How to get cleaner detail cuts with your Silhouette machine (+ free Eyelet Lace background cut file)

Thought I'd experiment to see just how finely-detailed cuts on my Silhouette machine 

could be. Turns out you can get quite a lot of small detail if you use a few little tricks.

So I've researched things a bit & here's what I found...

(How to get better detail cuts

with your Silhouette machine)

#1 - Use a smooth paper, like Neenah solar white cardstock, used here for the piece cut above. Or a lot of people seem to swear by American Crafts cardstock & other textured papers. If you want incredibly detailed cuts check this out.

#2 - Use a fairly new blade and be sure you aren't chipping it. Use a new-ish mat also.

#3 - Set it double cut to be sure you are getting all those little cuts & slow the speed down some.

#4 - Check your advanced settings, and change your packet size to 500; Here's some info from Kerri Bradford on that. You can experiment, perhaps 1000 bytes is better for you (as it was for Debbie).

#5 - Clean your blade very regularly, gently removing any built up pieces using a paint brush to prevent build up of paper bits. (If you use a pin or tweezers, do take care not to chip the blade.)

               And I've found that...

#6 - As a last resort, you can also tidy up any missed bits 'manually':

There were one or two tiny spots that didn't cut, so I used a paper piercer & BasicGrey precision files 

 to clean them up. It may take a little extra work, but it does seem worth it for really intricate cutting.
 

An Xacto blade (or hobby knife) is also a wonderful
tool to tidy up the odd little missed cut section.

This Eyelet Lace background pattern is a cut file that I made and
thought I'd share as a freebie, in case any of you would like to use it:

  
Download the free Eyelet Lace

Silhouette .studio cutting file here.

(the PNG is here on Flickr, if you'd like it instead)

Download the free Eyelet Lace
.SVG cutting file here.


  This is my first .svg, so would you please let me know if it is not okay?
( I don't have Make The Cut or other software to test it out on... ) :-)

This digital work is offered up for free, but mainly for personal use & handmade sale items only.

Please do not use these to make digital papers or kits for sale & no mass produced items.
If you have any questions, please be sure to read my terms of use here. Or email me. Thanks!

Happy Creating!

P.S. Looking for cut files & tutorials? This is my Silhouette Pinterest board... the spot where I keep track of all the brilliant people out there, and amass free cut files for the silhouette (and other cutting machines). So much to learn!