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Section 1: What Can It Do?

The Silhouette is a digital craft cutter. It is not a die-cutting machine. Die-cutting machines operate with the use of interchangeable metallic or plastic templates. The Silhouette is a machine (similar to a printer) that hooks up to a computer and, through use of the included software, cuts out designs with a blade.

File Types

The Silhouette can cut

Silhouette Digital Designs
- Included with the software
- Downloaded through the software
- From Digital Design Portfolio CDs
TrueType fonts (which are standard computer fonts)
GSD, GSP and GST files (which are ready-to-cut compatible file formats from the Silhouette and similar systems such as Craft ROBO™ and Wishblade™)

Additionally, the Silhouette can import a variety of other common image file types (such as JPG and BMP files) and then trace the image using the auto-outline function to create cut lines. Please note, however, that Silhouette America cannot guarantee the quality of results of images not created by our company.

You are also able to create your own images to cut with the Silhouette software. There are simple line drawing functions built into the Silhouette software that will allow you to do so from within the Silhouette program.

Material Types

The Silhouette is designed to cut thin film materials (such as vinyl), paper, and cardstock materials (up to 90 lb weight) and can cut up to a thickness of 0.3 mm. The Silhouette will cut patterned paper, most cardstock, vellum, iron-on transfer paper, vinyl, and sticker paper among other materials. Performance may vary according to material type, image size, and intricacy of design.

Please note that certain materials that are more dense (such as shrink plastic, foam, and chipboard) or fibrous in nature (such as fabric) cannot be cut by the Silhouette, even if they fit within the thickness range noted above. Attempts to cut thicker materials outside of the suggested range may immediately impair, damage, or dull the blade.

Due to the vast number of available materials, we are unfortunately unable to provide an all-inclusive list of materials the Silhouette can cut. If you have a specific material that you would like tested, we'd be happy to test a sample for you. You may mail samples along with your request to:

Silhouette America, Inc.
Attn: Customer Service Silhouette Support Team
7 S 1550 West, Ste 600
Lindon, UT 84042

Sizing Options

The Silhouette allows you to resize any shape to the exact dimensions you want. There are no limiting pre-selected size levels to choose from. You can size your shape from ¼ inch to 8 inches (0.64 cm to 20 cm) tall. With the built-in software grid system, you can measure exactly how big you want your design to be so it fits perfectly on your project.

The Silhouette may not perform as well with smaller designs if they are intricate or are being cut on a thicker material, such as cardstock. The ¼ inch measurement is applicable to a more basic and non-detailed design, such as a circle or square. Results may vary depending on the image size, intricacy, and material type.

The maximum material length is 40 inches. Any material over 12 inches long must also measure at least 8.5 inches so that it can be gripped by the Silhouette's rollers. It must also have its own adhesive backing. The maximum length for materials that are not wide enough to be gripped by the Silhouette's rollers or do not have their own adhesive backing is 12 inches (or the length of the adhesive cutting mat).

The maximum material width is 8 ½ inches. The cutting area of the Silhouette is slightly smaller than the maximum material size.

Comparison to Other Machines

The Silhouette requires connection to a computer and uses software to cut. This gives you the freedom to have instant access to the entire Silhouette digital design collection. Though the Silhouette does come with 50 ready-to-use designs loaded into your personal library, you may download additional images individually or obtain Digital Design Portfolio CD collections to expand your selection. All digital designs are stored on your computer, so there are no cartridges to maintain or store. Silhouette America maintains a database of registered users along with individual download history, which enables users to recover their already-purchased digital designs in the event of a computer crash or replacement.

New releases every month ensure a fresh selection of Silhouette digital designs, which can be purchased through the Silhouette software. Silhouette designs are only available for use with the Silhouette. Prepaid digital design download cards can be purchased from Authorized Retailers.

The Silhouette will cut TrueType fonts you have saved on your computer and can cut image sizes ranged from ¼" to 8".

In addition to cutting, the Silhouette has the ability to draw with Silhouette Sketch Pens. It also has an optical scanner for "Print and Cut" jobs (where you may print projects to your regular printer and then feed them back into the Silhouette to cut out your printed images).

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