Silhouette Studio Software to Run 20" Graphtec CE-50 LITE

9.10.19 Update -  Silhouette Studio V4.3.240 is available for download to run Graphtec CE-50 Lite. This free version or later of Silhouette Studio will allow access to the Graphtec options, however a one time purchase of DE, DE+ and Business Edition will be needed to unlock the upgrade features.  

Silhouette Studio will soon have the ability to run Graphtec's 20" cutting machine the Graphtec CE-50 Lite - eliminating one of the two huge hurdles for Silhouette CAMEO users who want to upgrade to a larger machine.

Silhouette America made the announcement last week at their annual meeting in Hawaii.
As it stands currently, Graphtec users won't be required to purchase any sort of Silhouette Studio software upgrade or license key to operate the CE-50 Lite with the Silhouette software.

The only Silhouette Studio software requirement for CE-50 Lite users will be that they download and install Silhouette Studio Version 4.3 - which is expected to be ready for download around July for Graphtec users.  Previous versions of the Silhouette software won't be able to operate the larger cutter - which can cut about 7x faster than the Silhouette CAMEO 3.

Of course, just like Silhouette users, Graphtec users can also purchase Silhouette Studio software upgrades - Designer Edition, Designer Edition Plus, and Business Edition - to unlock additional software features. And they'll want to - especially to be able to import and export SVG designs.

What Silhouette Studio Running Graphtec Means for Silhouette CAMEO Users

Prior to this change and without a larger Silhouette cutting machine on the market, Silhouette CAMEO users who wanted to upgrade to the Graphtec CE-50 Lite, which looks almost identical to a CAMEO 2, were faced with needing to learn a new software and pay a hefty price tag.

Of the 10k Silhouette users polled in a 2018 Silhouette School survey, 85.7% said they wanted a bigger machine to help expand their small businesses and increase offerings and productivity. But more than 48% said the biggest things stopping them from upgrading were the price tag and the need to learn new software.

20"+ Silhouette CAMEO vs Graphtec

The new change to allow Silhouette Studio to operate the 20" Graphtec eliminates the software issue, but still presents a challenge at a $900 price point - that's almost double the 20" Silhouette CAMEO Pro that will hit the market in the first quarter of 2020.

The bad new is the wider Silhouette machines won't hit the market til the first quarter of 2020. That makes the Graphtec CE-50 Lite attractive for those who need a bigger machine that runs on Silhouette Studio sooner rather than later.

The $499 price point on a 20" Silhouette CAMEO Pro will not be anywhere near the Graphtec CE-50 Lite which means most current Silhouette CAMEO users who want to upgrade to a bigger machine will most likely wait for the bigger Silhouette machine - or at least feel like they have options. Although the CAMEO Pro prototype displayed at Silhouette's Summit in Hawaii in May had two carriages, several Silhouette employees stressed features of the two two larger Silhouette machines could change as testing continues.

The ability for Silhouette Studio to run Graphtec CE Lite will be most beneficial to existing CE Lite users who want a more powerful design software.

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