Want to learn how to use your Silhouette Cameo or Portrait to draw?! It's easy; this tutorial will show you how!
Kirby Symbol SVG für Bastelmaschinen Cricut Cameo Silhouette Alle SVG-Dateien sollen mit Bearbeitungssoftware wie Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Cricut Design Space usw. geöffnet werden... ÖFFNEN SIE DIE HERUNTERGELADENE DATEI NICHT SELBST. Wenn Sie die Datei selbst öffnen, wird sie in einem Internetbrowser geöffnet und das Bild wird unvollständig aussehen. Bitte öffnen Sie mit Software, um dieses Problem zu vermeiden. Wenn Sie Fragen oder Probleme haben, senden Sie mir bitte eine Nachricht. Danke! Zum Artikel
Learn how to quickly and easily print a catalog of the fonts installed on your computer.
Makers Gonna Learn
So you have a Silhouette Cameo cutting machine. What now? Don't feel like you are alone! See the projects I made as a total newbie!
100 products to make and sell with your Silhouette, Cricut, xTool, Romeo, or Juliet craft machine.
Learn how to make and assemble your own boxes with these free Cricut box templates. Find Box SVG files for multiple holidays, occasions and sizes.
Are you ready to take your crafting to the next level? Learn how easy it is to print and cut using your Silhouette Cutting Machine in this step by step tutorial.
Silhouette Cameo has so many functions to make your work easier and to give you advanced functions. Here's some of the best tutorials to help you along.
Turning your Photo to SVG file has satisfying results From Photo to SVG: The topic of taking a photo and making an SVG is one I keep coming back to. Perhaps it is because custom images from your ow…
The Mother Lode of Silhouette TIPS & Tutorials I’m kind-of-sort-of-extremely-obsessed with my Silhouette machine. So, I’ve collected all my tutorials here in one gallery for your convenience – – one crafty pirate ship stocked with booty for my fellow Silhouette users. Happy looting! Note: This page is auto-magically updated with new creations, so be sure to...
Makers Gonna Learn
