Foil Quill Hack for Faster Foiling (But Be Warned)

I love the Foil Quill Magnetic mat when foiling with my CAMEO 3 because of how much time it saves avoiding the need to tape the foil down.  Unfortunately that magnetic mat isn't real Silhouette CAMEO 4 friendly due to the big metal bar which tends to "eat" the magnets.

That got this anti-tape crafter thinking...and I had a lightbulb moment and a Silhouette / Foil Quill hack that I will be using from here on out.

When you use the Foil Quill, in any of the Silhouette machines you need to secure the foil OVER the material you are foiling onto.  Tape is an option...but I'm not a fan and have no patience for that.

The Foil Quill magnetic mat is a great option for the CAMEO 3, but it's a little more challenging to use in the CAMEO 4 and doesn't work with the CAMEO 1 or 2. 

 

Refusing to revert to tape when foiling with my CAMEO 4, I thought why not just let the adhesive on the cutting mat hold the foil in place?!

It worked!! And it will work with all of the Silhouette machines that can't use the magnetic mat (CAMEO 1, CAMEO 2, CAMEO 4 and Portrait machines).

Alright here's what you want to do.  Keep in mind. placement of your design in Silhouette Studio and the material on the cutting mat - is key in Silhouette Studio.

Start by connecting and powering on your machine. Find the available machine in the machine list in the Send panel.

In the Design area open the Page Setup panel and make all the "Auto" selections. Move the Reveal/Transparency bar to the right so you can see the grid lines on your cutting mat.

Use the Draw a Rectangle tool on the left sidebar to draw out a rectangle or square that's the EXACT size of the material. For this project, I am going to foil onto an 6.75 x 6.75" piece of cardstock. So I need to draw out square that size in Studio.

Move the box on the virtual cutting mat so there is at least 1" around it on all sides. 

Next open up your design by merging it into the same work area.

Remember, the Foil Quill will ONLY foil where the cut lines would be - it will not fill, unless you specifically add a sketch fill (which I did here).

Center your design over/in your box.

And because I know you'll ask, the gorgeous boho-inspired split monogram can be found here on So Fontsy. 

Now take your material (paper here) and place it on your Silhouette cutting mat covering the EXACT same grid boxes as your square is covering in Studio.

And yes you can see, your mat will get some foil on there, but it remains sticky. Whenever I use this process, I use the same mat so I don't mind that it gets a little glittery.  I would recommend a light grip mat.

Cut a sheet of foil that is at least 1- 2" wider and 1- 2" longer than your paper. I used my Foil Quill foil trimmer to cut a sheet.

Place the foil over the paper one side at a time securing it directly to the cutting mat on all sides. I start with the top edge.

Go slowly and pull the foil taunt to avoid wrinkles as you secure the other three sides.

Now you can just load the cutting mat and begin foiling. Remember, your foil quill should be warmed up for 5-10 minutes before you start foiling.

When the foiling is complete, remove the foil sheet to reveal your beautifully foiled material - paper or vinyl or something else!

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