Best Cardstock for Silhouette CAMEO and Portrait (IMHO)

Looking for the best card stock to cut with Silhouette CAMEO or Portrait?  A good cardstock can make a project and a bad cardstock can ruin one faster than you can finish your cut. 

I've cut a lot of cardstock with all my Silhouette machines, including my Silhouette CAMEO 4, and I've not only found my favorite card stock, but also the best Silhouette cut settings to get perfect cuts not matter how small or detailed the design. 

The best card stock for Silhouette CAMEO or Portrait, in my opinion, is American Crafts Precision card stock. 

This 80 lb card stock is colored through the core so there's no white middle when you cut it.  

Since the paper is not fibrous, it cuts cleanly at any size - especially if you turn on the Segment Line Overcut in the Silhouette Studio Send panel. 

Usually one side of the American Crafts Precision Card Stock paper is textured and the other is smooth depending on the look you're going for and the project. I use the smooth side when adding foil with my foil quill so the tool can glide evenly across the paper. I prefer the textured side when cutting for cards, embellishments and other paper projects. 

There are also a ton of color options most of which come in 12" x 12" 60 sheet coordinating packs of paper which are easy to find on Amazon.  

You can also get 60 sheet packs of all white or all black.

 

Along with a good quality paper and the right cut settings - you also want to make sure the paper is firmly stuck to the cutting mat. 

Place the paper card stock on the Silhouette cutting mat then use a brayer to roll over the entire sheet of paper. This will help you get the best possible stick - even on a mat that's not overly stick. A mat that's just slightly stick is actually best for paper as it helps prevent the paper from curling when it's remove from the mat. 

With a high quality card stock and a good stick to the mat, it comes down to the cut settings. 

I have found the best Silhouette cut settings for the American Crafts Precision card stock to be: 

• Blade 5 
• Force 33 
• Speed 4 
• 2 Passes
• Segment Line Overcut on

Segment Line Overcut will pick up the blade at each corner rather than having the blade rotate in the paper which can cause the corners to lift and/or tear. 

With these settings, paper, and technique you can cut some really delicate and small paper projects with your Silhouette CAMEO!  

To give you an idea of how small...this card is only 4.5" x 4 and the heart is 3.12" x 3.47" 

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!

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