Silhouette cameo4

 

Six months ago, I first told you about the new Silhouette Cameo 4 in my post, and well, it's finally here. Thanks to Jennifer from the shop CréadhésifI would like to thank Jennifer for making it possible for you to discover it exclusively!

Features

First of all, let's start with a reminder of the features of this new machine:

  • - 5 kg cutting force
  • - 3 times faster than the Silhouette Cameo 3
  • - Increased clearance to cut materials up to 3 mm
  • - Improved double head carriage with tool detection
  • - New Autoblade2 blade with quick adjustment
  • - Integrated roll feeder and cutter
  • - Retractable lid
  • - Backlit touch screen
  • - Possibility of cutting more materials without using a cutting mat (e.g. cardboard)
  • - Adapter to use accessories from previous machines

The contents of the Silhouette Cameo 4

The contents are pretty much the same as the Silhouette Cameo 3, the only difference being the small vinyl cutter which is replaced by the 4 adapters. The carpet has undergone a slight modification since it now has a more detailed grid every 1/4 inch.


When you register your machine on the Silhouette America website, your Silhouette Studio software will synchronize. A folder will automatically be created in your library. You will then be provided with 100 free designs (including 14 3D crafts and 9 Sketch drawings). This will give you plenty of material to test the machine with.

Silhouette Studio software: 100 designs offered with your Silhouette Cameo 4


You will also be given a code to activate a free one-month subscription to Silhouette Design Store, the online design shop. This corresponds to a credit of 25 euros.

Adapters for the Cameo 4

As the tools of the Silhouette Cameo 4 have changed in size, four adapters have been provided to allow us to use our old tools in this new model. It should also be noted that these adapters are intended exclusively for tool holder no. 1.

The black adapter allows the use of the standard (manually adjustable) blade as well as the fabric blade, as both blades are identical and only the colour changes to make them easier to distinguish. There is also a blue adapter for the pen holder and a grey adapter for the deep cutting blade. The white adapter is for a 2 mm Kraft blade, which may be a future model for other Silhouette machines, as the Cameo 4's Kraft blade (tool holder #2) should be able to cut much thicker material with its 3 mm clearance.

These adapters seem to be well designed, but they are fragile, the plastic is relatively thin and the hinge can easily come off. I use different types of markers with homemade pen holders very often, and if I have to open the adaptor every time to change them, I'm sure it won't last more than a few months.

Revised design and new accessories

The exterior design of the Silhouette Cameo 4 condenses and the machine adds new options.

Slightly reduced dimensions

From an aesthetic point of view, I prefer the new Cameo 4, which seems more compact despite its very similar dimensions when both machines are closed.


The Cameo 4 is slightly taller, but since the lid is retractable, its height does not change during operation, which is not at all the case with the Cameo 3, which adds almost 16 cm in height once the lid is open.


The new Silhouette Cameo 4 no longer allows you to make cuts from a USB stick since the port has disappeared. I admit that this is a feature I've never used so it's not a big problem for me but it's still worth noting if you use it frequently.

Reduced storage space

The Silhouette Cameo 4 has less storage space than the Silhouette Cameo 3. I don't feel particularly frustrated by this change because I rarely stored my tools on the side.


The lack of storage space underneath the Cameo 4 doesn't bother me either, as my spatula and hook are always handy in a pencil case.


The only regret is the disappearance of the small guides to support the cutting mat. They were useful because of the extreme flexibility of the original Silhouette machine mats.

At present, I rarely use Silhouette mats and prefer to create my own homemade mats, which are much more durable and rigid. So this change does not affect me either.

An integrated roll holder with the Silhouette Cameo 4

The elimination of lower storage is due to the integration of a roll holder to guide and cut your vinyl. It's a very nice surprise for the Silhouette Cameo 4 when you consider that the optional roll holder costs $40 for the Silhouette Cameo 3. The roll holder can accommodate rolls from 22 to 32 cm wide.

Improvement of the cutter

You may not have been using it (like me), but your Cameo 3 Silhouette has an area for cutting your vinyl at the back of the machine using the small cutter provided. With the Silhouette Cameo 4, you have a real built-in cutter. Simply lower the two small side lugs to lock the vinyl, slide the blade down and you're done.

One-handed roller adjustment

Another pleasant improvement on the Silhouette Cameo 4 is the new drive roller adjustment system. Previously, with the Silhouette Cameo 3, when you wanted to move the roller to use a carpet or a narrower material, you had to hold the roller with one hand and unlock it with the other, which was not very easy to do. Now you simply press the small grey padlock, slide the roller in and release it when you reach the desired position. Extremely easy!

Technical modifications

The Silhouette Cameo 4 undergoes a great improvement over the Cameo 3 with the increased capacity of the new truck.

A new, more powerful carriage with tool detection system

With the new Silhouette Cameo 4, the trolley has been completely redesigned. It has become faster and it also benefits from an increased cutting force, from 210 g to 5 kg. But please note that this increase only applies to the tool carrier no. 2. While tool no. 1 is much faster, its cutting force remains the same as that of the Silhouette Cameo 3 (source: Silhouette School).


In each tool holder of the carriage there is a detection area (in colour in the picture above), once the tool is inserted and locked in the tool holder, the machine will start the detection and once the tool is recognized, will automatically adjust the tool parameters in the Silhouette Studio software.


This detection system is ingenious and simplifies the settings that can sometimes seem confusing to new users in Silhouette Studio software.

Note that the detection is based on the size and position of the small metal part placed at the back of the tools. Based on this observation, I decided to do a small test with a home-made tool holder and I was able to have it detected by the machine.

The new AutoBlade 2 automatic blade

The new automatic blade of the Silhouette Cameo 4 has been redesigned and is now designated as a one-click adjustable blade. What is it all about? As you can see in the picture below, the scale for adjusting the depth of the blade has been reversed between the Cameo 3 and the Cameo 4. The depth can now be reset to 0 with a single click.


On the Cameo 3's Autoblade blade, when setting the new depth of cut, the blade clicks 10 times to reset to 0, then again to 10 and then back down to the desired depth. It took a total of 20 clicks to set the blade to a depth of 1.

Resetting the blade of the Silhouette Cameo 4 to 0 is done with just one click. For a blade depth of 1, only 2 clicks are required. For a blade depth of 3, there is 1 click to reset to 0 and then 3 clicks to set the depth, for a total of 4 clicks.

I assure you that this modification is really a huge positive change, not only is the adjustment very fast but the noise generated is also drastically reduced.

With the Silhouette Cameo 3, it sometimes happened that the automatic blade was not inserted correctly or that it would come out and climb back into the cutter head if the cutting force was incorrectly set. The new Autoblade2 blade will now be perfectly locked in the cutter head thanks to the 2 small pins that are inserted into the blade body.

No more cutting without mats

Another big point that was expected (on my side) was the possibility to cut more material without the need to use the machine's cutting mat.

Changing the cutting area

The Silhouette Cameo 4 allows you to cut more materials without its cutting mat, such as cardboard. However, there was a question as to how this change would affect the service life of the blades and the cutting mat.

I assure you, the machine has been adjusted accordingly. The martyrdom strip is now smaller (see the difference below between the Cameo 3 and the Cameo 4) and a small gutter has been added in which the blade will land.

I also noted the appearance of a small indentation in the cutting area that appears to contain an infrared system. I am not yet familiar with its use.

Customized setting for mat-free cutting

In the Silhouette Studio software, it is now possible to precisely define how the mat-free cutting process will be carried out. When cutting without a mat, the machine will create small notches to keep the cut element fixed to the material. You can set the spacing between the cut area and the notch that will hold the cut item and the length of the notch.


Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do as many tests as I would have liked. As I write this article, the software version still has a bug and only the default setting is priced by the machine. I'll come back in a future article to explain how it works in more detail.

Optional tools

The Silhouette Cameo 4 is only available in the original package at 50% of these capacities. Indeed, no tool for the tool holder n°2 is supplied with the machine. They will be available in late October-early November 2019. The official prices will be $19.99 for the Roulette blade, $14.99 for the Kraft blade and finally $12.99 for the Perforator.

I am looking forward to the Roulette blade. It is mainly intended for cutting fabric (without the need to use a primer) but I will also dedicate one to cutting paper. The roulette blade allows you to cut more delicate papers such as crepe paper. The blade rolls over the paper and does not pull it as it does with a conventional blade.

I'm also curious to see how effective the Kraft blade is on thicker materials like balsa.

The punch tool should make it easier toweedingthe vinyl by creating a small hole to catch the material to be removed more easily. This is a tool that can be worth investing in to save time if vinyl is frequently used in these creations.

The price of the different tools is really very interesting compared to the Cricut Maker.

Comparative table

To make it easier for you to make your choice, I've made a small painting.


Note that larger machines will not be available until 2020. The announced dates are as follows:

  • February/March 2020 : Silhouette Cameo Plus 15″ (38 cm)
  • March/April 2020 : Silhouette Cameo Pro 20″ (51 cm)

Conclusion

It's time to give you my (totally subjective) opinion on this new machine.

A change of use

I have always used my Silhouette Cameo 3 with its automatic blade and a pencil holder in the second tool holder. The new Silhouette Cameo 4 forces me to rethink the use of my machine. The fact that the pencil holder is limited to the first tool holder is quite disconcerting but understanding. The tool holder n°2 is the one that receives a more powerful motor for cutting. It is therefore not logical to use one's pencil in the tool holder n°2 which favours strength (unless one wants to ruin the tip of one's marker) but in the one which favours speed, the n°1.

The pencil holder adapter supplied with the Silhouette Cameo 4 can only be used in tool holder no. 1, but you can of course overcome this limitation by using your own pencil holder in any of the tool holders. However, I have carried out speed tests and observed the operation of both tool holders of the Silhouette Cameo 4. At maximum speed on my two Silhouette Cameos, there's really a big difference in speed, but also in the way the drawing is done.

The Sketch (single line) design used for the speed test

For the same Sketch type design, here are the results with the speed set at maximum:

  • Silhouette Cameo 3 - Tool holder no. 1: 1:13
  • Silhouette Cameo 4 - Tool holder n°1 : 0:31
  • Silhouette Cameo 4 - Tool holder n°2 : 0:55

If you're wondering why the Silhouette Cameo 4's cutter head No. 2 has a result close to that of the Cameo 3, it's simply that the cutter head descends and rises much more slowly. The toolholder n°2 should allow you to cut thicker material with more force, that's why the blade goes down gradually into the material to avoid breaking (I'm thinking in particular of cutting light Balsa type wood).

While Cricut Maker users won't see much change in using their pencil in the #1 tool holder, I'm gradually getting used to it. All I have to do now is buy my Roulette blade to be able to draw and cut simultaneously, as was the case with my Cameo 3 Silhouette.

A quieter machine, but...

The point that "disappoints" me the most but the word is a bit strong is the noise of the machine. Unfortunately, the machine isn't really quieter in operation. However, the big positive point is that the automatic blade adjustment is extremely faster. As a result, you really gain in hearing comfort. Also, since the cutting is much faster, it also reduces the running time and therefore noise.

A machine at 50% of its capacity

One thing to take into account at the time of purchase is the fact that the machine will only be at its maximum capacity when you have acquired one or more tools for tool holder no. 2.

The Silhouette Cameo 4, like the Silhouette Cameo 3, is sold with only the automatic blade. This is a risky business move that Silhouette has chosen to make. I can understand that new customers may feel frustrated by this choice.
It is important to note that we are talking about a new machine that has undergone an increase in capacity without seeing its price rise proportionally, as is usually the case with a new, more powerful model.

The Silhouette Cameo 4 is priced exactly the same as the Silhouette Cameo 3 at $299. It should also be remembered that the Cameo 4 now includes the roll holder which was an optional $40 with the Cameo 3.
The Cricut Maker, a direct competitor, comes with the rotary blade but costs $100 more. The Silhouette Cameo 4's rotary blade should cost $20. Also, it is very easy to buy a second rotary blade for the Cameo 4. The Cricut Maker allows you to replace the blade for $17 but not get a second blade for that price.
These are all things that make me appreciate this new model.

My humble advice

If you have the patience, buy the new Silhouette Cameo 4 and the optional blades at the same time, and you will be able to enjoy all its new capabilities directly. In addition, the Silhouette Studio software version should be more stable at the same time, since it is currently experiencing bugs that prevent full use of the machine.

That's it, my presentation is over!
Feel free to give me your opinion in the comments and tell me if you plan to buy this new Cameo 4.