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Any one have a Silhouette or know anything about them???? Want more die cut ability, and looking for something that is not as costly as all the cartridges...
thanks
I have the original Jacki, purchased in 2008 and I can say I love it. Just about anything you want to cut is in the digital store and there are scores of free designs on the internet as well. I love that I can size an image to exactly what I need and that I don't have to buy a cartridge of designs I don't love just for the one or two I do like. I like that many big names collaborate with Silhouette, Hero Arts to name one. They just started selling Mr. Men and Little Miss this past week! Yep I do love this cutter
The free downloads are on the home page of the store (where you would buy the downloads)
I love mine and got the SD bc it was on sale and Kristina Werner did a review on it and it cuts amazing details. Also check out Nichol Magouirk she does videos on layouts using the Sihouette.
Also you can get it pretty cheap now for like 159
__________________ I ONLY drink Kool-Aid when I like the flavor.
Last edited by Kalonismommy; 01-27-2011 at 12:39 PM..
I have an original- wouldn't trade it for anything!! No dies/ cartridges to buy-you can buy downloads from Quickutz, and there are forums etc on the net that you can download GDS files from-UK Scrappers is brilliant- you need to read the info( join & be a member & posting for 30 days before you can download templates) but they have hundreds.Any font on your pc-even dingbat ones- can be cut out, in any size. You are not even limited to specific font sizes, you can enlarge or shrink to whatever you want.
BTW, Silhouette/Wishblade/ Craft Robo are all the same machine, and as of this year are all being marketed under the Silhouette name. This Silhouette page is a training page, and takes you through everything it can do.
I've had my CraftRobo for over 3 years now and love it still. I think also you'll have better luck with mats and blades for it although the cricut stuff is available in Michaels & HL, I haven't had to replace my mat - I just re-sticky it - and I just last week changed my blade after 3 years use. I can still use the old blade, and it cut fine. I just needed to go over the cuts twice now. And I love that I haven't had to invest hundreds of dollars into cartridges for just a few shapes I might want. I design a lot of my own stuff, so that is a bonus as well - you don't have to buy separate software to do that.
I'm so excited. I just ordered one online yesterday. Can hardly wait for the mail! Problem is it will probably take 2 weeks to get here. Ah, well, I've waited this long. . .
I'm so excited. I just ordered one online yesterday. Can hardly wait for the mail! Problem is it will probably take 2 weeks to get here. Ah, well, I've waited this long. . .
I received mine a couple of weeks ago and was eager to try it out. I tried to cut out label adhesives so that only the top is cut and the bottom stays uncut. BUT it cut through the whole thing and even went so deep that it cut some of the carrier mat that it come with. I've adjusted the thickness to 1 ...the lowest setting and it was still doing the same thing. I've read one post about their CS saying it was the software, but I used the latest 1.5 and it was still not working. I contacted CS and they said they will send out a new blade even though I thought it wouldn't be the blade, but they said it's something like their formal steps... which is not something I wanted to wait for just because it's their step since that's waiting a lot longer for the blade and possible that it's not even the blade. I'm thinking of either just returning and trying out another ...since that might even be faster...
I received mine a couple of weeks ago and was eager to try it out. I tried to cut out label adhesives so that only the top is cut and the bottom stays uncut. BUT it cut through the whole thing and even went so deep that it cut some of the carrier mat that it come with. I've adjusted the thickness to 1 ...the lowest setting and it was still doing the same thing. I've read one post about their CS saying it was the software, but I used the latest 1.5 and it was still not working. I contacted CS and they said they will send out a new blade even though I thought it wouldn't be the blade, but they said it's something like their formal steps... which is not something I wanted to wait for just because it's their step since that's waiting a lot longer for the blade and possible that it's not even the blade. I'm thinking of either just returning and trying out another ...since that might even be faster...
The same thing happens with my machine. I've tried to change the settings with the blade and thickness of cardstock but it always cuts deep into the mat. Initially I thought it was user error and even had my husband take a look at the settings. I spoke to a friend who also has the same issues with hers. I've left it alone, since I'd rather have it cut deep than not giving me sharp cuts.
I have the SD and love it!
btw the carrier sheet is supposed to get cuts in it, that's normal, as long as it doesn't cut all the way through the carrier sheet you're fine. Eventually you might have to replace it, it is considered a "consumable item".
I haven't tried adhesive sheets yet but I had tried their vinyl and it only cuts through the vinyl and not the backing sheet so maybe try the vinyl setting when cutting adhesive sheets?
So I went back to Amazon's reviews and found one review that talked about how it cuts deep. The solution they used was putting in a paper ring so that the blade doesn't go as deep. So I used the inside piece of a hang tag ring hole and punched out a smaller hole and it fits around the metal blade part. Put that in the blue cap and it actually cut the top sheet and not the bottom (only some area slightly..but better than cutting through the whole thing and jamming the machine!!!) and of course setting thickness was still at 1.
So I will be using this method for now and will see if the new blade they will send me will work.
BTW - where do you guy buy cardstock...like kraft ones....?!
Have only tried a couple of sheets of cardstock so far, but my new silhouette sd works great! It's going to save me tons by not having to buy punches and nesties. Glad I found it before buying tons of those. Much less space than storing the other things too! Win win all around.
Do any of you use Stampin Up paper with your Silhouette? I'm on the verge of buying one, but am a little concerned about it cutting through the SU paper since it's so heavy. Thanks!
Do any of you use Stampin Up paper with your Silhouette? I'm on the verge of buying one, but am a little concerned about it cutting through the SU paper since it's so heavy. Thanks!
SU! paper is no problem (it really isn't that thick). I can cut 200# cardstock with mine although it does take two passes. I can cut SU and Bazzill in one pass.
Can you cut cereal box thickness of chipboard in the silhouette? I can count on one finger the number of times I've needed to do this in the cricut but you never know.
I was also concerned about SU card stock and PTI card stock, not because I have any problems cutting them with my cricut but because others have.
I'm not sure what weight cereal box cardboard is, but like I said, I can cut 200# cardstock that I use to make boxes with. The cardstock I've been using seems to be about the same weight as cereal box - maybe slightly lighter. I don't know about PTI since I've never used it, but I'm sure if I can cut 200#, a wishblade/silhouette/craftrobo will cut PTI cardstock without a problem too.
I actually had a craft robo when they first came out. It did cut SU without any trouble but the truth is, I only used it twice. Mainly because at the time, I had only one computer and it was nowhere near my craft room. Now I have a netbook plus the option to use SD cards is attractive to me.
I'm using an older CraftRobo (blue lid) and I haven't had any issues with it at all. I love it. Re: SU! cardstock - its actually 80lb - but because it has so much ink/pigment to get the deep colour, it actually makes the card stiffer than most. This may be what the problem is when people try to cut SU! card. Plus it has very tight fibres. Cardstock with loose fibres will cut easier. Humidity will affect how cardstock performs in the cutting machines as well. There's a lot of variables, so the same machine might not perform the same in a different location. Its lots of fun.
Yes the SD is the same as you use for a camera which is the one of the main reason I wanted a silhouette but I have yet to use this feature. With laptops and netbooks it is so easy to be mobile with your silhouette but I guess I should try that feature at least once. There is also a new aluminum blade holder that lets you cut chipboard and very heavy cardstock easily.
I don't have any electronic die cutter. The fact that I would need to buy the machine and then spend a small fortune on cartridges didn't appeal to me.
I just spent some time on the Silhouette site. The idea of buying just the images you want is very intriguing . For the price of ONE Cricut cartridge "on sale" I could buy 40 images I really want. Plus if I am working on a project and don't have what I would like to use I can just go online 24/7 and buy it for 99�.
The initial investment of the machine is quite high. But after that it look like it would be much cheaper.
Hum-m-m-m This idea may have promise :cool:
What problems have Silhouette users encountered??
Can you use SCAL?
Yes the SD is the same as you use for a camera which is the one of the main reason I wanted a silhouette but I have yet to use this feature. With laptops and netbooks it is so easy to be mobile with your silhouette but I guess I should try that feature at least once. There is also a new aluminum blade holder that lets you cut chipboard and very heavy cardstock easily.
Thanks!! I don't have a laptop computer and my computer stand is too small to put a die cutting machine on it
Please let us know how the SD card works.
I don't have any electronic die cutter. The fact that I would need to buy the machine and then spend a small fortune on cartridges didn't appeal to me.
I just spent some time on the Silhouette site. The idea of buying just the images you want is very intriguing . For the price of ONE Cricut cartridge "on sale" I could buy 40 images I really want. Plus if I am working on a project and don't have what I would like to use I can just go online 24/7 and buy it for 99�.
The initial investment of the machine is quite high. But after that it look like it would be much cheaper.
Hum-m-m-m This idea may have promise :cool:
What problems have Silhouette users encountered??
Can you use SCAL?
The Silhouette comes with it's own software. It's FABULOUS! SO user friendly and it's updated frequently.
Here is the link to Silhouette- the tutorials talk you through everything the machine can do. The new software (studio) is being updated all the time, to include new features. It is easy & very user friendly. The other thing to remember is that it can cut any font on your pc-including dingbats- in any size you want. And there are thousands of free to download fonts on the web.A couple of weeks ago I downloaded some ornamental fonts( flourishes, etc) & one that typed out as antique keys. I cut some sheets of theses out of inkjet film, now I have a load of masks, a la Tim Holtz!
The site UK Scrappers,, has forums all about the machine, and once you have been a member for one month, you have access to a huge library of cutting files that are free to download to members.
Buying a Silhouette was definitely the best purchase I ever made. It cost me about the same as a normal die cutting machine, and 1 alphabet set. But I have never had to buy an alpha die set since.Another thing,not only can you cut something from about a half inch to 8inches- you can scale it to suit you-on the screen you get the little box with handles, so you can stretch, squish or rotate the image, and resize to what you want, rather than to specific font sizes.Some cardstock does require more than one pass to cut, but you have a clickable button on screen to do that. Plus you can slow down the speed it cuts at, which usually cures the problem anyway. One other thing, I have found Silhouette support to be fantastic- a couple of years ago my hard drive failed, so I lost everything on it. I e-mailed them to ask what I could do about all the designs I had bought from their site. Apparently they keep a digital record of what you purchase- they gave me a link to redownload them all- within 12 hours( I'm in the Uk so I was impressed with that. They have also been really quick to respond to any question- even when it turned out to be a stupid one, lol.
I forgot to mention that Silhouette does have a new proprietary software for the new machines called Silhouette Studio. You can use/import older files used on the wishblade/craftrobo/silhouette machines, but the files are not backward compatible. Also, if you save overtop your older cut file, it is no longer backward compatible so anyone not using the Silhouette Studio software wouldn't be able to use the file. Silhouette Studio is free right now and ships with the new machines, but I imagine it will be a purchased software soon (I suspect once it updates). One nice thing about the new software is that for some reason it makes the machines cut deeper. So for those of us with older machines that would only cut cardstock, we can cut thin chipboard now too. You will probably still need to do 2 passes, but with my old software I couldn't cut chipboard unless I was satisfied with some rough edges and sanded it. There is also a new version of RoboMaster - version 5.3 that includes the link to the Silhouette store so you can download the weekly free cut file (as long as it is gsd format). Most of the new free files will be in studio format, so you will have to have Silhouette Studio installed to download and cut these files. And lastly, the new v5.3 RM also cuts deeper for some reason.
Gale, do you mind telling me where you ordered from? I've been on the lookout for the best price and Scrap-mart seems to be it.
Catwoman, thanks for answering my question about the SU paper. Just curious - where do you find 200# paper? Sounds like something I'll need to make boxes, etc. if I buy the Silhouette.
I received mine a couple of weeks ago and was eager to try it out. I tried to cut out label adhesives so that only the top is cut and the bottom stays uncut. BUT it cut through the whole thing and even went so deep that it cut some of the carrier mat that it come with. I've adjusted the thickness to 1 ...the lowest setting and it was still doing the same thing. I've read one post about their CS saying it was the software, but I used the latest 1.5 and it was still not working. I contacted CS and they said they will send out a new blade even though I thought it wouldn't be the blade, but they said it's something like their formal steps... which is not something I wanted to wait for just because it's their step since that's waiting a lot longer for the blade and possible that it's not even the blade. I'm thinking of either just returning and trying out another ...since that might even be faster...
Just a thought, have you tried a different blade holder? I got three with mine, a pink, blue & yellow, each meant for a different thickness card /paper.I think its blue for thin paper/vinyl/vellum, yellow for medium weight, and pink for heavy stuff.
[QUOTE=shazsilverwolf;18066476]Here is the link to Silhouette- the tutorials talk you through everything the machine can do. UK Scrappers,, has forums all about the machine, and once you have been a member for one month, you have access to a huge library of cutting files that are free to download to members.
I just joined the UK Scrappers today - thanks for the site. I have had my silhouette for over a year and have never had the chance to sit down and try it out. I purchased it because I liked the idea of not having to buy cartridges for every little cut and it was on sale because the SD was coming out.
Gale, do you mind telling me where you ordered from? I've been on the lookout for the best price and Scrap-mart seems to be it.
Catwoman, thanks for answering my question about the SU paper. Just curious - where do you find 200# paper? Sounds like something I'll need to make boxes, etc. if I buy the Silhouette.
Thanks!
Julie
I bought it at a local paper distributor. Its Domtar paper so you might be able to find some in your area. You could look up paper distributors in your area. Sometimes they will have a cash & carry for off-cut stuff they can't sell to their customers. That's where I get all my heavier papers from. I've also found some really nice cardstocks in different colours reasonalby priced. The 200# cardstock I bought are 12x18 sheets. I got 250 sheets for about $10.
I bought it at a local paper distributor. Its Domtar paper so you might be able to find some in your area. You could look up paper distributors in your area. Sometimes they will have a cash & carry for off-cut stuff they can't sell to their customers. That's where I get all my heavier papers from. I've also found some really nice cardstocks in different colours reasonalby priced. The 200# cardstock I bought are 12x18 sheets. I got 250 sheets for about $10.
How much is it at scrap-mart? if you go to Coupons | Overstock.com: Coupon Codes and Exclusive Deals and click on the 10 off 150, you can get it for 179.99 plus shipping (which is only about $3). I bought mine from amazon at 199.99 because I had a $25 gift certificate and I could get it in two days (nothing like almost instant gratification). So it was $175. Not that much cheaper I guess, but a few bucks (but again, I used some gift certificates).
Scrap-mart lists it for $189.00, but I've emailed them because it says "***preorder*** out to the side and I'm not sure what that means since it's not new. I just saw an ad from uscutter.com at the top of this page for $169.00, so I'm going to check that out as well.
Thanks for the info - Overstock sounds like the best deal. I'll be interested in hearing how you like it since you've been a Cricut user (I don't have any type of electronic cutter at the moment!) and will be able to compare them.
Just a thought, have you tried a different blade holder? I got three with mine, a pink, blue & yellow, each meant for a different thickness card /paper.I think its blue for thin paper/vinyl/vellum, yellow for medium weight, and pink for heavy stuff.
Oh yeah, I did. The blue is suppose to be the most shallow one right...and they even sent me a replacement and it was the same - cut too deep. I do use a mac, so I wonder if it's a software issue, since I did read somewhere that it was a known issue. they said they had the software updated recently, but I downloaded the most recent version already. I haven't had to time to tell them the replacement didn't work, but they sent it out because it's one of those things they had to follow in steps. I just don't want them to say I have to send the machine back since I threw away the box already....at least I got a free new set of blades!?!
SU! paper is no problem (it really isn't that thick). I can cut 200# cardstock with mine although it does take two passes. I can cut SU and Bazzill in one pass.
I just had a big mess when trying to use Stampin Up cardstock. I sent email to Sil Support and they told me the machine didn't cut well with this brand as it was denser than most cardstock 80 lb +. I'm disappointed about this.
Silhouette digital craft cutter
