All Silhouette roll-through cutting machine models offer matless cutting options. This means that you can cut certain material types without needing a cutting mat.
There are two types of Matless Cutting -- Kiss Cut and Pop-out Cut.
Kiss Cut
A 'Kiss Cut' is when you cut through the material, but not through the backing.
You can perform a 'Kiss Cut' if your material is:
a) wide enough to be gripped by the machine's rollers, AND
b) has its own backing (i.e. sticker sheet or vinyl)
A few examples are shown below:
This sticker sheet has been loaded directly without a cutting mat and is performing a Kiss Cut on the material.
This vinyl is being fed directly into the machine without a cutting mat and is performing a Kiss Cut on the material.
The default cut settings for select materials that have their own backing, such as sticker sheets or vinyl, are set to cut through the material, but not the backing.
Pop-Out Cut
Current cutting models* also have the ability to cut additional material types that are wide enough to be gripped by the rollers but do not have any material backing, such as cardstock. This means you can cut the material all the way through, even without a cutting mat.
* Cameo 4 and above; Portrait 3 and above only. This feature is not available for older cutting machine models.
Loading Material Without a Cutting Mat
When cutting materials that are fed directly into the cutting machine, make sure that you have defined your cutting mat setting as 'None' and the correct material size in the software.
The leading edge of the material should be straight across and not cut at an angle.
Align the left-hand side of the material with the left-most guide mark.
The right-hand pinch roller should be in the appropriate position for your material width. If your material is slightly smaller than the pinch roller setting, you will need to move to a smaller pinch roller position. If the size of the material is smaller than the smallest pinch roller setting, you will need to use the cutting mat.
With the right-hand pinch roller in its proper position, the right-hand side of the material should be properly gripped. Both rollers should be gripping the sides of the material evenly.
Be careful not to shift the left side of your material beyond the loading mark guideline. Otherwise, it can obstruct the AutoBlade’s ability to set itself.
With the material aligned properly, press the leading top edge of the material up against the pinch rollers and press the load button, or UP arrow, on the machine. The material should be pulled into the machine and ready to receive your job.