Have you gotten a Silhouette Cameo machine? We are here to guide you through the first steps of the process! Making your own stickers with Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro is a great fun activity! If you want to learn how to make stickers on Silhouette Cameo 4. Then, follow the step-by-step instructions mentioned below.
About Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro Machine
The built-in roll feeder will allow quick loading and cutting of rolled materials such as vinyl and heat transfer. The built-in crosscutting lets you directly cut vinyl or heat transfer from the roll.
It has a full 12-inch cutting width. It can cut up to 10 feet long and has matless cutting capabilities.
This Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro is a smart, compact aesthetic with a sliding lid and feather-light backlit touch panel. It has a 3mm clearance for thick material and automatic device detection.
What Supplies Do You Need?
First, of course, you will need a few supplies to make your own stickers.
Sticker Paper
Printer
Computer
Cutting machine
Silhouette Studio software
Here are the simple and easy step-by-step instructions on how to make stickers on Silhouette Cameo 4.
How To Make Stickers on Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro Step 1: Design Your Stickers
The first step, of course, is to discard your stickers. There are many ways to design your own stickers – draw and then scan them, design them digitally (Photoshop or iPad), or you can use a 3rd-party design piece in online software.
The point is that on your first move, you should have a document with stickers.
You will need to make a few changes if you plan to use a Silhouette Cameo machine. You will need to save your design in PNG or JPEG formats instead of PDF.
How To Make Stickers on Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro Step 2: Open and Setup Silhouette Studio Software
If you have lost your software installation manual, here are some simple steps to download it:
Firstly, navigate to SilhouetteAmerica.com/software.
After that, choose your operating system from the drop-down menu under the Silhouette Studio software.
Then, press "Download." Once your software is downloaded, now press to open.
Yes, this Silhouette Studio software must be used before you can start cutting your materials.
How To Make Stickers on Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro Step 3: Design the Sticker Sheet
Time to upload sticker designs! Most people like to drag and drop designs.
Once the design is in place, you can move it around and resize it however you want. Most people prefer to leave the file pre-organized, but you can also add designs one by one and arrange and resize them.
When you click on your design, it shows you the shape and allows you to change, twist, and rotate it. You can set the size you want on the top panel in numbers.
Be careful and ensure your designs are within the printing and cutting borders.
Time for the next step…
How To Make Stickers on Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro Step 4: Make the Cutting Lines
You want the Silhouette Cameo machine to cut each sticker one by one, so it is time for the important step - setting up your cutting border. It will take a few small steps, but it is not that complicated. Start by opening the trace panel (the 5th icon on the left side) and picking a select trace space.
After that, choose the space, including all stickers. Once you convert the outline to outline, set the threshold to 100%, and trace the outer edges. This creates cut lines right around stickers. You might want to clean the lines depending on how it went.
Transfer stickers to the edge, choose the cut lines, and press on Object => Release Compound Path. This separates the cut lines so you can remove the ones you don't like, such as they offer to cut a circle inside your number 8, but you want it to stay.
If you want lines to be cut right around stickers - you're done. Just ensure you get your designs back inside the cutting lines. Choose the cutting line, press on "Open Offset Panel" (the 5th icon from the bottom left side), and press on Offset. You can now view the secondary cutting lines and use the offset menu to manage the area you need and what kind of corners you prefer.
Are you happy with your result? Now remove the cut lines from the inside and take your stickers back in.
Tip: If you prefer to just upload a design inside Silhouette Studio software and make many copies of it, do this entire process with this one design before arranging stickers.
That way, later on, you will have to copy and paste them along the lines you've already done. Once you're happy with how it looks - time to print!
How To Make Stickers on Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro Step 5: Print the Sticker
It's very easy; press on your printer icon in the top left corner and send the design for printing.
Ensure you choose the best quality color printing so that the stickers look bright, the cutting lines stand out, and the Silhouettes Cameo machine is easily viewed.
How To Make Stickers on Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro Step 6: Upload the paper to the Silhouette
Now that you've printed the sticker sheet and are happy with it - it's time to add it to our Silhouette Cameo machine.
To start, stick it on the printing mat. Ensure you pair it exactly as it looks in Silhouette Studio software - that way, all the marks that read the machine are in the correct place.
Next, you must open the Silhouette Cameo machine and put Mat in. Then, click on the up button for the machine to secure your mat.
Ensure your mat is gripped on both sides. If necessary, move the right roller closer to the middle, which is definitely on that side of the mat. To do this, use the little but inner handle on the right, then a gray lock button on the roller to rotate it.
Once you do, ensure your mat is secure and held up properly.
How To Make Stickers on Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro Step 7: Set Cutting Settings
Before you start cutting, you need to check the cutting settings.
Firstly, press "Send" on the top right-side corner, and you will see the settings menu for the Blade.
Click test to ensure the machine is working properly, and once it's confirmed - send it to cut! Ensure enough area in the machine to move the mat back and forth.
A few minutes of scary and loud noises and stickers are done! Please remove the cutting mat and the sticker sheet from it. After that, it might bend a bit but don't worry - put it between a few planers, and they'll be straight in no time.
This is the complete process of how to make stickers on Silhouette Cameo 4 Pro.