Tips for Cutting, Weeding, and Placing Tiny Silhouette Designs

If you've ever tried to cut a really small design on your Silhouette you know it's not always the easiest thing.  

Vinyl lifting off the backing and paper tearing are among the chief complaints. Cutting very small and delicate shapes is something the Silhouette can definitely handle, but it can be a lot less stressful - and let's face it, less wasteful - if you follow these few tips for success.

The first thing you want to do is slow the speed down....like to 2 or even one.  In the Send Panel, slow down the speed at which the blade moves. This can help prevent the tiny cuts from peeling up.  Some people will tell you it's actually better to speed up the blade so it doesn't drag in the area causing the vinyl or paper to lift.  I've always had luck with slooooooowwww cuts for tiny details, but if it doesn't work you can try the quick approach.

Double cutting - or having more than one pass - can also be helpful especially if you're having trouble weeding the tiny design. Cutting twice just ensures that the material is cut completely so the design is easier to transfer.  When cutting adhesive vinyl, I prefer to avoid double cutting on very small designs, but on HTV double cutting is ideal.

To double cut your design increase the Passes setting in the Send panel.

Giving your design a very slight offset can be a huge factor in how well it cuts.  If you can give the design even a .010 offset to 'thicken' it slightly without altering the design noticeably, I can pretty much guarantee you'll see a difference in how it cuts. 

Look closely and you'll notice that in the design on the right the monogram is slightly thicker than the non-offset image on the left.

Once your small design is cut, you've only won half the battle. Just look how tiny that design is - and it cut great!

But...now you need to weed.  Grab your Silhouette hook and a good pair of tweezers. Place your design - still on the backing - on your cutting mat to keep it still while you're weeding. Then carefully weed the design. If you are working with paper, the Silhouette spatula is great for getting tiny designs up off the mat without tearing them.

You may also opt to reverse weed.

Using clear transfer tape is a huge help when placing tiny designs...so is securing your target. (Gotta love painter's tape).

Because you can see through the tape and onto the surface where you're placing your tiny design, you're much more likely to get it perfect! I had the worst time lining up the monograms on these 5/8" acrylic studs until I switched from transfer paper to the see-through clear transfer tape.

I hope these tips have helped you successfully cut even the smallest of projects with your Silhouette. I'm sure I'm leaving a few out ... so please weigh in by leaving a comment!

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Thanks for coming to class today at Silhouette School.  If you like what you see, I'd love for you to pin it!