Silhouette Cameo

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Introduction

Silhouette Cameo

The Silhouette CAMEO is a low cost home-user plotting/cutting machine. It's probably the most simple tool to get to start a simple fab lab.

According to Silhouette Cameo USA “The Silhouette CAMEO™ is an electronic cutting tool for personal use. Like a home printer, it plugs into your PC or Mac® with a simple USB cable. However, instead of printing it uses a small blade to cut paper, cardstock, vinyl, fabric and more up to 12" wide and 10 feet long. The machine also boasts a quiet motor and the ability to register and cut printed materials.”

Specifications and installation

What can it do ?

This machine can make Scrapbook pages, Cards, Custom apparel, Vinyl décor, Etched glass, Sketch designs, Temporary tattoos, Paper crafts. Technically speaking it can cut:

  • Paper and cardstock
  • Adhesive vinyl
  • Fabric
  • Heat transfer material
  • Rhinestone templates
  • Specialty media

A free software is included. The $50 extended Cameo software can read SVG files

Installation

  • Download the latest software from http://silhouetteamerica.com/software. (This software also comes with the included CD, but it's an older version probably).
  • Enter the 13 digit code if you also bought the Silhouette Studio Designer edition. This will unlock extra features
  • Connect the Silhouette to your PC
  • On Win 7 64-bit: Power off the Silhouette. Insert the CD in the box and install the driver which can be found on Silhouette-Studio/Driver_64_English/GDSETUP64.exe. Ignore the warnings in the installation dialog.

Vinyl cutting

Create or load a design

Adjust page size:

  • In page panel to the right, select the size of your drawing. You can use some presets, E.g. A5 landscape.
  • You can ajust the size of the drawing panel at all time. Just make sure that the design fits and that you don't waste materials.
  • If this panel doesn't show, click on the upper 4th icon on top from the right.
Drawing in Cameo Silhouette (first one I made on Feb 13 2011)

Create a design

  • For starters, we suggest typing some text
  • You can select font, font-size and font variation in the Text Style panel (A icon on top
  • Then, enter the text using the text tool A icon in the left tools panel.
  • Readjust font size, etc. and position.

Readjust page size

  • Finally, I suggest to adjust the page size again
Drawing in Cameo Silhouette. Adjusted page and font size. Ready to go

Select the cut settings

In the software:

  1. Open the silhouette cut settings panel (3rd icon from top/right)
  2. Select material, e.g. Silhouette Vinyl.
    • This will adjust the speed and thickness.
    • It will tell how to adjust the blade setting (see below)
    • It also will tell if you need a cutting mat

Cut

On the Cameo:

Notice:

  • No cutting mat is needed
  • Don't cut the vinyl, just use it from the roll

Procedure:

  1. Adjust the blade setting, e.g. 1 for vinyl (read p. 9 in the getting started manual)
  2. Insert the vinyl, color side up. Make sure to push it all to the left.
  3. Select load media and press enter



Links

Official

Reviews and ideas

The Cameo and other vinyl cutters in Fab Labs

Sharable designs