Silhouette Cameo 3 Review: Features, Pros & Cons

Silhouette is the most popular manufacturer in the crafts industry with a range of die-cutters for all types of consumers.

Until now, the Cameo 2 is the most popular and best die-cutter from Silhouette. 

But recently, the company has introduced its all-new edition to the Cameo series and the successor of the Cameo 2 with Silhouette Cameo 3.

The Silhouette Cameo 3 review covers the basic functionality and features of this machine as well as the feedback from its real users. 

You must be wondering about the performance of this latest edition of the Cameo series and that’s why searching for a review of this machine.

We will explain to you what makes this Cameo 3 machine stand on the top machine from the brand and why it is highly recommended! 

Silhouette Cameo 3: Overview 

Just like every other brand, Silhouette has introduced this Cameo 3 machine as the latest edition in the Cameo die-cutter series.

They just wanted to upgrade the existing Cameo 2 model and hence included a set of new features with improved performance. 

The Cameo 3 includes new carriages compatibility, wireless connectivity with Bluetooth, and some major upgrades to Silhouette Studio software which opens up a whole new world of opportunities for the users.

You can unleash your creativity by exploring the new set of its features and that’s what makes this new edition different from the previous editions. 

Before we jump on to the main review part, let us discuss some of the useful features of this advanced die-cutter machine from Silhouette I.e. Cameo 3.

Here’s the list of its key features: 

Also see: Cricut Explore Air 2 Reviews

Silhouette Cameo 3: Key Features 

Silhouette is known for its quality products and the Cameo Series has some great die cutters to suit your various cutting demands.

The latest edition brings a number of new features to the model as the company has upgraded the Cameo 2 model.

The Cameo 3 edition has got everything that you would expect from the new generation cutting machine and we have enlisted all the new technology and features in the following list. 

  • 2-in-1 functionality for cutting and printing 
  • Able to cut and print at the same time 
  • 12-Inch of cutting and drawing width 
  • Compatible with different types of materials 
  • 2-mm of cutting clearance 
  • Full-colour LCD touchscreen for easy navigation 
  • Compatible with Windows and Mac PC systems
  • Built-in Bluetooth Connectivity 
  • Offers matless cutting for a long material
  • Accessory and tools storage compartment 

These are some of the best features that you would never see in any other die-cutter machine.

Thankfully, the Cameo 3 is offering all of them.

It has a stylish and compact design and offers the best of performance with its all-in-one compatibility. 

Silhouette’s Cameo 3 machine is designed to work on all types of materials that can be used for crafting and other tasks.

Let’s discuss the compatible materials you can use on this die-cutting machine for your crafts-work and other requirements. 

Compatibility with Materials 

The Cameo 3 machine comes with a 2-mm cutting clearance which is enough to cut down the thickest material.

In fact, this is what makes it compatible to work on almost all types of materials at ease.

Compared to the previous edition, this machine can cut down a broader range of materials. 

With the Silhouette Cameo 3 machine, you can cut almost over 100 different types of materials.

Here, we have enlisted the most commonly used materials on the die-cutting machines.

  • Paper
  • Vinyl
  • Matboard and Cardstock
  • Fabric
  • Craft foam 
  • Leather 
  • Chipboard
  • Balsa wood

Apart from this, the same machine can cut a wide range of papers with different thicknesses.

It is the perfect machine for those who are creative enough and work on different DIY projects.

Now, let’s get on to the main review part: 

Silhouette Cameo 3: Review

Design  

Silhouette has worked more on the looks of this new edition.

If you have used the Cameo 2 machine from the same brand, then you would notice that the Cameo 3 looks bigger than the Cameo 2.

The entire machine is wider, taller, and also weighs more than the previous edition.

The looks of this machine are just like an ordinary printing and cutting machine with a plain design. 

It carries a super sleek look and sits stable on your desk.

It looks more attractive in terms of its looks compared to the previous editions of the Cameo series. 

Dual Carriages

Unlike the previous editions, the dual carriages option can be cut and drawn simultaneously.

In the previous editions, if you wanted to draw and cut your project, you had to stop the machine and then change the blade or pen to proceed further.

With this functionality, you can finish your project with one go without stopping in between. 

This functionality makes the entire process easier and hassle-free as you don’t need to manually change the blade or pen for drawing and cutting.

If you don’t want to cut, you can simply use a secondary pen to draw the layout with two different pens. 

Auto blade 

Unlike the previous editions, the Cameo 3 machine comes with an advanced Autoblade function.

This feature reduces the need for manpower and does its job automatically. The auto blade on the Cameo 3 is there to automate the blade adjustments. 

The Autoblade technology is introduced by Silhouette in their latest, Cameo 3 edition.

Instead of adjusting the cutting blade manually, this Autoblade function can now adjust the blade automatically while cutting.

You don’t need to stop the machine for the adjustment of the blade, the machine will understand everything itself and will finish the job automatically. 

Nobody wants to stop the machine just to change the cutting settings again and again.

With this new Autoblade, the entire process becomes a lot easier and time-saving. It saves a lot of time which you can invest in the second project.

You can work on multiple projects and can accomplish more projects in a single day. 

This function works with the Silhouette Studio Software and it works automatically by the software itself.

It feels like real magic if you haven’t seen the actual functionality of the automatic cutter. 

The Print and Cut is the standard feature in the Silhouette’s Cameo series. Cameo 3 also comes with this advanced feature which is actually very useful.

This feature allows the machine to cut out the printed drawings images or sketches automatically. 

You are going to work on a lot of projects which include making new stickers, labels, logos, gift cards, tags, and whatnot.

This all-in-one cutting and printing machine is just an ideal choice for everyone who loves creativity. 

Gone are the days when you have to cut down the printed stickers etc. with your hands and a scissor.

With the Cameo 3 machine, you will get ready-made stickers, tags, labels, logos, etc., thanks to its Print and Cut feature. 

In order to use the Print and Cut feature on the Camera 3 machine, the first thing you need to do is upload the design you want to get printed on the Silhouette Studio software.

You can then attach the printer to this cutter and give a command to the software to print out the stickers using the home printer.

After that, you need to load those printed images into the Cameo 3 machine to get them cut! 

The machine recognizes the registration marks on the printed images and cuts through the given lines themselves.

You will get accurate and professional cuts on the stickers, tags, labels, logos, etc. 

Compatible with Multiple Blades 

Apart from the built-in Autoblade functionality, you can use a number of additional blades on this Cutting machine.

Here are some of the most common types of blades that you can use on the Silhouette Cameo 3 machine. 

Standard Blade 

The Standard blade is the most common type of blade in cutting machines.

Most cutting machines come with the standard blade which is also known as Ratchet.

You can use this type of blade in most of your cutting projects as it is compatible with cutting almost all types of materials with the Cameo machine.

Premium Blade

As the name suggests, the Premium Blade is a premium version of the standard blades and can be used to cut down a variety of materials on the Cameo 3 machine.

What makes the Premium Blade different from the Standard Blade is its life. The Premium Blade lasts three times longer. 

Deepcut Blade

If you are working with different materials and not just with the cards and papers, then this Deepcut Blade is required.

Deepcut Blade is ideally used on thick materials up to 2mm in size. 

Fabric Blade

Fabric Blade is made from high-grade carbide materials. Fabric Blade is just the same as the standard blade but comes in blue housing.

This type of blade works only when you use fabric materials.

PixScan Technology

PixScan is the newest technology used by Silhouette in the new Cameo 3 edition.

Instead of cutting the design on a separate printer, this technology lets the user place the design directly on the cutting mat.

The mat contains registration marks that can be easily recognized by the Cameo 3 machine and gives you the perfect cuts. 

After placing the material on the mat, you need to take a picture from your phone’s camera and upload it on Cameo 3’s Design Studio software for the printing process.

This technology is highly useful for special drawing designs, stamp patterns, fabric patterns, and other types of magazine cut-outs.

This technology enhances your creativity as you can easily expand your projects using this feature. 

Storage Compartments

The crafting process requires a lot of tools and stationery items and for that reason, the company provides a separate storage compartment that is spacious enough to hold all of your useful tools and stationery items. 

When you open the lid, you will see the storage compartment where you can store your blades, sketch pens, pencils, etc.

When you pull out the bottom compartment, you will see two more left and right storage compartments for storing other essential tools. 

Compared to the previous edition I.e. Cameo 2, the Cameo 3 edition comes with extra-large storage space as the design of this edition is also larger than the Cameo 2.

LCD Touch Screen 

Living in the technology world, we all expect our devices and tools to have some smart features.

The Cameo 3 is loaded with a full-color LCD touchscreen.

You can take full control of the machine just like a smartphone using this touchscreen display.

Unlike the traditional button controls, the touchscreen control offers more flexibility and is very convenient for new users and advanced users.

The touch screen comes with a lot of functionality with which you can upload a new mat, follow the tutorials, and do a variety of other tasks.

You can also get an audio feedback feature to navigate through the different functions of the machine.

Whenever you are stuck in the process, you can simply select the Guidelines option to understand how you can tackle the issue. 

Adjustable Rollers

Cameo 3 is the first edition featuring this new adjustable roller feature. It’s a simple and easy-to-use feature where you can easily pinch and adjust the roller’s setting.

You just need to pinch, twist, and slide and that’s all it requires to adjust the roller. 

The Cameo 3 uses the latest steel spring rollers that are gentle on the materials and glide through the materials easily.

The steel spring rollers avoid damage on the sensitive materials and keep them as it is. 

These are all the useful features and functions that you would get on the latest Cameo 3 edition from Silhouette.

All of these features and innovative enough to improve your productivity and help you save your precious time as most of these features are designed to work automatically for your various cutting and printing tasks.

After collecting useful information about the features and functions of the machine, let’s understand how this machine actually works on a range of materials.

We have tried to explain the actual functionality of this machine on different materials in this part. 

Compared to the previous edition, the Cameo 3’s cutting capacity is double.

This is the biggest upgrade of this machine as the users can cut down even more types of materials with extra thickness.

You can adjust the cutting bar as per the type of materials you are using on this machine.

The cutting clearance can range up to 2mm in thickness. Cameo 2 comes with a cutting capacity of just 0.8 mm. 

Since the Cameo 3 is compatible with a range of blades, you can easily change the blade to cut down the thick materials easily.

For thick materials, you are requested to use a Deepcut Blade which can finish the job perfectly.

With this blade, you can cut down the thick material such as craft foam.

Apart from this, the Cameo 3 machine can cut up to 10 feet long material with one go.

This means even a professional user can also use this machine for printing banners, ads, and vinyl signs.

With the feeder option, you can use the entire roll of the same material. This feature saves your precious time and offers accurate cuts. 

The ability to cut materials up to 10 feet long is the best advantage of the home cutting machine.

This machine is capable enough to load the material without the mat sheet.

Use the single material and the machine will itself start the printing job without any type of base-mat or other supportive material. 

The only drawback of this Cameo 3 machine is its weak cutting force. Compared to the previous editions, the actual cutting force of the Cameo 3 machine is weak.

You will only notice this drawback while working with thick materials. Otherwise, it is perfectly fine and cuts through all types of thin materials easily.

Bluetooth Compatibility 

Silhouette Cameo 3 is the first Cameo machine with built-in Bluetooth Connectivity.

This is a much-needed feature in the new generation cutting machine as almost all the other brands have introduced their new editions with Bluetooth compatibility. 

With the built-in Bluetooth, you can easily connect your Cameo 3 machine wirelessly with the PC system I.e. Windows or Mac, iPad, iPhone, and even Android devices.

Just enable the Bluetooth function and you will see it on your device. Select the connect button to establish a successful connection between the devices. 

You will get all the useful information if you are having any troubles while connecting to your device on a different PC system or Smartphone by following the how-to tutorials from Silhouette’s website.

You will be guided through various steps that can help you set up a successful connection. 

Also see: Best Vinyl cutting Machines

Silhouette Studio Software

What makes the Silhouette Brand stand in the top position in the industry is its powerful Silhouette Studio Software.

Since we are reviewing the latest edition of the brand, we must check out the upgraded Studio Software of the brand.

Yes, Silhouette has made a lot of changes to its functionality and added a few noticeable features to offer the best performance and experience. 

Silhouette Studio Software is absolutely free of cost and is compatible with both, Windows and Mac PC systems.

You can easily get this software installed and configure it with your Cameo 3 machine to get started with it.

The software allows you to add or upload designs easily. You can even draw your own design from scratch using the same software. 

Apart from this, the software has a special store from where you can purchase premium designs, logos, banners, and other useful things that can be printed out using the Cameo 3 machine.

The software is very easy to use and if you have prior knowledge of using graphic designing software, then you would feel much familiar with its interface. 

Thankfully, the software is loaded with a number of useful tutorials and guidelines that you can follow to get started with this machine.

No matter whether you have prior knowledge of using the Cameo 3 machine and its software or not, you will get to learn everything about the software and its functionality to work with the Cameo 3 machine by following the tutorials from the software itself.

What makes this software more user-friendly is its simple import facility.

You can download different types of designs from the Internet and can upload them to this software using the import feature.

You can even purchase new designs from the given online store.

The software also comes with an advanced feature that will help you cut down the image into the perfect design. 

The software comes with 100 free designs that you can use for free to print out the selected material.

The software updates regularly and you will receive a number of free images every week to use on the Cameo 3 machine. 

When you purchase the Cameo 3 software, you will get a free 1 month of subscription to their basic plan.

The free subscription account limits you to $25 credit in a month. You can buy your favorite design from the official Silhouette Design Store by spending $25 of free credit. 

Apart from this, the Software offers different types of subscription plans for 3, 6, and 12 months of subscription.

These plans are premium plans and they let you download your favorite designs from the store.

If you are planning to download a bunch of designs every now and then from the software, then you should opt for a suitable subscription plan that can benefit you a lot in the long run. 

Silhouette Studio 4 is recently upgraded which brings a number of extra features.

It is way faster than the previous edition and comes with a lot of additional compatibilities.

The only drawback with its free edition is you would not be able to upload or import your own designs to the software.

For that, you will have to go with the Designer Edition of Business Edition which is currently available at $50 and $100 respectively. 

Pros: 
  • Serves a user-friendly interface for everyone
  • Excellent Customer Care Support 
  • Suitable for all types of materials 
  • Best suited for the professional craftsman who works on different types of projects
  • Makes useful and accurate cuts automatically
  • Built-in Bluetooth for wireless connectivity 
  • Compatible with all types of cutting blades with auto blade functionality
  • Comes with a separate and spacious storage compartment
  • Compatible with Silhouette Studio Software for cutting, editing, and printing 
  • The product is backed by the company’s 1 Year Limited Warranty 
Cons:
  • Fewer capabilities compared to professional-grade cutting machines 
  • Not able to engrave, emboss, or pierce on the materials
  • Not fully portable 
  • The cutter is weaker while working with thick materials.

Conclusion: 

The Silhouette Cameo 3 is designed for home users who want to create different types of crafts.

This is not a professional-grade cutting machine; however, it is capable enough to cut down a range of materials with its 2mm of clearance. 

Unlike the other cutting machines, this machine boasts a set of advanced features and the latest technologies to give you the best cutting experience.

If you love die-cutting and want to upgrade your user experience, then the Silhouette Cameo 3 is highly recommended for you.

It has everything to accomplish your crafting projects!

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