Cameo vs Silhouette Curio
Silhouette Cameo has always been one of the best-selling cutting machines in the market. It is powerful and highly reliable. So, with the release of Silhouette Curio, some people get confused about which cutting machine that they better purchase. Below, we will discuss the comparisons between Silhouette Cameo vs Silhouette Curio with great detail to help you decide.
Continue reading below if you want to learn more about:
- Which cutting machine that is more compact and portable
- Whether these cutting machines are easy and intuitive to use
- The special features and capabilities of each model
- The maximum cutting dimensions
- The compatible materials
- The performance of Silhouette Cameo vs Silhouette Curio
- Which cutting machine that is better for the money
Design and Dimensions
Actually, Silhouette Cameo has been updated a few times since the very first release. The latest model is now Silhouette Cameo 3. The updates bring additional features and improvements, so it is not surprising that the latest model is loved very much by the users.However, in terms of design, the iterations don’t differ very much from each other.
Silhouette Cameo comes with an all-white housing. It is designed to be a primary cutting unit, as it features a broad cutting width, powerful blades, and a nice LCD screen. Thanks to the LCD screen, you can load and cut designs directly from USB drives without a computer. One nice thing is that the LCD screen is also shielded by the lid, so it will not collect too much dust.
Silhouette Cameo looks modern and elegant with the slim design. When the lid is closed, the unit only measures 21 inches wide, 6.5 inches deep, and 5.5 inches tall. However, make sure that you have an area of 21 inches x 14 inches to have enough space for the material feed-through and a vertical clearance of 9.5 inches to fully open the lid.
Of course, if we compare the dimensions of Silhouette Cameo vs Silhouette Curio, we can say that the Cameo is considerably larger. It certainly requires more surface area to begin with. However, we should not forget that the Cameo is meant to be a primary cutting tool, whereas the Curio is more of a versatile and compact companion to aid your primary cutting tool.
Silhouette Curio looks hefty, even though it is actually smaller than the Cameo. This is because of the box-like shape. The sides are tall and rectangular. It does not look as modern and stylish as the Cameo due to the bulky design.
Well, Silhouette Curio measures17.25 inches wide, 6.75 inches deep (13.5 inches for material feed-through), 5.25 inches (9.5 inches for open lid). As you can see, it is not as wide as the Cameo. It is a nice choice if you really want a more compact cutting machine. Just like the sibling, Silhouette Curio has a lid that opens upwards, so make sure that you give it enough vertical space in order to allow the lid to open.
Silhouette Curio also has a white housing. However, it does not have any display screen. As the effect, it can’t operate alone without a computer. You need to connect it to a computer in order to load and cut designs as well as to make adjustments.
SilhouetteCameo: Features
In terms of features, there are several crucial differences between Silhouette Cameo vs Silhouette Curio. These distinctive differences play an important role in deciding which model that is more suitable for you. If you need powerful cutting capabilities, Silhouette Cameo is generally better. However, if you need a unit that is able to not only cut but also emboss, deboss, etch, and stipple, Silhouette Curio can be a great alternative.
Both Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Curio are already equipped with dual carriages. With the dual carriage, the cutting machine is able to perform draw and cut at the same time. It also allows you to score and cut at the same time. It is very handy, as it cuts down the time needed to accomplish several activities.
Silhouette Cameo is a powerful cutting machine. It has several important advantages in terms of cutting capabilities, which we will discuss with more detail in the next section. Unlike the Curio, Silhouette Cameo is dedicated to drawing and cutting. As the effect, it does not come with the capabilities outside of its scope, such as emboss, deboss, etch, and stipple.
Still, Silhouette Cameo has several unique features that aren’t available on the Curio. As mentioned above, it comes with an LCD screen that allows you to load and cut designs directly from USB drives. This capability is incredibly useful when you are travelling with the machine without any access to a computer.
Furthermore, Silhouette Cameo boasts built-in Bluetooth. This technology enables you to connect the cutting machine to your computer wirelessly. The Bluetooth is very convenient, but unfortunately it does not allow the machine to connect directly to a mobile device. You can connect Silhouette Cameo wirelessly to your computer, and then you can send designs from your mobile device to your computer.
Silhouette Curio: Features
On the other hand, Silhouette Curio does not have the display screen and Bluetooth. As the effect, this model requires the use of a computer in order to be functional. It can’t load designs directly from an external drive, and it can’t connect to mobile devices. It is not really suitable for travelling, unless you bring your laptop along.
Silhouette Curio comes with unique capabilities of its own. There are several functions that are exclusive to the Curio, not available on the Cameo. These functions include metal etching, metal and foil stippling, embossing, and debossing. Of course, Silhouette Curio also benefits further from the dual carriage, which allows the unit to score-and-emboss or to print-and-emboss in one pass.
Silhouette Curio is also able to use thicker materials as project surfaces, thanks to the wider material input clearance. This goes very well with the additional functions. For example, you can enter a metallic plate to create a beautiful plaque.
Cutting Capabilities
When choosing between Silhouette Cameo vs Silhouette Curio, don’t forget to consider their cutting capabilities. If you need to work with large, long designs, you should choose Silhouette Cameo. However, if you only work with small designs, Silhouette Curio is fine.
Silhouette Cameo is able to cut a design of up to 12 inches wide and 10 feet long. Yes, the cutting machine is really able to handle materials of that long. This is a huge advantage for those who often need to work with large-sized projects, such as banners and pennants.
However, keep in mind that Silhouette Cameo only has a material input clearance of 2mm. Well, this is generally not a problem, unless you need to work with very thick metal plates. Silhouette Cameo is already able to cut more than 100 different materials. All the usual materials like paper, cardstock, vinyl, foil, and foam can be cut effortlessly with excellent accuracy and precision. So, Silhouette Cameo really does deserve the marketing by name of “the ultimate DIY cutting machine.”
The next thing that you should know about Silhouette Cameo is the AutoBlade setting. So, on this machine, there are actually three selectable cutting settings, which are Standard, Deep Cut, and AutoBlade. The first two settings are quite self-explanatory, but how about the last one? By using the AutoBlade setting, you no longer have to make manual adjustments for the right cutting depths on different materials.
The AutoBlade setting automatically calibrates the blade to suit the particular material that you are using. This feature certainly appeals everyone, both beginners and experienced users. New users are not sure about the best settings in the first place. Sometimes, we just forget to change the blade depth. However, with the AutoBlade setting, you only need to tell the unit what material that you are cutting, and the unit will handle the rest.
Silhouette Curio, on the other hand, only has a maximum cutting size of 8.5 inches by 6 inches. That is indeed very small. Some people may even get frustrated because they can only cut very small designs and are unable to make larger decorative patterns.
Fortunately, you can purchase and install a large tray which will increase Silhouette Curio’s maximum cutting size to 8.5 inches by 12 inches. This is still rather small, but at least this is better than the default. The large tray is a must-buy if you are not exclusively working on small designs.
The advantage that comes with Silhouette Curio is the wider material input clearance, which allows you to enter a material of up to 5mm thick. With the wide clearance, you can work with a huge variety of materials. You can definitely work with the common ones like paper, vinyl, and cardstock. However, you can also work with leather, craft foam, fabric (but make sure that you use fabric stabilizers), and soft metals such as aluminum, brass, and copper.
Silhouette Curio is able to cut through those materials properly. However, for deep embossing and stippling, you should consider using thinner materials rather than thicker. In such cases, it delivers better results if the sheet isn’t too thick. Note that Silhouette Curio is able to emboss various materials; if yours isn’t able to emboss on particular materials, there is a possibility that yours is a faulty product.
Always keep in mind that the material should always reach the 5mm height on the tray. You can easily adjust the height of the material by using the spacer pads. This is necessary to allow the blade to reach and cut through the material properly. Also, Silhouette Curio does not have the AutoBlade setting, so you should make all adjustments manually.
Software
Both Silhouette Cameo vs Silhouette Curio works with the Silhouette Studio software. This software is available for Windows and Mac. Most of the time, you are going to work through this software in order to create, load, and cut your designs.
The Silhouette Studio software gives you the ability to design projects and send them to any Silhouette cutting machine. Note that both Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Curio may include a CD that contains the software in the bundle, but it is better for you to just download the software from Silhouette’s official website. This is the best way to get the latest, most updated version of the software. Of course, the software is available for free.
You can certainly download Silhouette Studio even if you don’t have a Silhouette machine yet. This way, you can learn about how to use the software and practice making designs even before actually purchasing the machine. You can also build up your library by taking advantage of the weekly free shapes, sales, and promotions on the Silhouette Online Store, so that you will have a large library when you finally get a Silhouette machine.
There are three paid upgrades available for the software, which are Designer Edition, Designer Edition+, and Business Edition. You should consider these upgrades if you find the free basic version too limited for your needs.
- The Designer Edition allows you to import SVG files and create new designs by using the expanded tools and features.
- The Designer Edition+ includes all features of the Designer Edition, in addition to additional embroidery file types (JEF, DST, PES, EXP, and XXX) and advanced rhinestone features.
- The Business Edition includes all features of the Designer Edition+, along with SVG export, advanced nesting, and multiple cutting unit support. This edition is designed to aid large-scale projects and high quantity production.
There are two mobile apps available for both Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Curio, which are Silhouette Studio Mobile and PixScan Mobile. Again, keep in mind that you can’t send designs directly from your mobile device to the cutting machine. Instead, you need to connect the cutting machine to a computer, and set up a connection between the computer and your mobile device by using the Silhouette Link software.
Silhouette Studio Mobile is pretty much like the desktop Silhouette Studio software, except that the capabilities are much more limited. It is still useful if you want to make simple designs when waiting in the doctor’s office or when in the bus. It is also useful for showing mockups to clients. It is available for Android, iOS, Windows, and Amazon Kindle. Meanwhile, PixScan Mobile is handy for capturing PixScan images directly, and is available for Android and iOS.
Cameo vs Silhouette Curio
Conclusion
Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Curio have different advantages and capabilities. In general, Silhouette Cameo is more recommended. It has better cutting capabilities. It can cut larger, longer designs easily. The AutoBlade setting is very useful for calibrating the blade automatically. It looks nice and stylish, and the LCD screen allows you to load images from USB drives easily. However, Silhouette Curio is the way to go if you need functions like emboss, deboss, etch, and stipple.
