Troubleshooting Cut Issues
In this post, it is important that you read through the entire post and all the steps are followed exactly as described or this will not help fix cutting issues.
The first place to start troubleshooting cut issues is at the beginning for all users.
We troubleshoot hundreds of issues daily and if you do not start at the beginning and work your way through the troubleshooting steps, you can spend hours trying to fix something that could have been fixed in a few minutes.
Blade Housing Reset
One of the main reasons I see for cut issues with Silhouette machines is due to the housing being out of alignment.
If the housing is out of alignment, this means that the Autoblade cannot hit the adjustment holes properly in order to adjust properly. You will experience inconsistent cuts.
It also means that the cut will not match the exact location on a Silhouette cutting mat as it shows on the virtual design mat, if the mat is loaded properly.
If you are using a 3rd party cutting mat, it may be a different size and will not match the virtual design mat spacing.
The housing can become out of alignment for several reasons.
A few of the most common are:
– blade not installed properly & locked in securely – until this is corrected, you will continue to have inconsistent cuts
– blade depth is too deep
– cut settings are too high
– blade has gotten stuck while cutting
– cutting thicker materials, glitter cardstock, faux leather, etc.
or
– using the Kraft or Rotary blades with the Cameo 4 models
*Note – these are the most common reasons but not an all inclusive list
A blade housing reset is considered part of machine maintenance, especially when you are cutting thicker materials or using the specialty tools.
It is NOT the same thing as Calibration.
I have confirmed with Silhouette Support that they do not refer to it as calibration. The correct terminology is Blade Housing Reset and many users are confused by other information they are reading that is not from Silhouette America.
Calibration is a completely different process and is for print and cut issues only. It is a diagnostic tool that is rarely needed and is only used as the last possible solution when troubleshooting print and cut issues.
If you are having print and cut issues, I would suggest following the steps below and then try a test print following the steps in this post
Let’s Explore v4 – Print and Cut Basics
Following these steps exactly will eliminate a lot of the possible reasons that print and cut is not cutting accurately.
Blade Housing Reset Steps
First, how do you know if your Autoblade is not adjusting properly?
The key factor you may notice is that it doesn’t cut properly.
It either cuts too deep or not enough.
The next factor you need to look for is the red line inside the window on the front of the Autoblade.
Does the red line match the blade depth you set on the Send tab in the software?
On the Send tab, the middle number on the black dial with the blue shading is the blade depth.
If your Autoblade is not adjusting properly or the blade (any style) is not cutting in the area of the cutting mat where it should, something is not right.
Step 1
Make sure the blade is installed properly & the lock is pushed in securely.
Ratchet blade installation position for all machine models
There can be NO gap between the lip of the blade and the housing. And the lock has to be pushed in securely.
Note: the blue dot (or other color) on the lock mechanism means absolutely nothing except that the lock has been pushed in. It will show the color whether you have a blade installed or not, if the lock is pushed in.
It DOES NOT mean your blade is installed properly.
This is important for ALL Silhouette machine models. If the blade is not installed properly and locked in, you will experience inconsistent cuts until it is fixed.
This is the MOST IMPORTANT step otherwise the Blade Housing Reset will NOT fix cut issues.
Step 2
Unplug the Silhouette power cord from the machine.
Carefully move the blade housing all the way to the right and all the way to the left.
Do NOT push down on the Tool 1 housing when moving or it will drag.
Move the housing ALL the way to the left & ALL the way right – 3 times.
And leave it on the RIGHT side.
Plug the Silhouette power cord back into the machine securely.
Turn it on and the housing should reset to it’s proper location.
Note: proper location can vary by machine model, this is why we ask for a photo when troubleshooting cut issues because we can identify it based on the Silhouette machine model.
Step 3
Check the adjustment holes for debris.
Carefully remove any objects that can be blocking the adjustment holes.
How do I know a housing is out of alignment?
This is why I ask for a photo of the blade installed in the machine WITH the mat/vinyl loaded. The housing aligns to the same exact place each time, IF the housing is in alignment.
How did I learn this?
This is something I have learned through years of troubleshooting Silhouette machines, verifying with Silhouette Support, and by watching my Silhouette machines as they work.
Step 4
Load the cutting mat properly.
For Cameo 4, Cameo Plus, and all older models of Cameo machines, the left edge of the cutting mat should be next to the line on the left side, but NOT over top of it.
For Cameo 4 and Cameo Plus model machines, if it’s loaded over the top of the line or too far to the left, it will block the adjustment holes and not allow the blade to reach the adjustment holes.
Loading the Cameo Pro
For Cameo Pro owners, there are 2 ways mats or materials get loaded.
On the Cameo Pro, when using a 24″ x 24″ cutting mat, the left edge of the cutting mat gets loaded next to the line on the left side of the arrows.
This is the ONLY time this line is used to load materials.
When cutting without a mat or using ANY other size cutting mat on the Cameo Pro, the mat gets loaded next to the line on the right side of the arrows.
This is an important step when using the Cameo Pro, so things will line up properly on the mat or for print and cut projects.
Loading the Portrait machine
For the Portrait model machines, the mat gets loaded next to the line in the photo above. There is no gray line or arrows on the Portrait machines.
This photo is courtesy of my colleague Sarah Clark with Silhouette Made.
Find her complete post on loading the Portrait machine HERE.
For the Portrait 2 and 3 models, the mat cannot be loaded too far to the left or it will block the adjustment hole that you see to the left of the blade housing in the photo above.
Step 5
This is how your blade and housing should look on a Cameo 4 & Cameo Plus models.
The blade housing should be directly behind the left roller and the right roller should be on the edge of the cutting mat and not rolling across the adhesive on the mat or the material.
Here is how it should look on the Cameo Pro.
The blade housing should be lined up directly behind the right roller, which is located underneath the roller bar directly where the dot is on the front of the bar.
When using a cutting mat, the right roller should ALWAYS be on the edge of the cutting mat and not rolling across the adhesive or material on the mat.
The rollers are located underneath the roller bar and there is no easy way to access the rollers for cleaning. If the roller is rolling across the adhesive it can cause cutting issues, the mat to skew, or the mat to get stuck in the machine while cutting.
I also do NOT recommend 3rd party cutting mat with the Cameo Pro (I don’t recommend them in any model, but especially the Pro). This is a new roller design and in past models, 3rd party cutting mats have affected the lifespan on the machine and rollers.
Did it work?
The way to find out is to test it.
Type out a capital B, choose your material on the Send tab and send it to cut.
Does the red line inside the blade adjust to the correct number?
If yes, the housing reset worked.
If no, something else is happening.
We can continue troubleshooting on the
Silhouette Secrets+ with EllyMae FB group.
Please make a post with a photo of the blade installed in the machine WITH the mat loaded and describe your cutting issue in detail.
Did the red line adjust correctly but it did not cut?
If it didn’t cut well, increase the blade depth by clicking on the arrow on the right side of the black dial on the Send tab, move the capital B on the virtual design mat, and cut another test with the B.
For more tips on cut settings, check out this post
Perfect Cut Settings in Silhouette HERE
If you are still having cut issues, try a new blade.
Make sure it’s installed properly and does it adjust?
I always recommend having extra blades and mat on hand. This will save you frustration when you are in the middle of a big project.
A new blade and mat can make you do a happy dance when things aren’t going well.
If you are having any other issues when cutting, make sure to search the blog for past tutorials as well. I have an extensive list of troubleshooting tips, tricks, and tutorials from the last 5 years.
Check out the Troubleshooting video HERE on my YouTube channel too!
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Now that the blade is installed properly, the housing is aligned, and the blade is adjusting properly
Happy Cutting!
Hopefully these tips have helped you save some frustration!
Whether you have had cut issues recently or not, this is great information to save for future use because ALL users no matter their experience level run into issues from time to time.
If you are Beginner or have not touched your Silhouette machine in awhile, check out the Beginner Video Class I created after I saw so many users struggling with the same issues getting successful cuts.
I’d love seeing what you are creating with your Silhouette machines or software.
Feel free to post photos or questions on my Facebook group at
Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.
Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.
Enjoy!
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Or if you are looking for more in-depth, step-by-step classes, check out all of my online Silhouette classes on my Teachable site HERE.
A little off subject.. where did you find the skin for your cameo? If you made it, could you share your secrets?
Yes, I did make it and have several files available for users here: https://silhouette-secrets.com/2021/06/10/customize-your-silhouette-with-this-cover-file/
HI! This post is very helpful! However, my Cameo Pro has been cutting part of my projects at the depth I need, and some of it it is not cutting deep enough. I am cutting HTV, and I have a few of the same design duplicated on the same piece of vinyl. Some of them cut out great and can weed easily, while others, on the same piece, I have to redo because I can’t weed them. Any advice is appreciated, this gets super frustrating.
Most times it is something in the setup – I just released an in-depth course to troubleshooting the Cameo Pro – it might help…. https://silhouette-secrets.com/2022/09/02/become-a-pro-troubleshooting-your-cameo-pro/
Otherwise, we would need to see photos of your full front of the machine, the blade housing with the mat/vinyl loaded, and the full workspace to begin troubleshooting – you could post those on the Cameo Pro FB group and we could start troubleshooting the issue – https://www.facebook.com/groups/silhouettecameopro
I have a Cameo 4 which is about a year old & only used occasionally. The blade housing will not return to the left. When you turn on it will make load noice & slowly move right then stop. I’ve done the reset, tried the 3 times manual push back & forth, updated software, firmware says updated, checked blades & any other trick others have suggested. I can get a test cut but it starts in the middle of the page. Can you help please 🥺
You will need to contact Silhouette Support regarding this one. Most times it indicates a broken crash stop sensor and there isn’t anything the user can do to fix it. Silhouette Support is the only one that can advise in this case. I would recommend getting a video of it in action and then describe in as much detail as you can to them the issue. This will help get a resolution faster. They are short staffed at the moment so it may take longer for a response than usual. Email is currently the only way to contact them from their website. Go to Silhouetteamerica.com and click the icon in the bottom right corner and provide as much information as you can.
Thank you so much. This is a problem I have had on and off it usually eventually sorts itself out but this worked perfectlt.
You are welcome! So glad it helped!
I have a silhouette cameo 4. I have the mat loaded with material you hit send and it’s hovering over cutting not putting blade in tracing the design. I’m very confused.
Does it go through the motions of cutting the design you show on the screen? If yes and the blade housing does not move up and down to cut, then I’d recommend contacting Silhouette support. Provide a detailed description of the issue and provide photos and video explaining the problem. This will help them troubleshoot the cause, but typically if the housing is not moving up and down as it cuts, something is stuck.
If however, you press Send and it moves and then says Cut Complete, that’s generally because the cut lines are not turned on.
This explains more….
https://silhouette-secrets.com/2021/06/13/silhouette-cut-complete-message/
I have a cameo 4 for a few months now to cut my stickers and the cuts were usually accurate.
After some time I noticed that the cuts began being misaligned and being slightly off where they were supposed to cut.
I’ve done the Blade Housing Reset, updated my software and checked my blade several times already but the cuts continue to be misaligned.
Is there a way for me to get it back to cutting more accurately? TT
First, are you using a Silhouette brand cutting mat?
Next, I’d suggest, following this step-by-step with a Silhouette cutting mat and how does it cut?
https://silhouette-secrets.com/2020/01/28/lets-explore-v4-print-cut-basics/
Just use a couple of designs in the middle of the page.
Yes, I am using the silhouette brand cutting mat that came with my cameo, and I have followed the Print & Cut Basics step-by-step
The steps are the same process I use when cutting stickers except using the portrait orientation (i usually use the landscape orientation to save space)
The cuts unfortunately continue to be erratic, but it was worth a shot. I tried calibrating and it did slightly correct the misalignment.
Are you using the default registration marks?
You say, “usually use landscape orientation to save space.”? The cuttable space is the same whether you are cutting Portrait or Landscape – it’s simply a matter of how the page is set up. However, Portrait has always had the best results in our experience. And the default registration marks are where the most accurate cuts will occur. If you aren’t using defaults, I recommend clicking the restore defaults button and try a test cut with that.
HI,My silhoutte portrait 3 is doing slightly off cut for first half page then doing widely off cut for remaining page.How to fix this problem.?
Follow this step by step to do a test, use all the defaults, and a Silhouette brand cutting mat….
https://silhouette-secrets.com/2020/01/28/lets-explore-v4-print-cut-basics/
How does it cut?
I just got the Portrait 4 and have been cutting vinyl and shrink plastic fine, but today I started cutting card, the first 3 were fine then everyone after is cutting off the top of the material onto the mat. I’ve tried your ‘realigning the housing’ but it has made no difference, I checked the blade and that is at the correct number, and tried the calibration in the machine settings but that shows up perfect and doesn’t need adjusting. It is my first cutting machine, Please help!
Do you have a Cutting Mat selected on the Page Setup Panel?
https://silhouette-secrets.com/2023/08/04/lets-explore-v4-4-page-setup-panel-updated/
And are you using the cutting mat that came with the Portrait 4?
I was but it cut right through it and now I can’t get another one as i’m in the UK and they don’t seem available yet. It has cut loads of things on a different mat but just suddenly in this cutting of 6 items it started moving up off the top of the material, it cut 3 on this different mat fine.
So first, in general 3rd cutting mats are not the same size, especially in the margins. I show exactly what I mean in this video, it affects both print and cut and regular cuts – https://youtu.be/z0Fpo5n-Z1E
But even more so than that, the Portrait 4 mat is a completely different size than the older Portrait cutting mats since it has a wider cutting area of 8.5″ vs the older models that only cut 8″. So you will not have accurate cutting placement unless you are using a cutting mat designed specifically for the Portrait 4.
I have a cutting mat selected. Also why does the cut lines in red on the software not line up with the edge of the material image but start a 1/4″ in but when the machine cuts it cuts at the edge of the material?
A couple reasons will affect your cut results here:
1. The cutting mat you are using. If you are not using the cutting mat designed specifically for the Portrait 4, it will not line up as it shows on the screen.
2. The cut border by default is not set to the edge of the page. Click the Preferences gear icon in the bottom right corner and check the Cut to Edge of Page – that will adjust it out a little bit. But, until you use a Silhouette Portrait 4 cutting mat, it will still be off.
Hi
Iâm using Silhouette studio 4.5 edition and this is how its screen appears, Iâm not the only person questioning this as I joined a Facebook group for the new machines and others are having issues with itâs appearance too. If you place your work against the red line it cuts at the edge of the material but on screen it looks as though you are starting further in than the edge.
This is the normal screen, you can see the A4 page covers the mat starting at the left edge, but the cut line starts ¼â in of the A4 page. This is with the portrait 4âs cutting mat chosen in options as you can see.
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This is with âcut to edge of pageâ turned on, it has included a bit more all around but still not started from the left edge of the mat. Is there a way to shift it?
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Has it always been like this for other machines in older studio software versions? Iâm new to the software and machine and would like to help the others confused by this layout.
Thanks
Claire
I cannot see any of the photos you tried to share.
If I understand you correctly, yes, this is how it is. The page does not go edge to edge on the mat on screen. There are page margins where the rollers roll. The adhesive area on a Portrait 4 cutting mat is where it should cut.
I think you may be seeing a bug in the software that was reported. It should be fixed in a future update. You’ll just need to work with it for right now.