Silhouette Library Tips

*Blog post written with v4.1.206 of the Silhouette Studio Software

Happy New Year!
And what a better way to start the New Year off then getting our Silhouette libraries in shape.

In the Silhouette software, you will find the Library tab in the top right corner.

Once you click on the Library tab, you will see the Library tree on the left side and the Design Preview Area on the right.

Silhouette Studio Library

As of this post (January 2, 2019), there are 2 main sections of the Silhouette library.
(This will be changing when v4.2 is released, so the information will be relevant for any user prior to v4.2.)

1. Local User section – this is the top section of the library and is computer specific. This means that personal files stored in this location do not automatically transfer to another computer, sync up to cloud, or are stored in another location.
   Under the Local User section, there are several default folders.- Recent Downloads – this is where the Free files that come with a Silhouette machine will download to after the machine is connected, the Send tab in the software is selected, and the Silhouette machine is recognized.- User Designs – this folder is where you can save your personal designs. Keep in mind that this section is computer specific.

   Under each folder, right click on it and a menu will pop up. This is how you can create new folders to organize the library tree.

   

2. Cloud library – this is anything under the email address in the Silhouette library tree.
   Under the Cloud library, there are also several default folders.- Fonts – fonts files from the Silhouette Design Store will show under this folder. You cannot access the font files from this but it does show you which ones you have from the Design Store.
   For information on how to install fonts from the Silhouette Design Store, check out this post by Julie Huggins at Sew Craft N’Spired – Installing Fonts for Use in the Silhouette Software.- Library – this folder contains several more default folders and more folders can be added to organize the library.

   – Recent Downloads – this appears under the Library folder. If you do not see it, click on the (+) sign to expand the folder out.

   
   This is where the files from the Silhouette Design Store will sync up to after the checkout process is complete. All files from the Silhouette Design store will download to here and you can move them to organize once they are synced up.

   NEW!!! Silhouette America recently added the feature to be able to also download the Silhouette files directly to your computer.

   
   This is a great feature for those who do not like using the Silhouette library.

   On any new purchases, you can choose the Download button at the end of the Checkout process as shown above.

   For older purchases, this can be accessed under the Silhouette Design Store > Account Settings.

   

   Then you will either choose My Designs (single file download) or My Download History (download by Order #).

   

   Note: if accessing the Silhouette Design Store through the Silhouette software, it does give you a warning that it will work better through a web browser directly.
   This message says
   “Direct downloads work better in a Web browser (i.e. Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari) than the software’s browser. 
   You can download this order a the following address after signing into the store in your browser: ….”
   This is the method I prefer to browse the store in most often.

   

   My Designs

   Click on the individual design file and then you will see a Download button available.

   

   My Download History

   Click on the Order number and then you will see Download buttons.

   

   Here you can choose to Download all or select which files that you want to be included in the downloaded folder.

   
   Then click on the Download now button.

   

   – User Design – this is found under the Library folder as well. Save your personal files to this folder.

   

   – Patterns – Pattern files from the Silhouette Design Store will download here or add your own.

   – Recycle – delete and clear files from the Silhouette library.

   Now, while the Silhouette Cloud library does sync to multiple devices there are some things to be aware of.
   This is direct from the Silhouette website regarding the Silhouette Cloud library.
   “Silhouette America’s Cloud Storage is a syncing service rather than a backup service. Files deleted locally will be deleted on the cloud. We strongly recommend users save important and/or valuable files to another location outside of the cloud or local library, or to a third-party backup service.”

   Show All Designs
   At the top of the Library tree, you will see a folder that will give you the option to see all the designs in the entire library.

   

Whew! That is a lot of information on the Silhouette Cloud library.

But that’s not all.

Tips on the Silhouette Library

Organize designs into folders.

Create a new folder by right clicking on a folder in the library and choosing “New Folder”. This will add a new folder under the current folder that was selected.

Here is an example from my Library tree.

To move designs from the Recent Downloads folder, click and drag the design icon from the Design Preview area and drag it into the folder where you want it.
Check out this video on how to move designs in the Silhouette Library.

Each user’s organization is going to vary depending on what files they have. My 2 largest folders are Christmas and Wine, at the moment I’m not sure which one is winning.

Use the Search option

At the top of the library, type in a keyword you would like to pull up. This can narrow down the designs you have to scroll through in the library.

Back Up! Back Up! Back Up!

It is always a good time to make a backup and I recommend getting in the habit of doing so on a regular basis.
Here is how to make a backup of the library. Note, this will be 2 separate files.

Local User Section

Right click on the Local User section and choose Export. Save this file to a safe location. I like to save mine with the date included.

Cloud (email address and below) Section

Right click on the email address, choose Export and save this to a safe location. I add the date and ‘Cloud’ to the name of this file, so I can tell the difference in the files.

Store personal files outside the Silhouette library

I would highly suggest keeping at least a back up copy of the library on an outside source.
Personally, I keep a hard copy of all other files not from the Silhouette Design Store, on an external hard drive.
Each user will have a storage system that they most feel comfortable with.
For me, I have my main external hard drive and then I have a larger one that I backup to as well. Not as often as I should, but I’m working on that.
You could also use an online storage such as google drive, drop box, etc.
However, keep in mind that nothing is 100% safe and you never know when something can happen such as a computer crash.
Having multiple copies of your files backed up is always a good idea!

I hope this has helped you learn a little about the Silhouette library and give you some ideas for getting your library in shape.

Now, if you caught a glimpse of my library tree in the photos above, it’s time for me to do some organizing as well. With the recent Silhouette Design Store sale, I have some files to put into folders.

Hope that helps you start the year off right by getting the Silhouette library into shape & making a backup!!

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.