TABLE OF CONTENTS

Proper Loading Review

The below links contain informational videos on loading the Cameo and Portrait

Check the Positioning

  1. Ensure that both white pinch rollers are gripping the material evenly and firmly.
  2. If using a Cameo Pro model, ensure that your pinch roller position is aligned to the edge of your material.

Check the Roller Lock Lever

Ensure that the roller's Lock Lever is in the 'Locked' position so that the rollers are pressed down properly to grip the cutting mat on both sides

Test the Material Track

Use the Test Cut or Feed arrows to run your cutting mat/material in and out of the Silhouette machine prior to the cut job as follows:

  1. Load you mat/material into the machine
  2. Prior to sending the cut job, use the blade position arrows (on the machine or in Silhouette Studio's SEND panel) to feed the mat into the machine
  3. Hold down the UP arrow so your mat/material rolls into the machine for about the length of your intended job (For rolled or longer materials 12 inches should reveal any issues with the track)
  4. When you reach the end check that the material is still being held firmly by the pinch rollers
  5. Use the DOWN arrow to feed the mat back to the starting point (Do NOT unload your mat)
  6. Proceed to Cut your job

Multiple Passes

Multiple Passes are generally used with thicker material types. As material thickness increases, the rollers may not grip as firmly on the material's surface during the cutting operation.

Note: If you are experiencing misalignment, it can be either the result of the roller slipping on the materials surface OR a concern with the cutting mat not holding the material in place properly

Improving Cutting Alignment

To improve your cutting alignment for jobs that require multiple passes:

  1. Open Silhouette Studio
  2. Go to SEND panel
  3. Check the 'Track Enhancing' option (This feature will feed the material multiple times prior to cutting in order to create a "track" on the material so that the rollers can better grip the material)
  4. Turn the Speed setting down (This will slow the speed of cutting to further prevent the rollers from slipping)
  5. If using an older Cutting mat use a new cutting mat to ensure the material is being held down firmly and does not drift during the cutting operation

Loading Rolled or Large material

At times when using Long, Wide or Rolled materials, you may experience issues with loading such as bunching or not loading straight. The following will help prevent and resolve these issues.

Proper Loading

In addition to the loading information found at the beginning of this article, for large and rolled material, you will want to ensure that:

  1. The material is held taut from side to side
  2. If the leading edge of your material is very curved, you may try placing a heavy, flat object, such as a book, on it for a few minutes to flatten it out
  3. The leading edge being fed into the machines is as straight and uncurled as possible
  4. As it is being loaded, if necessary, you may press down on the center of the material to prevent downward curling of the material

Delayed Loading Method

When using materials 12 inches or wider, we recommend using the Delayed Loading method. This method allows you to use two hands to hold onto both sides of the material as it is loaded.

  1. Adjust the rollers to match your material size
  2. Press the 'load' button (UP arrow) on the machine
  3. The button will begin to flash, indicating that it is ready to load the material
  4. Line up the left edge of the material with the left-most guide mark. The right edge of the material should be aligned with the right-hand roller, and the leading edge should be flush against the roller bar
  5. After the machine sense the material is in place, it will grip and load the material into the machine

Cameo Pro Material Drifting

Click here to view a video guide on loading the Cameo Pro. The below are additional tips to reduce issues while loading

  • Make sure that the media is aligned with the appropriate guideline on the left side.
  • Check that the rollers on the roller bar are set correctly using the proper guides on the machine. When cutting

    wide media, the plastic pinch roller should line up with the center arrow on the machine (see below).

  • Ensure that the roller bar is locked into place using the lever on the right side of the machine. The lever should be pushed up when cutting media.

  • Leave enough clearance space both in front and behind the Cameo Pro so the material does not hit any surrounding objects as it passes back and forth through the machine.

  • When using a cutting mat or material without the Roll Feeder, make sure your material is not hanging directly off the edge of the table where your machine is placed. Your mat or material must be supported on a flat surface as it feeds back and forth through the machine for proper operation.

  • When cutting rolled material, use the Roll Feeder at the front of the machine and unroll the amount of material you plan to use before loading. This will reduce resistance when media is fed through (see below).

  • Ensure you are using the correct material settings in the software and blade setting for your blade. Increasing the blade length and pressure settings unnecessarily can lead to inaccurate or poor cuts. You may want to perform a test cut of your material and adjust the settings as needed.

  • If your material is curling downward when you load it into the machine, flatten the curl on the leading edge of the material so that it is loaded properly.

Roller Bar Not Turning

The following describes how to check for an clear any roller bar obstructions

  1. Power off the machine
  2. Place the lock lever into the 'lock' position
  3. Place your palms on the roller bar
  4. Roll the bar back and forth
  5. If there is no resistance then there should not be any interfering obstruction
  6. If resistance is felt roll the bar back until the obstruction appears (If you are not seeing results you may see success by turning the machine upside-down onto your lap or knee and rolling the bar)
  7. Remove the obstruction (oft times a pair of tweezers makes this easier)

Mat Ejected or Not Rolling Back After Job Complete

If your cutting mat is being ejected after your job is completed, you likely have unexpected preferences selected in the Silhouette Studio software.

Adjusting Feed Option

  1. Open Silhouette Studio
  2. Go to the Send panel
  3. Click on the gear icon in the bottom right-hand corner
  4. Next to "Feed Options" make sure "Return to Origin" is selected

Resetting Software Preferences

Note: This Procedure will remove all user-generated cut settings (custom material settings, updated material settings), as well as any adjustments you have selected in your 'Preferences' settings
  1. Open Silhouette Studio
  2. Go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced
  3. Click on "Restore Factory Defaults"
  4. Confirm your selection
  5. Close and restart Silhouette Studio

Material or Mat Stuck in Machine

If your material or cutting mat is stuck in your Silhouette cutting machine after the job is completed and the 'Unload' option is not working, or is not returning the material or mat all the way to the start point, you can remove the material or mat manually as follows:

  1. Power OFF the Silhouette Machine
  2. Manually pull the mat or material outward toward the opening of the machine, where it was originally loaded
Note: This action should not typically be required. If you are experiencing this issue multiple times please reach out to support@silhouetteamerica.com

Non-Silhouette Cutting mats

If you are not using a Silhouette brand cutting mat, your mat may not be gripped properly. Please ensure that you are using only Silhouette supported products. We cannot otherwise guarantee proper operation of the Silhouette cutting machine. You can purchase a cutting mat here

Non-Compatible Materials

You may also need to check your material's surface properties. Some materials may be overly slick and may not be able to be properly gripped by a Silhouette cutting machine. This can be tested by attempting to use an alternate material type to see if it is similarly encountering loading issues. To learn more about compatible materials click here.

Left-Hand Roller Bar Not Lifting Up

Some newer Cameo owners may assume that the roller bar is intended to be lifted in order to load material, so that you can push materials into place and then lower the bar onto the material. This is not actually correct.

The left-hand pinch roller is not intended to be lifted or moved. Only the right-hand roller can be released. This action allows you to adjust the right-hand pinch roller in order to accommodate various mat and material sizes.

Loading Older Machines

The below information pertains to the Cameo 1 and 2, the Portrait 1 and the Original Silhouette and Silhouette SD.

Original Silhouette

Manually roll the cutting mat into the machine until the top edge of the cutting mat is aligned with the back of the cutting strip (so that the cutting strip is covered by the mat)

Silhouette SD

Press the right arrow until "Load w/Carrier" is displayed, then press the 'Enter' button.

Portrait 1

Press the 'Load cutting mat' button

Cameo 1

Press the 'Up' arrow until "Load cutting mat" is selected.

Cameo 2

Tap on the "Load Cutting Mat" option on the LCD screen

Additional Assistance

If you still need assistance, please contact support@silhouetteamerica.com