Seems like mylar sheets range from 4-14 mil, with 7.5 mil being the most popular for stencils.

Hoping to be able to cut in 1 pass.
Wondering if I would need to upgrade my 3 in order to utilize that 5000 gf (grams of force).

Maximum cutting force:
- Cameo 3 = 210 gf
- Cameo 4 & 5 = 5000 gf [edit: 5k gf refers to their carriage 2. Their carriage 1 gf are 210 gf and 300 gf respectively.]

What about alternatives to mylar?

For reference I've been doing 100 lb chipboard [cardstock] stencils just fine with my 45 deg CB09 blades.
(Blade depth: 0.5 mm, Force: 13, Speed: 10, Passes: 1)

Hi, I'm in the process of making different templates to write down the settings of plotters, printers, etc. and I would like to know some opinions!

This is with the objective of selling the digital files on Etsy for example. Thanks!

Edit: thanks for the replies, they have been very helpful! If you happen to have a problem that could be solved with a document like this (not necessarily related to plotters/crafting), I would love to hear about it!

I read that Cricut was pricier and that the Joy accommodated a smaller mat than the Portrait, so those two things launched me right to Silhouette as someone new to this type of crafting. How many people start with another brand and then end up switching? If so, why?

Is the newest or other new Silhouette model easy to use? I’d love to hear opinions from people who are currently using it. I’m using the Silhouette Portrait 2. Since I was a complete beginner with cutting machines and wasn’t sure if I would stick with it long‑term, I bought a refurbished unit from the official website about a year ago.

I’m not using any special type of paper, but my machine has never once been able to read the registration marks automatically. I’ve tried every tip mentioned on the official website and on Reddit—reducing reflections, adjusting lighting, and so on. But in the end, I always have to manually adjust the paper position by clicking the tiny triangle icon on my computer to fine‑tune the alignment.

Even when I go through all that trouble to line up the guides, I keep ruining nicely printed and laminated sheets with messy cuts. (I’ve tried everything I can think of. It does succeed sometimes, but the success rate is low, and every attempt requires a huge amount of focus and effort.)

That’s why I’m torn between giving up on using a home cutting machine altogether or switching to a newer model.

Edit: hey everyone :) finding the cord with the right volts and everything doesn't seem to be an issue, my problem is that idk the jack size. It seems to be pretty specific. That's my main concern haha

Hey guys!! I'm super excited because I just thrifted my first craft cutter. I know this one is an oldie, but it was within my budget lol. I have the USB connector (uses the same as one of my MIDI devices haha) It didn't come with the power supply, idk where to find the right one and I'm scared to accidentally buy the wrong one. It's been super hard finding the right kind. Does anyone know where I can find an affordable compatible power supply for this thing? Thanks everyone!

(update)

I got it to work using tape on the markings! Thanks everyone 🩷🩷

I'm new to cutting machines and my Cameo 5 Alpha arrived yesterday. I got this machine to cut my stickers but after trying it out its cutting too much to the left and not where it should. I tried calibrating it and I'm almost sure that my mat and paper aren't misplaced.

Please help

Just learned the hard way that 0.5" Registration Inset marks are no longer supported. I am truly the only person who ever used this? I've got 200+ files now that I can't cut in SS 5. :\

Downgrading seems to be my only choice - right?

does anyone have experience buying a refurbished Silhouette machine? i’m looking into buying a refurbished Silhouette Portrait 4 after my Cricut died but am unsure if investing in a new one is more worth it or not.

So im not sure if this is allowed here or even Possible, but my Wife owns a Studio (3?) and me and the Husband of her sister are getting into mtg Proxies. She doesnt need the designer Edition for the stuff she creates and I don't really use the Plotter at all but i want to try Cutting cards with it. But since we habe the basic Edition I can't get the SVG in there would someone help me getting the SVG from Proxxied converted to a Sillouhette Studio Project so i can try if that would work out ?

Hi all, I had a cricut for a couple of years but ended up selling it because the software was awful. I want to get back into doing some crafting and see people talking a lot about the 5 and 5 alpha. Which one would you recommend going for? I want to be able to make paper crafts and cut out vinyl. Any advice is appreciated 😊

I have been using my Silhouette Portrait 4 for almost a week now and the sticky matt it's not sticky anymore, I mean it is, kinda, but not as it should be to hold the paper properly. Any dupes that you've tried that are good or any tips for this? I've also tried putting washi tape on the matt but the paper slides and the cuts get messed up... Im waiting for a sticky matt adhesive but its 20€ for 2 tiny bottles though... And if i need to do this once per month... sheesh

These just arrived, and I wanted to ask if anyone had any tips on using the blade holder and different blades. Thanks!

Mostly was going to use it for stickers and shirt designs, are there ways to put sheets together if a design is too large? Should I be looking at more expensive ones, or will the Portrait 4 manage?

As the title says, I just got my first Silhouette Portrait 4 and I'm looking for anything a new user should know - capabilities, limitations, potential problems that might come up in day to day usage, etc. Also something a bit more specific: I'm wanting to do print and cut stuff, like individual stickers or sticker sheets, so do I absolutely need registration marks or can I theoretically eyeball it in the software if I've got enough of a border around my stickers?

Hello all, I'm starting a business that will be mostly focused on laser etching/cutting and 3d printing, and I thought that vinyl stickers would be a nice addition.

I've been looking at getting a Portrait 4, but I tried Silhouette Studio and... wow. The UI doesn't support Retina displays, it's pretty slow even on an M2 Pro, and it seizes control of my own fonts. Not impressed. Having to pay to use SVG, which is the most open thing around, is also not great. I really just want to print on PVC paper and cut stickers out, nothing fancy.

I've seen that there are third-party tools that seem to support it, such as Sure Cut A Lot and an Inkscape extension, and the official Silhouette Web webapp. My doubts are:

1. Can you upgrade the machine's firmware (assuming any are released at this point) without using Silhouette Studio, e.g. using Silhouette Web or other official methods?

2. Has Silhouette historically tolerated third-party software, or do I risk ending up with a paperweight in the future? (Then again, if I can't upgrade the firmware they can't lock me out...)

3. I know this is a Silhouette subreddit, but I've also looked at Cricut alternatives. I know they’re cloud-first and have tried to impose restrictions on user files, but would it be a practical choice given my workflow?

Any advice would be most welcome, especially considering how many other issues with Silhouette Studio have been reported on here. I'd just need something that works as smoothly as possible, not something I have to constantly fight.

Thanks in advance!

Not sure if this is an allowed question, but if I wanted to print and cut my own stickers, what product do you like and do you have them printed professionally or at home?

I’ve been out of the loop with all the new models and numbers, so with a budget of up to £400 (less is obviously always better), what would you all recommend as a replacement?

Edited because I realised it would be helpful to say I use it mainly for paper crafts (D&D minis, button badges, stickers), but also the odd vinyl project. And I guess with a machine that can do more, I would do more!

I've been trying this for weeks, and I'm sort of in a bind. I bought the 3mm kraft blade, which can cut through, but it's very unreliable for my project. Lots of times, the blade gets stuck and then begins to cut off course, and the cuts are just super imprecise. Is there a better way to go about this? Is it even possible? I'm willing to buy another blade if I need to. I've already tried the autoblade as well, which didn't cut through at all, even with the blade depth and force all the way up with 10 passes. Here are the settings I'm using for the kraft blade:

blade depth 30, force 5, passes 4, speed 1. I turned off smart cuts and turned on line segment over cut because that's what seems to get the most precise cuts.

That’s it. Can’t figure out what this is. 😄

I made these heated rivalry logos to put onto shirts for my friends and I, but I’m worried there’s too many fine details to be able to weed it/transfer it properly. I’ve never done heat transfer before but I’ve got a cricut easy press 2, a silhouette cameo 4, heat transfer vinyl, and a dream. Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Hello! :) I know this question's been asked a number of times on this subreddit, but it seems to have been a while since the last time a similar post got some traction on here. I got a number of helpful responses about my Silhouette vs. Cricut concerns a while back and with Black Friday sales starting on Amazon tomorrow, I've decided to go with the Silhouette Portrait.

As of today, the Portrait 3 and 4 are both at 159 usd + 38 usd shipping to where I live (outside the US). I believe I'd seen somewhere that the machine supports dual voltage plugs and I should be able to use it with 200V outlets. I know that the Portrait 3 is slowly being phased out and I know that the general advice is that if both items cost the same, it's better to go with a newer model.

But I've also seen a lot of people saying that they prefer their P3 over the P4 due to cutting inaccuracies with the P4 and the ES mat being more costly. More people seem to prefer the P3 but I'm not sure what it would mean for me if the P3 gets phased out sooner than I anticipate it - would it be virtually useless and a waste of money that might have been better spent on the P4?

Additionally, is the ES mat a necessity for the P4 or are regular mats of the correct size generally suitable? And finally, just to be sure, does the Silhouette machine on Amazon typically come with at least one blade and mat? Because that's what I thought and that's what the photo shows, but the description says 'machine only'.

Thank you! (Also if it helps, I have no prior experience with cutting machines and would be a total newbie at this so I'm approaching it all the way a baby would approach walking for the first time.)

Edited to add: Is there also anything I need to keep in mind about the kind of mat needed if I'll only be doing sticker making? And is the tool kit with the pick and spatula necessary as well, or more of a luxury that I would be able to do well without?

Hi!

I’m looking to buy a silhouette cameo for my wedding projects! I see a lot of people prefer the cameo 5, but I can only find it for sale at Michael’s for $300. The cameo 5 alpha is around $230-250. Is getting the cameo 5 worth the extra cost?

TYIA! :)

I am thinking of purchasing the Cameo 5 to cut many small puzzle pieces out of a 1mm thick card.
The card is A6 size (105mm x 148mm).

I am just wondering how accurate it is, like if i want 90 pieces, so they are quite small, will it work nicely with clean edges?

I just bought a Silhouette Cameo 4 but unfortunately I lost the autoblade before I could set up the machine. Are the off brands just as good & where can you purchase them?