User Guide: Craft Cutters - Silhouette Cameo

Description

The Silhouette Cameo cuts numerous materials, from paper to fabrics to vinyl. It is popular for cutting vinyl, heat transfer vinyl, and paper, and it has a wider cutting area of up to 15 inches by 60 feet. We also offer some specialty tools, including the sketch pens, pen holder, punch blade, and kraft blade.


What We Provide - Makerspace Equipment & Materials

Makerspace equipment is free to use, but there is a cost for project materials and items. We provide the following:

  • Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Cameo 4 Plus (15")
  • AutoBlades, standard cutting blades, CB09 Graphtec Blades
  • Fabric Blade
  • Kraft Blade (3mm)
  • Pen Holder
  • Punch Tool
  • Sketch Pen Set
  • Cutting mats (various sizes and types)
  • Squeegees, weeding tools, tweezers, spatulas
  • Light box/pad for weeding vinyl, drawing/tracing, diamond painting, embroidery tracing, and related craft projects
  • Heat press - Cricut EasyPress 2 and related supplies
  • Limited materials for sale (cash only). Material availability is not guaranteed; prices are subject to change. We encourage you to bring in your own materials to create your projects.
    - Cardstock paper: 5¢/sheet
    - Paper: 5¢/sheet
    - Transfer tape (if purchased separately from vinyl): 2¢/inch (max cut length of 5 feet/60 inches)
    - Vinyl (iron-on/heat transfer vinyl/HTV): 65¢/sheet (12" x 10" sheet)
    - Vinyl (indoor/removable): 10¢/inch (transfer tape included, max cut length of 5 feet/60 inches)


What You Must Bring - Materials & Items

To use this equipment, you must bring the following:

  • Project materials - Paper, cardstock, vinyl, iron-on/heat transfer vinyl (HTV), sublimation/Infusible Ink transfer sheets, sublimation/Infusible Ink pens and markers, or other compatible materials. NOTE: We DO NOT allow cutting of any wood materials with the library's Silhouette machines. Materials can be a max width of 12 inches and a max length of 60 feet. For best results, up to 10 feet max is recommended.
  • Project item blanks - Depending on your project materials, your project blank will vary. Some projects do not require blanks.
    - For iron-on/heat transfer vinyl: Fabric items (t-shirt, tote bag, etc.). HTV works with most fabrics, especially cotton and polyester blends. Avoid synthetic fabrics with low melting points or textured fabrics like terrycloth towels.
    - For sublimation/Infusible Ink: Fabric items that are white or light colored polyester (at least 65% polyester), Cricut branded Infusible Ink Blanks, or other items listed as sublimation blanks. If you need the most vibrant fabric design, use 100% polyester white fabric. Sublimation blanks are available in many products (coasters, luggage tags, photo frames, etc.) and must have a special polymer coating to work with sublimation/Infusible Ink.
  • We encourage you to bring in your own materials to create your projects. The library also sells a limited amount of materials.
  • A design for your project. If you don't have a design ready, you can create one on our Makerspace laptops using the Silhouette Studio software. The library has Silhouette Studio Business Edition, which allows expanded features and importing of SVG and PDF formats.
  • Time - Depending on the size of your design, you will need anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours to finish a project on the Silhouette.


Learn

Print Guides:
- Silhouette Handbook
- Silhouette Cameo 4 Manual
- Silhouette Cameo 1 Tutorial - Using CB09 Graphtec Blades
- Silhouette Studio Software Manual
- Silhouette - Mastering Silhouette Studio
- Silhouette - Cutting Basics
- Silhouette - Heat Transfer Essentials
- Silhouette - Print & Cut Perfection
- Silhouette - Guide to Glass Etching
- Silhouette - 12 Quick How-Tos
- User Guides: How to Use Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets, Markers, or Pens

Websites:
- Silhouette 101
- Silhouette School

Videos:
- Introduction to the Silhouette Cameo 4
- 4 Things to Remember about your Silhouette Cameo 4
- Introduction To Silhouette Studio For Beginners
- Silhouette YouTube Channel

In-Person - Book-A-Maker Appointment:
- Book-A-Maker appointments are one-on-one sessions to learn how to use a specific piece of Makerspace equipment. After your appointment, you'll have the knowledge and experience necessary to independently work on our equipment during Makerspace Open Use Hours.
- Book-A-Maker Appointments are open to Bloomingdale Public Library cardholders only. To make an appointment, fill out the online form. SAME DAY OR NEXT DAY APPOINTMENTS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE. Please allow at least 2 business days for a reply.
- If you're unable to make your appointment, please email or call the staff member who contacted you. If you have multiple broken appointments without notice, staff will not accommodate future Book-A-Maker requests.


Tips

The following tips are from Silhouette and library staff:

  • Always make sure the cutting blade or tool is locked in place.
  • Always do a test cut before starting your project. The library is not responsible for failed projects, so test cut first.
  • If cutting a longer piece of material, manually advance the material through the rollers using the buttons on the machine. This ensures your material won't go off the rollers and cut incorrectly.
  • Matless cutting is available depending on material type. Materials with liners or backing, such as vinyl, iron-on/HTV, and sticker sheets can be fed directly into the Cameo without a cutting mat. The Cameo 4 also offers a special "Pop-out" cutting feature for paper and cardstock materials where a cutting mat is not required.
  • For best results, up to 10 feet max is recommended; up to 60 feet technically possible.
  • The Cameo’s blade and cut settings must be changed depending on the material being cut. Regular cutting blades must be physically adjusted (use ratchet cap to change blade setting) and the Cut Settings must also be changed in the Silhouette Studio software. Autoblades should adjust automatically when correctly selected in the Silhouette Studio software. If these settings are incorrect (blade is set too high), you can possibly break the blade.
  • Cut settings will depend on the material type and the complexity and size of the design. Silhouette has some default Material Settings, but you may need adjust them depending on your project.
  • Speed: To achieve the best results, slower speeds are recommended for thicker materials or designs that are more intricate. Always start slower and increase the speed if needed.
  • Force: Thicker materials will likely require higher Thickness levels. Don’t set it to high. Start lower and gradually move the setting up as the most common problem in clean cuts is having the thickness setting too high.
  • Tiny, thin, and intricate designs may not cut correctly. Slow down the speed and test cut first.

EasyPress (Heat Press)

  • When not in use, always place the EasyPress on its base. Do not leave it on the mat for extended periods; it will scorch!
  • For best results, always pre-wash and thoroughly dry your fabrics before applying your design. When washing, do not use fabric softener.
  • Avoid placing designs over seams, buttons, zippers, and anything bumpy.
  • Always lint roll fabric or clean item with alcohol before applying your design.
  • Follow the instructions for your material type, especially if you should remove the liner when it’s cool or warm.
  • Care instructions: For fabric items, wait at least 24 hours before washing. Always wash inside out. Do not bleach or dry clean. Wash only in cool water, then tumble dry low or lay flat to dry. For specialty materials like foil iron-on vinyl, handwash in cold water only.

Iron-On/Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)

  • Heat transfer vinyl is longer lasting than heat transfer paper, but does not work with photographs.
  • Designs must be cut with the Cricut or Silhouette machines.
  • In the design software, remember to mirror the design.
  • If your liner does not remove cleanly and the design is not adhering to your item, reapply the liner, then heat with the EasyPress a bit longer.

Cricut Infusible Ink/Sublimation Ink

  • Infusible Ink (also called sublimation ink) only works with fabric items that are white or light colored polyester (at least 65% polyester), Cricut branded Infusible Ink Blanks, or other items listed as sublimation blanks. If you need the most vibrant fabric design, use 100% polyester white fabric. Sublimation blanks are available in many products (coasters, luggage tags, photo frames, etc.) and must have a special polymer coating to work with sublimation/Infusible Ink.
  • You must bring in your own Infusible Ink transfer sheets, markers, or pens. The Library does not sell these materials.
  • To prevent damage to Makerspace equipment, staff will supervise all projects using Infusible Ink.
  • You must use the EasyPress mat, cardstock, butcher paper, and heat resistant tape (optional) when heat pressing an Infusible Ink project. The Library provides these items for Infusible Ink projects.


Reserve

Equipment reservations are recommended. Walk-ins during Open Use Time are welcome, but equipment availability is not guaranteed.

  • Reservation limit of 2 hours per day max.
  • Limit one reservation allowed per day.
  • Reservation requests can be made up to 7 days in advance.
  • All reservation requests are on a first-come, first-served basis.

To make a reservation, first check our Makerspace Equipment Calendar for equipment availability. If the equipment is not reserved, please call the Adult Reference Desk at 630-924-2730 to make a reservation. Please have the following ready:

  • Your full name
  • Your Bloomingdale Public Library card number
  • Equipment you want to reserve
  • Preferred date(s)/time(s)