In this particular blog, you will learn how to cut vinyl on Silhouette Cameo 4. This is a beginner’s guide where you will learn from the basics.
Choosing the right design is important for a successful vinyl cut on Silhouette Cameo. You should always find a design that is at least 5 inches wide and high. Almost all the Silhouette Cameo beginners start by cutting vinyl.
So, get ready with your Silhouette Cameo, turn on the power and connect the Silhouette Cameo 4 to your computer. Let’s use the Cameo 4 auto blade and ensure that the blades are fully fixed and locked into the left carriage.
Now, let’s get started with cutting vinyl.
Open Any Heat Transfer Vinyl Design In Silhouette Studio
Start with the Silhouette Studio panel. Then, go to the machine list at the bottom and choose the machine which is ready to load. Now, you need to move the design area of the software. Then pick the Page Setup tool from the right toolbar. Ensure that the machine is set to Auto mode. Also, the cutting mat should be set to Auto mode, and also the page size should be set to 12 X 12 Auto mode.
What Type Of File Should Be Used In Silhouette Studio?
The file in the design area depends on where it’s coming from. It can come from two places, the library or the computer. Go to file > Merge to open a file from your computer and find your file on the computer and open it.
Setup A Design To Cut Vinyl On Silhouette Cameo
When you click the design to select and move it, if they move individually, you need to group all parts to join them together. Click and drag your mouse diagonally to select the design, and then right-click to select Group. To modify the design in Silhouette Studio, click the design and move the corner nodes in/out to scale it up to 4-5”. Now, again select the design and take it towards the bottom left corner of your workspace.
Then, choose the rectangle tool from the left to draw a box around your design. Keep the box at least half an inch from all the edges of the design. It’s called a weeding box, and it will help you in many ways.
Set Vinyl Cut Settings In Silhouette Studio
Then, move to the Send panel and ensure that the rectangle and design are bold red, which is the cut lines. If they are not, select the design and click “Cut” next to “Action.”
Now, change the material type of vinyl. The Silhouette Studio will reset the design with default cut settings for the material. You can manually increase the force to 14.
Load Vinyl On Silhouette Cameo
First, insert the adhesive vinyl on the cutting mat and set it down well, so it perfectly sticks to the cutting mat. Then, click on the Cameo control panel and click the Up arrow until they flash.
Now, take the cutting mat and hold it gently with two hands up to the Cameo rollers. Ensure that the left edge of the cutting mat is aligned with the gray line. Then, after a few seconds, the machine will pull in the cutting mat. Now, come back to the Silhouette Studio’s Send Panel to click “Send.” Now, the machine will start cutting.
When the cutting is done, don’t unload the cutting mat immediately. Use a weeding tool still loaded in the machine or try to peel one of the corners of the box. If it peels easily, you have cut it well. If it has not cut well, go back to the Send Panel and click “Send” again to cut your design.
After confirming that the vinyl cut well, release the mat. Also, use the weeding tool to remove the weeding box. Now, remove the other areas in or around the vinyl decal.
Pick Up The Cut Vinyl With Transfer Tape
To pick up the vinyl, cut a piece of transfer tape larger than the vinyl decal. Then, peel off the backing of the transfer tape to expose the sticky side. Keep the transfer tape directly on the vinyl decal. Now, use the scraper tool or your credit card to burn off the transfer tape over the vinyl. Then, peel back the transfer tape from one of the corners by picking up the vinyl with it.
Then, place the vinyl decal where you want to, and again burnish the transfer tape. Now, peel back the transfer tape leaving the decal on the surface.
Conclusion
We have seen the steps on how to cut vinyl on Silhouette Cameo 4. With vinyl, you can cut the designs precisely. Silhouette vinyl is available in twenty-five different colors in matte removal, glossy permanent, and various other finishes. The good part is, in case of a small design, you don’t have to do multiple things to apply your vinyl. Instead, you can place the design on your project and then peel off the transfer tape.
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