A list of Silhouette Studio terms and what they mean

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Silhouette Studio

Silhouette Studio is the software used with Silhouette cutting machines, like the Cameo, Portrait, or Curio. Here is a list of common terms within Silhouette Studio and their meanings:

General Terms

  • Workspace: The main screen in Silhouette Studio where you create and manipulate your designs.
  • Cutting Mat: The digital representation of the physical cutting mat used in the machine.
  • Design Page Settings: Controls the size of the workspace to match the size of the material or cutting mat you’re using.

Design Elements

  • Artboard: The area within the workspace where you design that represents the material’s surface.
  • Library: The section in the software where your purchased or created designs are stored.
  • Trace Panel: A tool that allows you to create cut lines from images by tracing them.
  • Line Style Panel: Controls the appearance of lines in your design, such as dashed lines or solid lines.
  • Fill Panel: Tools for filling shapes with colors or patterns.
  • Text Tool: A tool for adding text to your design.

Editing Actions

  • Weld: Combines shapes or text to create a single continuous cut line.
  • Group: Links objects together so they can be moved and scaled as one unit without altering their relative positions.
  • Ungroup: Separates grouped objects so they can be edited individually.
  • Compound Path: Combines multiple shapes or paths to create a single path with multiple cut lines.
  • Release Compound Path: Separates a compound path back into individual paths.
  • Align Tools: Line up multiple selected objects along a specified line or centre point.

Manipulation Tools

  • Move Tool: Allows you to select and move objects in your workspace.
  • Scale Tool: Changes the size of selected objects.
  • Rotate Tool: Rotates the selected objects.
  • Shear Tool: Skews the selected objects.

Cutting Options

  • Cut Mode: Sets how the machine will cut the design, including standard cut, cut edge, and no cut.
  • Cut Settings: Adjusts the blade depth, speed, force, and pass number for different materials.
  • Blade Type: Specifies the type of blade or tool inserted into the machine.
  • Test Cut: A feature that makes a small cut in the material to ensure settings are correct before the entire design is cut.

Panels and Windows

  • Send Panel: Where you adjust cut settings and send your design to the Silhouette machine.
  • Page Setup Panel: Controls the media size, cutting mat selection, and orientation.
  • Registration Marks: Marks printed on materials for print & cut jobs that help the machine recognize and cut precisely around printed designs.

File Management

  • Save: Storing the current project within Silhouette Studio or on your computer.
  • Open: Retrieving and opening a previously saved project.
  • Export: Saving your project in a format that can be used outside of Silhouette Studio, like .jpg, .png, or .pdf.

Advanced Features

  • PixScan™: A technology that uses a scanner or camera to capture an image along with a specially designed PixScan™ cutting mat to create precise cut lines around a printed design.
  • Rhinestone Tool: A feature that allows you to add rhinestone designs and adjust sizes for rhinestone projects.
  • Stencil Tool: Creates a series of cut lines for making stencils.

Interface Components

  • Toolbar: The bar on the left side of the workspace with tools for selecting, drawing, and editing.
  • Top Menu Bar: Contains drop-down menus for file, edit, view, and other software functions.
  • Action Icons: Quick-access buttons for commonly used actions like undo, redo, and delete.

These terms represent the basics of Silhouette Studio software, and understanding them will help you navigate the software more effectively as you work on your projects.

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