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10 Terms for a beginning Silhouette or Cricut user

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Are you a beginning Silhouette or Cricut user? One of the things that can feel overwhelming about this world of cutting and crafting is the feeling everyone is speaking a different language. Beginning Silhouette and Cricut users can easily feel overwhelmed.  We are here to help!

When I first started out in this community I felt like half the time I was trying to look up what people were talking about in their post. (HTV huh? Isn’t that a TV channel?) Here are 10 key terms deciphered and explained all in one spot for your convince.

Top 10 Terms

Types of Vinyl:

  • HTV: Heat Transfer Vinyl- This is the vinyl that is most commonly used on clothing, hats, shoes, and bags. It is NOT sticky (which makes it a whole lot easier to work with in my opinion) and if applied correctly and taken care of properly will last the life of the item it is attached to. (more tips on taking care of and working with HTV at a later date) You must apply HTV with an iron or a heat press. Siser Easy Weed is the only brand I use (I learned from several ruined shirts and bad vinyl experiences) and this bundle of HTV is an awesome starter pack because it has a little bit of every color but isn’t too over the top.  I also LOVE Expressions Vinyl.  They have a quality product that you will love.

 

  • 651: Permanent Outdoor Adhesive Vinyl- It is extremely sticky and is what you would use to make decals for cars, windows, mugs, glasses etc. You even might use this to apply on a canvas or piece of wood to create a sign. Once this vinyl is applied and set, it is very difficult to peel up and if it is stuck to a wall it can even possibly remove the paint. Although it isn’t recommended to be dishwasher safe, with 4 kids, all my water bottles go on the top rack (hand washing just isn’t an option right now) and I haven’t lost a letter yet! (knock on wood) When using Oracal (the brand name) 651 vinyl you will also need to use transfer tape. Here is the bundle I first started with because it includes the transfer tape and a little toolkit to help apply the vinyl.

 

  • 631: Indoor Removable Adhesive Vinyl– This vinyl is great for putting on a bedroom wall or creating a beautiful living room decal quote that you might want to adjust, remove, or take down at some point. Do not use this on mugs or glasses or it will very easily come off when washed and used frequently. This is also a great vinyl to use when creating a stencil for a sign or canvas to paint.

Materials:

  • Heat Press: If you want to create shirts on a regular basis a heat press, in my opinion, is an essential item. It is basically a giant iron that gets way hotter and can apply a whole lot more pressure in order for your items to have a longer shelf life. They come at all price points and sizes but this one here is the one I have and can’t say enough wonderful things about it!  The Cricut Easy press is also a great option because it is a little more affordable and very portable.

 

  • Blanks: These are the items that you embellish and enhance with your creativity and cutting machines. They can be a shirt, a mug, a hat, a frame, you name it! You can find these at any shop (think Target, Walmart, Dollar Tree) but there are also companies that specialize in selling blanks just for us!! Here are a couple of my go to places for blanks if you don’t have a tax id:

www.arbblanks.com

www.CSDSvinyl.com

www.jiffyshirts.com

www.monag.com

www.jasieblanks.com

  • SVG: Scalable Vector Graphic- This is a file format that is most commonly used with cutting machines. Both Studio (if you have the Designer Edition) and Design Space recognize this format and if you purchase one of our files you open the SVG and cut the design. It really is that simple! Check out our freebies (and this video if you have Studio) to try out an SVG and make your first cut!

 

  • Mock Up: This is a computer created image of a blank product with a design graphic on it. It is a great tool to help build your shop selection and to give proofs to your customers before actually creating the inventory. If you are looking for some awesome photos to use as a mock up check out the great selection over at Design Bundles.  Also enjoy this short tutorial on how to make a mock up 100% FREE!

 

Tools:

  • Mat: Cutting Mat- Some people never use a mat and some people always use a mat. It is basically a sticky flexible plastic base that you put the item on that you want to cut. Over time it may loose it’s stickiness or get worn out or even accidently cut when playing with your settings (not that I would know) so I strongly suggest to have a back up on hand if you don’t want to go commando. They come is several sizes but here is my favorite. It is longer than the one that comes in the machine and because I am one who love to use my mat I love having the extra space!
  • Transfer Tape: This is the tape that you place over the top of your 651 or 631 once your design is weeded when creating a decal. You can use contact paper or actual transfer tape. They both work great and are a crucial piece to the creation and application process of your project. It is what gets your vinyl from one place to the next without losing its shape or design.  Check out this post to find the best way to remove transfer tape.
  • Weeding: Weeding is what you must do each time you make a cut with your machine. It is where you take off all the unwanted material from your design. That could be the inside of your design, the outside of your design, it really just depends on what your project looks like but one thing you do need when weeding is a great weeding tool or pair of tweezers.

 

So there you have it!  As a beginning Silhouette and Cricut user these terms should make you feel like a pro in no time at all.  These 10 key terms will help when showing off your projects, posting in your favorite FB group, and chatting about your craft.

Have another term that you would add to the list, or maybe you have heard people discussing something that you aren’t sure what it means? Come check out our FB group, share, and ask away!!

Happy crafting!

This post contains affiliate links to products that I love and strongly recommend.

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Cutting Machines 101, Resources 10

Comments

  1. Debbie says

    January 11, 2019 at 7:54 am

    This is. a great intro and so concise! Thank you

    Reply
    • MyDesigns says

      January 13, 2019 at 12:00 pm

      You are very welcome! 🙂

      Reply
    • Chris Stedl says

      January 18, 2021 at 7:11 pm

      Thank you for this information! Now I know the difference in the Oracal vinyls!

      Reply
      • jespsantiago says

        January 18, 2021 at 7:16 pm

        You’re welcome!

        Reply
  2. Michelle says

    November 24, 2020 at 6:52 am

    Great, organized information. Easy to read and understand with a hint of warmth.

    Reply

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My name is Michelle and I am the creative director behind the chaos. I love all things crafty and cutting machine related. I am so are glad you are here and hope you find inspiration and confidence to create something beautiful out of the chaos in your craft room and in life. Read More About Our Story...

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Well I really had no clue what I was doing tech wi Well I really had no clue what I was doing tech wise when I went live on IG tonight but I powered through 👊🏻👏🏻. We made the cutest little Valentines Day project with some adhesive vinyl from @expressionsvinyl. This week we will be live every day using this same design with a new project working through the craft maker process.  It’s gonna be so fun!  Now tell me, do you decorate for Valentine’s Day?  #silhouettecameo #cricutmade #craftymama #vinylallthethings
It’s the end of Day One over in our challenge an It’s the end of Day One over in our challenge and I am so excited about the results our members are having. It’s incredible to think that you can take the exact same project and have over 900 different ways to create it.  It’s so special to watch them work through the craft maker process and put their creativity into action!  #funfivechallenge #cricutmade #silhouettecameo
We are ready for the Fun Five Challenge to start!! We are ready for the Fun Five Challenge to start!! Have you joined us yet?  We (and yes I mean we because Jace was on Facebook live with me) used registration marks to make sure the vinyl lined up perfectly!  Hope to see you in the challenge!
This sounds about right for me. You too? #craftmem This sounds about right for me. You too? #craftmeme #craftmemes
Hot cocoa bar success!! This month inside our memb Hot cocoa bar success!! This month inside our membership we put the whole thing together and they got a huge bundle of designs to go with it.  What types of items do you like to have on your hot cocoa bar? #hotcocoabar #craftymom #craftylife #silhouettemade #cricutmade
Inside club chaos we’ve been doing some mini cha Inside club chaos we’ve been doing some mini challenges to get everyone crafting and experimenting with different types of projects.  I finished the ‘get the glue’ paper challenge today and while paper isn’t normally my thing I really love this sunflower.  Now I just have to find a cute place to display it. #sunflowers🌻 #craftymama  #silhouettecameo #cricut #clubchaosdesigns #craftylife
When you join Club Chaos one thing we all do toget When you join Club Chaos one thing we all do together is create swag.  It is so fun to be able to craft and connect with one another. And this is only a small glimpse of the chaos community. For some it was their very first time making a shirt and others they are seasoned pros but every single one of us walked through the full craft maker process of being inspired, creating a project, and then showing it off! That’s what this club is really all about! Let’s stop just collecting and start creating! #facesofclubchaos #crafty
Happy Halloween from my crazy chaos to yours! 🎃 Happy Halloween from my crazy chaos to yours! 🎃🕷 👻
I am just loving the way these wood slice ornament I am just loving the way these wood slice ornaments turned out from day two of the fun five challenge! I showed off tons of other ideas in stories today. Which one is your favorite? #homemadeornaments #cricut #silhouettecameo #silhouetteportrait #cricutmade #diy #craftymom #craftymama
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