How to Cut with 2 Silhouette Cameos at the Same Time
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With the release of the Silhouette Cameo 3, I’ve had several readers asking questions about running two machines at once. As I’ve mentioned on the blog before, you’ll need Silhouette Studio Business Edition. I’ve previously written about Business Edition:
- What is Silhouette Studio Business Edition
- An Overview of the features in Silhouette Studio Business Edition
- Is Silhouette Studio Business Edition worth it?
Step by Step Tutorial on How to Cut on Multiple Cameos from the Same Computer
- Plug in both machines and connect them to your computer.
- Load both machines with material. For this tutorial, I’ve got red cardstock in an original Cameo and green cardstock in a Cameo 3.
- In Silhouette Studio, choose the first design you want to cut and select the appropriate cut settings.Â
- Instead of clicking “Send to Silhouette”, you’ll use the icon on the toolbar:Â
- Now, you’ll be able to choose which machine you want to use. Choose which Cameo to send the design to and click “Start”.Â
- While the first machine is cutting, you can either cut the same design on a different machine or use an entirely different design. To start the second machine, you’ll repeat steps 3 to 5. That’s it! Here’s a quick photo of the cuts:
It’s like music to my ears:
FAQ
Q: Can I run an older model Silhouette Cameo with a Silhouette Cameo 3?
A: Yes, you can run any combination of Cameos: Original Cameo with Original Cameo, Cameo 2 with Original Cameo, Cameo 2 with Cameo 3, and so on.
Q: Do I have to cut the same design on both Cameos?
A: No, you can cut different designs on each Cameo or you can cut with one and sketch with another.
Q: How many machines can I run at the same time?
A: This is related to your computer’s ability. I’ve seen four and five Cameos at the same time, but I only have 3 machines.
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Since 2015, Christine Schinagl has been helping crafters start and run craft businesses through her blog, Cutting for Business. As a Silhouette and Cricut crafter herself, she has a unique take on what works and what doesn’t work in the craft business world. She also enjoys teaching other crafters how to create digital SVG designs, available through the Design with Me series.
Do you have to have a Silhouette 3 in order to accomplish this?
No. You can have any combination of machines: an original and an original, an original and a 3, Cameo 2 and a 3, and so on.
Thank you, Christine!! Looked everywhere to find this answer.
No problem!
how can i download business edition for free?
You don’t – it’s not free.
Hi! I just installed the business edition. I have a Cameo 3 and a portrait. I am trying to run both machines at once but I can’t change the blade settings on the Cameo 3 from ratchet to auto. Infact it doesn’t even give me the choice of automatic anymore. How do I fix this? Thank you!!!
I’m sorry, I’ve never had this happen.
Thank you for your article. When I go back to step 3 to send my cut to the Cameo 3 I can’t locate the cut settings for Cameo 3, it defaults to the cut settings for the Cameo 1 that’s printing (same pic as you display above, whereas the 3 should have the Tool 1 and Tool 2 display). Am I missing a button somewhere 🙂
Is your firmware updated to the latest on the Cameo 3?
I’ve just figured it out. I need to switch the default machine, then click ‘adjust cut settings’ at the bottom of my screen and it will take me to the default machines cut settings … thanks for help again! 🙂
Awesome!
Hi
Ive just bought a 2nd machine for this reason entirely, I have also just upgraded to designer edition but am still haveing trouble getting both machines to cut at the same time. It seems to only pick up my new cameo 3 and not the cameo 2. Am I doing something wrong?
If both your machine softwares are up to date, you might have to reach out to Silhouette America for technical help.
Hi can you run more then 2 machines at the same time? My business is picking up and I want to invest in 2 more machines can I run 3 or more at the same time?
Yes, I know crafters running 10 to 15 at a time.
Hi, I have a question that maybe you can help with… I’m running 6 machines (portraits) at the same time. What I have discovered is that each machine cuts differently. The cut settings need to be adjusted by each machine, even if I’m cutting the same design on the same material. I haven’t been able to find a “universal” cut setting that works for all 6 machines. What works on one machine, doesn’t cut right on the next machine. Is this typical?
Correct, this is very typical.
Single Cameo3 BE.
Do you know … Is it possible to “design” a second project while the 1st project is cutting? Seems the answer is no … but hoping.
Yes, I do it all the time. I do think that this is limited based on your computer memory.