Silhouette Tips, Tutorials & More! (August Wrap Up)

Anyone know where August went? I don't know, but wow it flew by!

I can't believe we are a day away from September. Schools are getting back in session - unlike this one which is always in session! 

DIY Custom Cake Toppers with Silhouette CAMEO 4: Start to Finish

You can make DIY cake toppers with Silhouette CAMEO pretty easily if you know a few tricks. 

You'll need the right font and the right material to ensure your custom cake toppers are a success! Read on for my tips on how to design cupcake toppers in Silhouette Studio and then cut on CAMEO 4 in this start to finish cake topper tutorial. 

Free Silhouette Design: Raise Them Kind (Commercial Use Available)

Fridays just keep rolling around here at Silhouette School...which always mean freebies for you guys! 

I think this week's is one that we can all love and agree with...and make some creative projects with too!

Free Silhouette Studio Keyboard Shortcuts Printable

Sometimes designing and editing your Silhouette files can feel like it takes forever. Clicking back and forth between tools and trying to figure out where to find the functions you need is a hassle. But did you know there are a whole slew of Silhouette Studio keyboard shortcuts?!

If you haven't used them before, keyboard shortcuts will change how you use Silhouette Studio. Silhouette School monthly contributor Kati from Houseful of Handmade is here today to share how to use Silhouette Studio keyboard shortcuts along with an adorable free keyboard shortcut printable that you can easily reference!

Silhouette CAMEO Sticker Tutorial for Beginners

Making stickers with Silhouette is really no different than Silhouette print and cut...instead of printing and cutting on paper, you're printing and cutting on sticker sheets! 

And just like print and cut, once you make your first set of stickers, you'll be hooked!!!

If you sell Silhouette items, it's a good reminder to let your customers know if you have hand wash only items. You can place these stickers right on your business cards and directly on the items.

How to Use Silhouette Studio for Beginners

If you're a Silhouette beginner, using Silhouette Studio for the first time can be a little overwhelming. There are a lot of tools and features in the software it can be intimidating. 

In this Silhouette Studio beginner tutorial I'm going to show you the very basics on how to use Silhouette software so you know enough to cut your first Silhouette CAMEO project. 

Free Silhouette Design: Crazy Cat Lady (Commercial Use Available)

It seems like every time I turn around it's time for Freebie Friday here on Silhouette School.

I'm not complaining because who doesn't love Friday...and a freebie? 

How to Make Custom Reusable Screen Print Stencils for Shirts with Ikonart Textile Film

Making custom reusable screen print stencils for shirts and other textile fabrics has never been easier...and you can do it all at home!

The Ikonart Textile Film is the secret. I've been showing you how to use the Ikonart Stencil Making Kit to make reusable stencils for signs, but you can also use it to mesh screen stencils. 

Tips for Making Faux Leather Earrings with Intricate Designs

Did you ever go to cut faux leather earrings only to realize at that small of a size the intricate design you wanted to cut was not going to happen? 

No need to totally give up on cutting faux leather with Silhouette CAMEO for earrings if you know this little workaround. 

How to Set Up IColor ProRip Software and Use with SVGs or PNG Images

If you're looking for an alternative to layering HTV and sublimation isn't possible due to dark or cotton surfaces, a white toner printer - like the Uninet iColor 560 - that can print full color transfers is a game changer.  

The Uninet iColor White Toner Printer software is called ProRip - and it can open the same files you're used to cutting or printing with your cutting machine or sublimation printer!  ProRip can be overwhelming because of all of the options especially if you're coming from another software program like Silhouette Studio. 

In this Uninet Prorip software tutorial for beginners I'm sharing the steps for getting started and how to open SVGs, PNG images, or other common file types that you probably already have if you're coming from the at home crafting world of Silhouette, Cricut, vinyl and HTV!  

Free Silhouette Design: Retro Teacher (Commercial Use Available)

It's time for another free Silhouette design and this week we're focusing on teachers! 

Yes, it's already time for back to school and give love to all of those teachers! Make sure your favorite teacher is taken care of with something fun made with this retro teacher design.

Adding Weeding Lines in Silhouette Studio (Why and How)

Weeding lines aren't just for those with Silhouette Studio Business Edition. You can manually add them yourself even if you have the basic software.

Weeding lines are hugely helpful because they divide the negative space around a design into more manageable sections.

Did you ever try to weed a large piece of vinyl only to end up with the excess sticking  - and maybe even ruining - your cut piece because you couldn't keep it out of the way?

Silhouette Studio Offset Tool Improvements for Sharp Corners (Finally!)

The Silhouette Studio Offset tool just got a major upgrade!

 No longer will an external offset on a design with sharp, pointed edges fall flat...literally. Instead points will remain points. 

How to Change the Default Font in Silhouette Studio

Silhouette Studio now gives users the ability to change the default font style and size.  This is an option in the Silhouette Studio Beta version V4.4.819 or higher.

Goodbye are the days of Lucida Grande and Arial 72! Now you can pick whatever font and font size you want based on any installed font on your computer! 

Free Silhouette Design: You Can Do Hard Things Love, Coffee (Commercial Use Available)

It's Friday and that means it's time for another Freebie Friday on Silhouette School! 

This week I am sharing a free You Can Do Hard Things Love Coffee design with you.

How to Use Magnetic Foil Quill Cutting Mat on Silhouette CAMEO 4

The Silhouette CAMEO 4 has a large metal strip making it a challenge to use the Foil Quill Magnetic Mat.

However, there is a workaround to use the magnetic mat with the Silhouette CAMEO 4 which is a huge time saver when foiling with the Foil Quill.

How to Change Background Color Silhouette Studio (New in V4.4)

Finally there is a way to change the background color in Silhouette Studio with a single click. 

I've written at least two other tutorials on how to change the mat color in Silhouette Studio, but always as a workaround. Now with the beta release of V4.4.819 users can change the background color in Silhouette Studio without digging into menus for a one-off solution!

How to Put Vinyl on a Curved Surface (Self Hinge Method)

Putting vinyl on a curved surface can be a struggle - but not if you have a few tricks up your sleeve. 

Curved surfaces can cause the design to be - or appear to be - applied crooked or wrinkled. The cause is usually due to the transfer tape having no give and therefore resulting in wrinkles as it wraps around the surface. Read on for how to center vinyl on curved surfaces like tumblers, mugs, and utensil canisters. 

Silhouette Tutorials, Tips & More! (July Wrap Up)

You guys...is it really the end of July??  I swear I say this every month but how did that happen?  We've been having so much fun here at Silhouette School that I blink and the month's over and it's time for another Silhouette tutorial wrap up.

In July I shared a bunch of free cut files in the Freebie Friday series, we had TONS of fun with the new Ikonart Reusable Stencil System, Silhouette Studio released some new and improved features in it's open beta version, lots of tips and tricks to help you with your machine and more I am missing!