Getting Started with Cutting Plotters

Start creating unique designs with your cutting plotter today! This guide will show you how to easily cut adhesive vinyl, flex film, and other materials for countless projects. We’ll cover the settings, materials, and techniques you need to achieve professional results with both the Silhouette Cameo and Graphtec cutting plotters. Whether you want to create stickers for your business, print t-shirts for an event, or simply express your creativity, this guide will get you started.

Installing Silhouette Cameo Cutting Plotters

Installation
Silhouette Studio software was developed for Cameo cutting plotters.
This is a complete cutting software package that allows you to create designs and open and edit existing designs.
Silhouette Studio is available for both Windows and macOS computers, and the basic version is free. This free basic version is fully functional and offers many options for designing and importing files.
For even more features and functions, various upgrades are available.
Always install the free basic version first.
Installing the Silhouette cutting plotter for the first time:
Installing this software and the plotter itself is very easy. You only need a free Silhouette account. This immediately registers your new plotter, which is useful for warranty purposes.
To do this:
Go to this page on the Silhouette website.
Here you can create an account, and you will be guided step-by-step through the installation.
For a new Silhouette Cameo, after installation, the software will indicate that the plotter’s firmware needs to be updated. “Update Firmware” will then be displayed next to the cutting plotter in the software.
The firmware is essentially the software built into the device, in this case, the cutting plotter.
It’s important to do this first and not to interrupt the process.
Always connect the plotter to a USB printer cable to update the firmware. It’s not possible to update the firmware using a Bluetooth connection.

Upgrades

Now that you’ve installed the basic version, you can consider upgrading.
Below is an overview of the various editions and their differences:

To purchase an upgrade edition, please visit our website.
After purchasing an upgrade, you don’t need to reinstall the software; you can simply activate the upgrade edition from the Basic version. To do this:
Open the Basic version of Silhouette Studio.
Click “Tools” and select “Apply Edition Upgrade.”
Follow the prompts and enter the code you received after purchasing the upgrade.

I already have a Silhouette account

If you already have a Silhouette account and only want to download and install the latest version of the software, you can do so here on the Silhouette website: https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/software
Click “Softwares” and select Silhouette Studio.
Click the download for your operating system (Windows 64-bit or Mac 64-bit).
Double-click the downloaded file to start the installation and install the software.
Follow the on-screen instructions.

Graphtec cutting plotters

Installation
Graphtec Studio 2 software was developed for Graphtec cutting plotters.
This is a complete cutting software package that allows you to create designs and open and edit existing designs.
Graphtec Studio 2 is available for both Windows and macOS computers.
As an alternative, the plug-in software “Cutting Master” is available.
This software allows you to cut directly from Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw.
It is important to note that we are less able to support Cutting Master because its functionality is largely dependent on software we do not supply (Adobe or Corel).
It is also possible that Adobe or Corel may release an update that prevents the Cutting Master software from working. This may mean you have to wait until a new version of the Cutting Master software resolves this issue.
We therefore recommend using Graphtec Studio 2 software. Files created with Illustrator or CorelDraw can always be imported into it, allowing you to still use your familiar Adobe or Corel software.
The Graphtec CE8000 series can also be controlled via Wi-Fi. However, for a reliable, stable connection between the cutting plotter and the computer, we recommend using a USB cable instead of Wi-Fi.

Installing your Graphtec cutting plotter for the first time

Make sure the plotter is not yet connected to the computer.
First, install the driver. Do this as follows:
Go to the Graphtec website: Graphtec
Click on “Drivers / Software / Manuals / Firmware”.
Click on “Cutting Plotters”.
Select the plotter series, for example, “CE8000series”.
Under “Drivers”, select your Windows version.
Scroll down and click on the download file under “Downloading files”.
Right-click on the downloaded file and select “Extract All”.
Open the extracted folder and double-click on the file “GDSETUP64.EXE” to start the installation.
Follow the on-screen instructions.

Install the software

Go to the Graphtec website: Graphtec
Click on “Drivers / Software / Manuals / Firmware”.
Click on “Cutting Plotters”.
Select the plotter series, for example, “CE8000series”.
Under “Software” > “Graphtec Studio 2”, select your operating system (Mac or Windows).
Read the End-User Agreement for Graphtec Studio 2.
Scroll down and click on the download file under “Downloading files” > “Software”.
Right-click on the downloaded file and choose “Extract All”.
Open the extracted folder and double-click on the installation file (starts with “GS2…”) to start the installation.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
Connect the plotter to the computer and turn it on.