Discover How to Etch with the Silhouette Punch Tool

Can you etch with the Silhouette Cameo 5?

With the release of software version v4.5.760, the answer is now yes.
Silhouette Studio v4.5.760 was released to the current version as of December 12, 2023 and it now has the capabilities to use the Silhouette Punch Tool to etch from the Carriage 2 housing. It is designed for etching on the Silhouette Metal Etching sheets and that is the preset that is in now in software v4.5.760.

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You can read all the release notes for Silhouette Studio v4.5.750 HERE.

I have tested this and it does work. While I am glad there is finally a good use for the Silhouette Punch Tool, I’d recommend reading through this completely for more information. I didn’t find the Silhouette Punch Tool particular efficient or effective. It took more time to setup and actually complete the “punch” action on adhesive vinyl or HTV than it would take to weed the design. But, that is also a personal preference as well. Those of us who have been working with those materials for a longer period of time have developed more efficient ways to just “get things done.”

Now, the first thing I will say is that it is slow. It is not a fast process to etch. The default settings for the Silhouette Metal Etching Sheets in the Silhouette Studio v4.5.760 software are Force 1 and Speed 1. This is what I tested at.

Does it etch? Yes!

Is this what users wanted? Yes! So Silhouette listened and implemented it.

As far as what it can etch? My recommendations are thin materials. Thin as in the same thickness as the Silhouette Metal Etching Sheets thin. I did test with a 3 mm piece of acrylic and it was a no-go. To my surprise, the material just barely cleared the roller bar. I could hear it skim the bottom of the inside of the machine as I fed the mat in and out. The Silhouette Punch Tool did clear the top of the acrylic. These are the first 2 factors that I looked at before even attempting to set up an etch.

However, when I sent a simple sketch design to etch, the force of 1 was too great for that thickness of material and it went all wonky. I immediately pressed the Emergency Stop (power button) and cancelled the job.

Recommendations & Tips for Etching with the Cameo 5

Tip #1

Read this entire post first before you decide to update to the v4.5.760. This will depend on when you are reading this post.
On November 28, 2023, Silhouette Studio v4.5.760 entered Open Beta. At the time that I write this post, this version has not been out long and there are not many users using it. I always recommend waiting when any new version is released until we see how it’s going to affect users. At this moment, as I write this, I have no idea what could pop up and only time will tell. I am part of the Silhouette Beta testing team and can report issues directly to them. This version skipped the Beta testing team and was released directly to the Open Beta, so there hasn’t been much user testing yet.

Tip #2

I would suggest starting out with a simple design to test it first. I first used the Joy, Love, Peace, Christmas Tree sketch design by Kristen Magee with the recommended Silhouette Metal Etching Sheets if you can find them or another thin metal blank designed for etching.

Tip #3

If the etch goes off course or gets stuck at any time or if you notice that your Autoblade is not adjusting properly or the cut is not in the correct placement after you have etched, you may need to do a blade housing reset.

If the housing is not in proper alignment, it will not hit the alignment holes to adjust the blade properly.

Unplug the machine, then carefully move the blade housing all the way to the right and all the way to the left. Do this 3 more times and leave it on the right side. Plug it back in and turn it on. The housing should align to the correct location.
This is called a blade housing reset and it is a regular part of machine usage since the Cameo 3 and the Autoblade was first introduced.

Check out this video HERE for more troubleshooting tips that solve most cut issues.

Tip #4

Use thin blanks to start and to test with. The etch settings released for v4.5.760 are designed for the Silhouette Metal Etching sheets and the force default is as low as it will go. If you use thicker materials, it may not work well as I mentioned above with my testing on the 3 mm acrylic.

Tip #5

Don’t expect speed. The default setting for Silhouette Metal Etching Sheets in the software is a speed of 1. While it does allow you to increase the speed, higher speed is not always better for etching projects.
As I was doing a large etch project, I felt it was slow, but when I compared it to my older etchings on the Silhouette Curio 1 with the Metal Etching Sheet defaults, the speed was the same.

Tip #6

Stay close to your Silhouette Cameo 5. If needed, you can quickly press the Emergency Stop (power button) on the Cameo 5 for the project to immediately stop. The job is lost, but it can prevent a bigger mess from happening.

Tip #7

Draw shapes as templates to design within for getting the best possible alignment of the design on the blank. I drew a rectangle 5″ x 7″ in the software and placed it at the 2″ x 2″ grid line on the virtual cutting mat. Then I placed my blank on the cutting mat with the top left corner at the 2″ x 2″ mark.

This will only work for proper placement if you are using a Silhouette cutting mat and you load the mat properly. The on screen virtual mat and the Silhouette machine are calibrated for the exact dimensions and margins on a Silhouette cutting mat. Third party cutting mats will not line up and may be thicker, which can also affect the results of etching as well, as it will increase the height of the project.

Make sure after you have drawn the shape for alignment, that you click on the Send tab and choose No Cut under Carriage 1 so it will not cut or etch that shape. It is simply a template to design within and how to line up your blank on the cutting mat.

Tip #8

Secure your blank to be etched with painters tape. Any movement in the blank on the cutting mat during etching will result in the etch being off. Etching is permanent and there is no way to “fix” when an etch is off.

Tip #9

Create templates when using smaller metal blanks that are not as easy to place. Place cardstock on the cutting mat, draw a shape that fits your size blank, cut that shape from the cardstock, DO NOT remove the cutting mat from the machine and secure your blank in place.
If the cutting mat is unloaded from the machine, it most likely will not line up exactly right again.

Tip #10

If you are etching a large project such as a full 5″ x 7″ Silhouette metal etching sheet, plug in the USB cord and use it with a direct connection!!! I sent this job to etch and it said it would be 114 minutes.

After almost 2 hours etching, it stopped and I got a notice on the software that it had lost the connection with my computer. This project is lost. There is no way to restart it.

To be honest, I should know better! The Curio 1 was hardwired to the computer and I would etch projects that took hours on it. Bluetooth is great, but there are so many things that can interfere with it.
If you are etching, plug in by USB cord and choose that connection so it’s a hard wire connection.

Tip #11

Do not trust the timer. The timer is rarely ever correct. I mentioned the estimate was 114 minutes. I started the job at 11:04 am and at 12:56 pm it lost the connection and it still had a ways to go to finish up.

Tip #12

I used the Emboss/Deboss Panel using the Deboss option with the crosshatched pattern at a 0.004″ spacing. This panel is unlocked to me because I have a Curio 1 and Curio 2. It may not be available for all users if you do not have a Curio model machine. If it’s not, you would need to use the Sketch Panel as a fill option.

Test – Test – Test! The only way to know if something is going to work for you is to test it!

Even though this was a lost etched project, it helped me to see how the machine would do and I now have my Silhouette Cameo 5 plugged in by USB cord for my next project.

Oh and two last tips!!!

Protect your cutting mat! Be careful unloading and removing any etch piece. Etching creates a dust or shavings that have been removed from the surface. Those stick very, very well to a cutting mat and will affect the lifespan of your cutting mat. A dirty mat will not hold materials well.

Keep your machine clean! The debris created from etching could cause future issues if the machine is not kept clean. Especially with the optical eye and print and cut if the debris is getting under the housing. Here is my blade housing after etching the test subjects this afternoon.

You can see debris sticking to the bottom of the housing. I will be cleaning my machine after this etching. A can of compressed air may be worth having on hand if you decide to etch with your machine. Be careful not to get any of the debris in your eyes or to inhale it.

And a lint roller works great for picking up the debris before it spills onto the cutting mat too!

Additional Projects I tested

Metal 1″ Disc

This is a 1″ metal disc from Amazon. You can see the tool marks in the metal blanks from the etch fill. It is a pretty rough texture when you run your fingers across it. This photo shows an up close look at that. For all of the etchings I used the crosshatch fill at the 0.004″ spacing.

Metal Business Card

This is an Anodized Metal Business Card blank with my logo etched using the same settings. I prefer a much smoother etch and feel the solid platform of the Curio machines does a better job for stability. But, this may also be the quality of the etch using the Silhouette Punch Tool on the Curio 2 as well. I will be testing that in the future and will update once I know more.

Silhouette Metal Etching Sheet #2

But, of course, I couldn’t stop there. Now that my machine is plugged in by the USB cord and won’t lose the connection, I decided to have another go at it while I finished up the details on the blog post.

This time I used Dream Create I nspire Arrow Quote by Sarah Hurley to set up for the etch. The timer estimated 92 minutes and 28 seconds for the complete etch.

Silhouette Metal Etching Dream Create Inspire

It ended up taking 101 minutes to complete.

One other thing to mention that did happen on this project is to keep in mind that any debris build up during the project can cause areas not to be etched well.

This is only visible up close on the blank, but if you get blank areas, this could be why. There is no real easy way to prevent that since you cannot pause and remove the blank like you could with the Curio 1. So just something to keep in mind when etching.

Here’s a look at all the projects that I completed for this blog post that were successful.

Silhouette Cameo 5 Metal Etching Projects

Supplies I used:

Do I recommend it?

While the Silhouette Cameo 5 has the ability to etch, I still feel the Silhouette Curio 2 is the better machine and provides a much cleaner etch quality. The Silhouette Curio 2 with the Power Engraver has a pretty smooth finish to the etching versus the rough edges of the Punch Tool in the Cameo 5. However, the Power Engrave tool is a broader tipped engraving tool, like a Dremel tool. For more details on the Silhouette Curio 2 click HERE.

While it is not my preferred method, it is now an option in the Silhouette Studio software and I know many users will be wanting to test it out.

If you have any questions please let me know in the comments below.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

12+ Tips for Etching with the Silhouette Cameo 5

Enjoy !

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