The Print & Cut feature allows you to send a project from the Silhouette software program to your printer, and then load the printed page into your Silhouette cutting machine to cut the defined cut lines, usually defined around the printed design's contour.
The resulting cut-out project provides a custom-cut printed design.
This feature is included in all editions of Silhouette Studio. All Silhouette machine models have an optic sensor to read Registration Marks and accommodate the Print & Cut feature.
Getting Started with Print & Cut
Registration Marks
The Print & Cut process requires the use of Registration Marks. Registration Marks are a series of marks that are printed near the corners of your page.
The Silhouette cutting machine's optic sensor will find the registration marks on your printed material and know accordingly where to cut your defined cut lines, usually around the contour of the printed design.
Turning on Registration Marks
IMPORTANT: Registration Marks are only for Print & Cut jobs where you are printing a project and then feeding the printed page into the Silhouette machine to be cut. If you are not performing a Print & Cut job, you will need to turn off Registration Marks.
To enable your Registration Marks for Print & Cut jobs:
- Open Silhouette Studio
- Go to the Page Setup panel (on the upper right-hand toolbar)
- Click on the 'Registration Mark' icon
- Select the 'On' option
Print & Cut Designs
Some designs offered in the Silhouette Design Store are ready-made Print & Cut designs. You can identify these by the 'P' appearing on the thumbnail's bottom left-hand corner.
You can also create your own Print & Cut projects with imported print images with which you can trace to create cut lines.
Setting Up Print & Cut Design
Once you have your Print & Cut design (print image with associated cut lines), make sure that the design is placed properly within the available printing and cutting area.
IMPORTANT: Make sure the design does not overlap the registration marks, hash mark areas, cut border, or print border.
Printing the Job
Once your design is placed and sized to your liking, press the 'Print' icon to send the job to your printer.
IMPORTANT: Do not make any changes to the document in the Silhouette Studio software after printing. Otherwise, the printed version and software version will no longer match and the job will not be cut properly If any changes are made to the Design area, you will need to re-print your job.
Loading the Job into the Silhouette Cutting Machine
After you have your printed page, load the printed page according to your 'Cutting Mat' selection in the software.
IMPORTANT: If you have set the job to use a cutting mat, then you must use the corresponding selected cutting mat. If you selected 'None' for the cutting mat, then you will need to load the material directly into your Silhouette cutting machine. If you adjust the 'Cutting Mat' setting in the software, you will need to re-print your job after making adjustments.
Cutting the Job
When you're ready to send the job to be cut:
- Go to the Send panel in Silhouette Studio
- Select your material settings
- Click on the 'Send' button when ready
The Silhouette cutting machine will then locate the registration marks and then proceed to cut your job.
Compatible Material Sizes
If you have a Portrait model, then the maximum Print & Cut material size is 8.5 x 11 inches.
If you have a Cameo model, then the maximum Print & Cut material size is 12 x 12 inches.
NOTE: While larger Cameo models (Cameo Plus and Cameo Pro) can technically allow larger material sizes, we recommend a maximum material size of 12 x 12 inches, and to use a cutting mat in order to ensure proper Print & Cut registration alignment.