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My Silhouette
is one of my favorite crafting tools, it runs second only to my sewing machine. Having this kind of cutting machine opens up a world of crafting possibilities.
After a few friends saw what I could create with my machine they were sold and purchased one also. In light of that, it got me thinking what should a Silhouette
newbie know? I wanted them to have all the information, so they could spend less time figuring things out and get straight to crafting. So, in case you are the proud owner of a new Silhouette here are 7 Things you should know.
Know how to get to the Silhoutte Manual and Shortcuts on your computer.
It is so much easier to have this information accessible on your computer. You will probably want to refer to it when working with new material or settings, and it is always great to have on hand for troubleshooting. There are also great tutorial videos done by Silhouette on YouTube that go over how to set up your machine and using all the different Silhouette materials.
Your new mat will be too sticky!
The best thing to do is dab it with an old t-shirt to try to dull the super strong adhesive. It won’t take long to break in your mat, but you might want to be cautious of that at first. Resist the urge to use cheap paper in this beginning period as it will definitely leave you with a bigger mess to clean off your mat.
There are two different buttons for loading a mat and vinyl into your Portrait.
This tip only applies to Portrait users, but trips a lot of us, including me. I think it was because one of the first things I officially cut with my machine was vinyl. I began by watching the Vinyl Starter Kit
tutorial for my Portrait, never thinking when I changed to using my mat that it was a different load button. So, when my machine started cutting my mat instead of the material I realized something was wrong, unfortunately it took me way to long to figure out they top right button is the load mat button and the one under that is the load media. This explains it more, and has a video on how to load your Cameo.
Test cuts are always a good idea.
I almost always make a test cut when working on projects. Especially when cutting vinyl because I usually have a limited supply on hand. I found that making a quick cut with card-stock to test out the design and size saves me time in the end.
You can copy and paste stuff into the Silhouette Studio® Designer Edition.
So you found a great image that you want to use while search the Internet that isn’t a SVG file? The best way to get it into the Studio is to copy and paste. Simple enough, but make sure that the image is free to use first! Then it is as simple as using the tracing feature.
Your blade and mat are going to get dirty.
Don’t toss those dirty mats though. There are ways to clean and then re- sticky old mats. But, personally I think the dirtier they get the better they work with certain projects. So, I hold on to my less stick, very worn mat for occasions where I don’t need the super grip of the new mat. The blade is something you definitely want to learn how to clean though. If you notice your blade is starting to skip, it probably just needs cleaned. Check out this tutorial on how to clean your blade.
Find some Facebook Support.
Do you know that there are Facebook Groups just for people who use Silhouettes? They are awesome for finding out new information, inspiration and asking questions. I definitely wouldn’t have gone as far with my machine if it wasn’t for all the wonderful support of my Silhouette Facebook group. To find a group for you just search “Silhouette” on Facebook, read the description to make sure it is a good fit for you and request to join.
Be sure to check out my my Tips and Tricks for Heat Transfer Vinyl.
For more Silhouette ideas and inspiration check out my Silhouette Projects Page or follow my Silhouette Love Pinterest Board.
Do you have a Silhouette? What tips do you have for a new owner?
Stephanie, sandpaper and glue
Thanks for the tips..and all the links! The Facebook group was definitely the biggest help for me!
brenna
So glad you liked it, I agree the FB group has been huge for me also.
Cat Cardet
I’m having a really hard time finding any Silhouette groups… none seem to keep them up to date.
brenna
Cat, look for an email from me. I’ll send you a link to my favorite group.
Lauren @ The Thinking Closet
Such a great compilation of tips and tricks! I wish I had read something like this when I was just starting off. (Also, I’m a huge fan of your last tip.) Pinning this to share with others!
brenna
Thanks Lauren, the last tip is my favorite too.
Lisa Chouinard
Thanks for posting this! I jumped in before doing my research at first and made a ton of newbie mistakes!
brenna
Lisa, that is why I wanted to write it because I certainly did too!
Crystal @ Sew Creative
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve been seeing the great projects that bloggers make with their silhouettes for years and I really want to get one. Maybe for my birthday this summer? 😉 Pinning this for the day my Silhouette arrives!
brenna
I have had so much fun with mine! I love it. Keep checking back with me because I’m now a Silhouette affiliate. I will be able to give you a promo code and let you know of the sales!
Hezzi-D
Great tips! I don’t have a silhouette machine but they look so cool!
Kathleen @ Fearlessly Creative Mammas
I’d really like to get one of these some time. I’ve had a friend cut some stuff out for me on hers and it’s fantastic! Great tips you have here.
Shawna Ferrin
Great tips! I would also add that in the beginning using your Silhouette can be very intimidating but don’t let it scare you! Have fun with it, make mistakes and learn from them. You will come to live your machine!
brenna
You are very right!
Kamee
Great tips! I would add that you should have a separate blade for paper and vinyl. Paper will dull your blade faster and you need a nice sharp blade for vinyl.
brenna
I never thought about having two blades, that is a great idea.
Tammy Northrup
Great information, Brenna! Thank you for sharing. I didn’t realize there were two different load buttons. That’s probably why I cut my mat right off the bat and have been too afraid to try anything since.
brenna
Tammy, don’t feel bad I did the same thing for months before figuring it out.
kathe
(hanging my head in shame) I have had my Cameo for over a year and have only used it a couple of times because I am afraid of it. Your tips are so timely because I want to get over my fear and be creative again! I am pinning this Brenna, thanks so much!
brenna
Please don’t be afraid anymore! I can completely understand how it can be intimidated. Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have.
Debra Lynn
Thank you so much for all your info for us newbies. Love you Pinterest page as well.
brenna
Thank you, Debra! I’m so glad you found it helpful.
ann
Thank you for sharing this. A big help to a nearly newbie. Expecting one for Christmas. Will look on FB for a group. Thanks.
brenna
Yay, for your new machine! I’m so glad you found this helpful.
Liza Ashley
Thank you so much! I just opened mine two days ago and starting playing around with it. I will definitley be looking for a FB group. Happy New year!
Maria Fortunato
Hi. I have had my Cameo for about 2 years and not used it due to a mishap the very first time. And Yes I was one of those who used cheap (inexpensive) card stock and it is still on my brand new mat. So I still have not used it although I didn’t re-box it or put it in a closet. Poor thing just stares at me from next to my sewing machine. I covered it so it wouldn’t get dusty and stroke it from time to time. So I’m going to try it again. How do I clean the card stock off the mat and when the mats are no longer sticky, how do you make them sticky again?
Thanks for the tips.
brenna
I’m so sorry you had a bad experience! Wishing you lots of luck this next time. Unfortunately, I don’t know a super great way to clean the card stock off of the mat, besides just picking at it and scrapping it. That’s what I do at least, definitely don’t use water. I made that mistake. I have never went through the process to make a mat sticky again. I just wait for Silhouette to have a sale and buy another one, but, here is a tutorial on how to do it. http://www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/2014/04/resticking-silhouette-mat-tutorial.html
Even though your mat got messed up on that first try I don’t think you will have to replace it any time soon. My mats look horrible, but work perfectly fine!
Shawn Michaels
What a great post, There is so much to read though here. I love the tips. Thanks for sharing such an amazing information with us. Thumbs up.