Perfect Sketch with Sketch Pens in Silhouette Cameo 4

If you're having trouble using Silhouette Sketch pens in your Silhouette Cameo 4, you're not alone. But you don't need to give up on them - they can be useful tools to adding some seriously awesome flair to your projects. 

First off, start by checking out this blog post (with video), that gives you 4 fixes (including sketch settings) so you can avoid one of the most common issues - the sketch pen leaving drag marks on your project. 

Then, head back here for a few more tips for getting that perfect sketch with Silhouette Sketch pens in the Silhouette Cameo 4.

The penny or popsicle stick trick

Although it seems counterintuitive, with the Silhouette Sketch pens you do not want to push the adapter all the way into the tool carriage. Instead, leave a gap. But, how big or small of a gap? Use a penny or popsicle stick to help you out! 

Stick a penny or popsicle stick into one side of the tool carriage and press the blue pen adapter down until it hits the penny or popsicle stick. Then, press the locking mechanism to keep the pen adapter in place, and this gives you the size gap you need to help avoid drag lines with the Silhouette sketch pens.

Move the rollers to the side

Avoid projects ruined by ink smears by moving the spring rollers to the side before sketching. Push them as far to the sides as to not roll over any part of the design area that will be sketched. This will ensure they do not roll over wet ink and smear it onto you project.

 

Place support under the mat

Since the Silhouette Cameo 4 doesn't have built-in mat supports, put something underneath the mat to support it while sketching. You could use just about anything (including your hand) and try to get the mat to sit as straight as possible when loaded into the machine.

Here, you can see that without a support, the mat bends downward quite severely which then lifts the front part of the mat and paper, especially if you're using a really nice, heavyweight cardstock for your sketching project.

This lifting makes the sketch pen more likely to catch on this spot and leave a drag mark. But a mat support fixes that!

Why not just print it out?

Yeah, you could print sketch designs with your color printer, but check out the shine you get from these metallic and glitter Silhouette Sketch pens! Can your printer do that?!

To grab the design used in these cards, hop over to So Fontsy and pick up the Foil Quill and Sketch Bundle 3.0. Whether you're using your foil quill, sketch pens, glitter pens, or markers (so many possibilities!) this bundle is sure to get the job done. 

With over 400 design elements and a full single line font, there's a something for every crafty occasion. Plus, the bundle is 89% off, and you just can't beat that! 

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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