Goodbye Autoblade? It Might Be Time to Give Up Your Silhouette Autoblade If...

The Silhouette Autoblade may be ruining your cuts. I said what I said.  

If you've been using your Silhouette machine for a while, chances are you started with the Silhouette AutoBlade that came with your machine...and never knew anything different. But... the truth is, outside of user error (I said that too), the Autoblade is the #1 cause of bad cuts, no cuts, and frustration. 

It's Back! The Annual Silhouette U Anniversary Sale is Here!

We don't do this often...but when we do we go big!  The 48 hour Silhouette U Annual Membership sale is is here!  

And this isn't just any sale...we've rolled back our prices to 2016 Silhouette U Launch Day prices...which means if you join before 11:59pm est on Tuesday October 22, you'll LOCK IN those prices for the lifetime of your membership. 

All membership plans for Silhouette School's exclusive premium membership site - which includes videos, 1:1 chat help, free mini guides, and a monthly credit for fonts and designs (that pays for the membership)- are discounted but only for 2 days! And here's a secret - the discount is greater the longer you join Sil U! 

If you're an existing member, you can participate!! This is a sale for not only existing members who want to change plans, but also new members...so read on! 

Why Bad Silhouette Cuts on Vinyl and HTV May NOT Be User Error (VIDEO)

If your Silhouette CAMEO is not making clean cuts when cutting vinyl and HTV, there's a good chance it's NOT user error (and I don't often say that).

The default cut settings in Silhouette Studio V4.1 and higher are not accurate for the vinyl and HTV materials which makes getting a good cut without any adjustments nearly impossible. The trick for how to make Silhouette cut deeper should start with the force, not the blade depth.

How to Fix Red Lines in Silhouette Studio on Mac (New Software Update!)

12/20/23 UPDATE: Silhouette has now released a full version of Silhouette Studio to resolve the Sonoma issue resulting in designs appearing as a much of strewn red lines.  If you are experiencing this issue, download Silhouette Studio V4.5.770 to resolve it.

If you are not experiencing this red line issue, another display issue with Silhouette Studio, or with the software being slow to respond, I would NOT install this version of Silhouette Studio yet. 

How to Install a New Version of a Silhouette Studio

• Go to SilhouetteAmerica.com/software/
• On the Download button, click the down arrow to expand
• Select the Mac 64-bit option
• Find the download on your computer (likely in the Downloads folder) and double click to launch the installation
• When prompted, drag the Silhouette Studio icon into the Applications folder
• Launch the 4.5.770 version of Silhouette Studio 

How to Print and Cut with Silhouette CAMEO 4 for Beginners (2022)

Silhouette CAMEO 4 print and cut is probably one of the most intimidating things for beginners. But it shouldn't be! While I would not suggest print and cut be your first  Silhouette CAMEO 4 project, you should learn how to print and cut with CAMEO 4 as soon as you can as it opens up a lot of possibilities! 

To help you worth through this first print and cut project, I am not only including a free Silhouette design download for you, I am going step by step so you can follow right along! 

How to Use (Game Changing) Silhouette CAMEO 4 Pen Holder

The Silhouette CAMEO 4 pen holder is now available and they're honestly a pretty big deal.

The marker and pen holders for the CAMEO 4 open up the possibility to use products - like the Cricut Infusible Ink Markers, these American Craft cutting machine pens, gel pens, and fabric pens -  that otherwise can't be used with the CAMEO 4, but can be used with the older model Silhouette machines.

Multi Color Sketch Pens on Silhouette CAMEO 4

Silhouette CAMEO 4's high pressure carriage offers a ton of benefits (hello rotary and kraft blades!!!), but also sacrificed a couple of techniques a lot of users got used to on the dual carriage CAMEO 3 and Curio.

Just like with the single carriage Silhouette machines, it's not possible to do a multi color sketch (with two different color sketch pens), foil and cut, or a sketch and cut in a single pass with CAMEO 4. This is because Carriage 2 is exclusively for the specialty tools. That means sketch pens and the sketch pen holder won't fit.  But the good news is, it is still possible and just an extra step or two.

Silhouette CAMEO 4 Autoblade Not Cutting? 4 Fixes

If you're having Silhouette CAMEO 4 Autoblade issues, it's likely there's one of four reasons why. 

In this Silhouette tutorial I go in depth on how to fix common issues including when the Silhouette CAMEO 4 Autoblade isn't cutting, isn't cutting deep enough, or when it's cutting too deep. 

 

Eeek!! Ultimate Silhouette Guide for CAMEO 4 is Here!! (Early Reviews!!)

You guys I could not be more excited to finally release my 13th book...the Ultimate Silhouette Guide for CAMEO 4 (Plus and Pro!)

It's been a labor of love and I'm glad it's done..and judging from the early response, many of you are too!! And if you're wondering if I have a version for the CAMEO 3...2...1 (YES! The USG Second Edition is what you want). 

Silhouette CAMEO 4 AutoBlade Won't Cut? 5 Things to Check!

If you're having trouble with your Silhouette CAMEO 4 Autoblade not cutting - which has been a relatively common complaint - there are a few things to check.

Go through this check list to troubleshoot common CAMEO 4 AutoBlade issues.

Fixes for 7 Common Silhouette CAMEO 4 Issues

If you're new to the Silhouette world and/or new to the Silhouette CAMEO 4 it's likely at some point you'll need some troubleshooting help. 

With new machines and software to support them, user error and bugs are equal parts to blame for issues. BUT knowing to fix common Silhouette CAMEO 4 problems can help you avoid the need to wait on customer service for help. 

14 Free Silhouette CAMEO 4 Beginner Tutorials to Get You Started!

If you're a Silhouette CAMEO 4 beginner and you're looking for some help getting started, you've come to the right spot!

Six years ago I was in the same spot as you getting my first Silhouette machine for Christmas 2013!  There were hardly any free Silhouette resources for beginners at that time - but that's all changed! Silhouette School Blog is now the largest free resource for Silhouette crafters on the web.

Silhouette Rotary or Kraft Blades Not Cutting? Here's the Fix

If you have one of Silhouette's new specialty tools and it's not cutting it could as simple as turning off a safety feature.

The Silhouette CAMEO 4 Rotary Blade and 3mm Kraft Blade, along with the 2mm Kraft Blade (for Curio, CAMEO 3, CAMEO 4, and Portrait 2) all have this same feature.

Silhouette CAMEO 4 3mm Kraft Blade: What You NEED to Know to BEFORE You Cut!

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.

How to Use the Silhouette CAMEO 4 Rotary Blade: Beginner Tutorial

One of the biggest advantages of the CAMEO 4 is being able to use the Silhouette Rotary Blade.  No other Silhouette machine is able to use this new blade.

The Silhouette Rotary blade can easily cut materials that are otherwise difficult or impossible to cut with the traditional cutting blades.  This Silhouette beginner tutorial will get you started with your first rotary cut!

Silhouette Studio V4.3 Page SetUp Panel Explained

The Page SetUp panel in Silhouette Studio V4.3 underwent some rather significant changes and if the selections aren't correct it can prevent you from actually cutting.

These changes apply to anyone who is cutting with Silhouette Studio V4.3 (or higher) - regardless of the actual Silhouette cutting machine.

How to Find the Free Silhouette Designs with CAMEO 4

Not sure how to access the free Silhouette designs that were included with your Silhouette CAMEO 4? You've come to the right spot.

 
All Silhouette machines come with a set of free starter designs - but sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge to find them.

Silhouette CAMEO 4 Rotary Blade: List of Materials Rotary Blade Can Cut (Video)

The new Silhouette Rotary Blade for the CAMEO 4 is total game changer. When paired with the power and increased force of the high pressure carriage, it can easily cut materials that were never possible before - especially without stabilizer and a few choice words.

So what materials can the Silhouette Rotary Blade cut? I've been testing pretty much any material I can get my hands on and have come up with a Silhouette rotary blade materials list!  It's definitely not exhaustive...and I'll continue to add to it!

Silhouette U 3rd Anniversary SALE: Lock In the Savings for a Limited Time

It's hard to believe, but Silhouette U is celebrating THREE years...and that calls for a rare sale on all memberships for new members!

For the week of October 7, 2019 all Silhouette U membership plans are marked down  -  and you can lock in the anniversary pricing for the lifetime of your membership when you join as a new member!

All new membership plans for Silhouette School's exclusive premium membership site are discounted- but here's the catch: the discount is greater the longer you join Sil U and it's greater than it's EVER been!

Yup it's our biggest sale ever!

Silhouette CAMEO 4 Firmware Update Tutorial

The Silhouette CAMEO 4 firmware update is quick and easy.

You'll be prompted to update the firmware on CAMEO 4 the first time you connect the machine by Bluetooth.