Silhouette Cameo 4 Not Cutting Right? (Here’s How to Fix It)
Wait– don’t toss your Silhouette Cameo out the window just yet! If your Silhouette Cameo 4 is not cutting right, I have 6 solutions that are common and easy to fix.
I get it. There is nothing more infuriating than your Silhouette Cameo NOT doing it’s job and cutting incorrectly. I have been sticker making for my business for 5 years and this is how I fix common Cameo 4 issues.
This article will give tips on how to fix common issues that are causing your Silhouette Cameo to cut incorrectly.
The reason your Silhouette Cameo is not cutting correctly could be for the following reasons: it’s not calibrated, there’s bad lighting, the material is too glossy, sliding material, and incorrect roller placement. I will show you how it fix these issues in this article.
*Note: I do receive a small portion from purchases made through the links in this article which helps fund our small business. I will never recommend a product or service I don’t have 100% faith in.
1. Calibrate Your Blade
Problem: If you are getting misaligned cuts, first be suspicious that your blade is not calibrated correctly. To do this, go to the “send” page of Silhouette Studio. Then right click and find “calibrate”.
Solution: To calibrate your blade on Silhouette Studio, follow the steps on the calibration page to solve the issue.
Print Out The Calibration Page
You will notice this page pop up as soon a you open the calibrations settings. Go ahead and print it out to assist you in calibrating your Cameo 4.
Put your BLADE over the highlighted green square in one of the crosshairs. Follow the instructions given. Easy right?
So now you can see what alignment your blade is in and if it needs to be adjusted in millimeters. After you adjust the millimeters, test the cut in another green square to see if it worked. Once you get it just right, you can move on to the other portion of the calibration.
If your Silhouette Cameo 4 is still not cutting right, see Silhouette School’s Blog on a more in-depth tutorial on how to calibrate your Silhouette Cameo.
2. Your Work Space is Too Dim (Bad Lighting)
Problem: If your work area is too dark, the optic scanner may not read your registration marks right and can cut them incorrectly. I live in a small dark apartment, so I ran into this issue a lot when I first started using the Silhouette Cameo.
Solution: Make sure you have good lighting in your work space, or try and shine a light on the area where your registration marks are.
I put my Silhouette Cameo 4 near a window so more natural light can be around it, and then use a desk lamp to increase the brightness of my work space.
If you cannot seem to get any more light in the room, try flashing your phone’s flashlight around it to help. I do this when it is nighttime and my desk lamp is not enough.
3. Your Material is Too Shiny
Problem: If you are using registration marks, yes your material can be too glossy and your optic scanner cannot read them! This is common with glossy papers.
Don’t worry, the fix is very easy.
Solution: To get your Silhouette Cameo to read registration marks on glossy paper, put matte tape over the lines so the glossy glare won’t interfere with the scanner.
Putting matte tape over the registration marks will reduce the sheen– the scanner should be all to read your registration marks again!
4. Your Material is Sliding on the Mat
Problem: Let’s say you have good lighting and your blade is calibrated but your cuts are still not cutting right.
Sometimes certain materials slip and slide around on the cutting mat, causing the blade to cut in the wrong place! Even if the paper moves by just a little bit, it can still mess up the cuts.
Solution:
To stop your paper from sliding around during cutting, you may need to secure it down with tape. When I use thick card-stock or vinyl paper, I like to secure it down with matte tape on all sides. This ensures the material won’t be sliding around.
*Note: If you’re using registration marks, make sure to not cover them with glossy tape or else your machine will not be able to read the marks due to the shine.
Your paper may be moving around if your cutting mat is old and the stickiness has completely disappeared. Your material is more prone to sliding around. You can get a replacement mat if that is the case.
5. The Roller is Touching Your Material
Problem: I did not know this about my machine, but your material should not be touching the rollers on the side. The springs hold your material in place, while the rollers should not be touching anything but the clear mat.
Like many, I was not aware of this and this has messed up a lot of my sticker papers. After I moved the rollers away from touching my sticker paper, I did not have any more issues.
If the material touches the rollers, sometimes the rollers will actually knock the material out of place, even if it by a little bit. This is especially more common with thicker material.
Solution: Move your rollers so they are holding your cutting mat at the edges. By moving the rollers on a clear path, this will ensure it does not bump your material and ruin the cut.
6. Your Blade Might Not be Inserted All the Way
Problem: Another weird reason your blade may not be cutting your material all the way is because the blade itself is actually not fully inside the carrier.
Solution: When installing the auto blade, make sure there is not a tiny gap. Push your blade down and then press in the holder. There should be no gaps between the blade and the holder.
I also sometimes find small paper scraps inside the blade’s hole and clean it out from time to time. Make sure to try that as well.
Conclusion
There you have it, these were some ways to fix common issues to why your Silhouette Cameo 4 is not cutting right in order to get your sticker cutting machine working again.
If your problem persists, check out Silhouette’s website! They have a lot of beginner tips and issues that may be able to solve.
I hope this article helps you not want to throw your Silhouette Cameo out the window!
If you make stickers, check out my Article on the Best Vinyl Paper for Stickers.
P.S. You can get the stickers shown in the article from my Shop!
If you found this article helpful, sign up to my newsletter for art tips, advice, and more!