Section 1: Consumables Products

There are two parts of the Silhouette that will need to be replaced over time - the blade and the cutting mat.

Blade

As with any knife or blade, the blade will dull with use over time. The blades for the Silhouette should typically last up to 6 months depending on usage and the type of material being cut. Please note that thicker materials will wear down the blade more quickly and the average life for heavy users will be 2 - 4 months. The thickest material the Silhouette will cut well is 80 - 90 lb weight cardstock, such as Bazzill brand cardstock. Attempts to cut thicker or denser materials that the Silhouette is not designed to cut (such as shrink plastic, foam, chipboard) or fibrous in nature (such as fabric) may ruin the blade or result in the blade dulling very quickly.

Cutting Mat

The Cutting Mat (or Carrier Sheet) is used to hold paper or other materials in place as they are being cut and provide both a soft backing to cut into as well as a surface to hold your cut-out materials in place during the cutting process. You must use the cutting mat unless you have a material that 1) is wide enough to be gripped by the white rollers and 2) has its own adhesive backing (such as adhesive-backed vinyl). Bypassing the cutting mat with other materials that do not fit these criteria will result in bad cutting results and may seriously damage your blade.

The cutting mat for the Silhouette should last for over 100 full 8 ½ x 12 sheets worth of cuts (meaning the breaking point for any particular area would be 100 cuts if you were to cut the same exact design repeatedly in the exact same area). We don't have an official time-frame for how long the mat should last. We do recommend keeping your mat well covered when not in use to prevent dust or other particles from collecting on the adhesive surface. This should help the mat retain its adhesive quality. The mat generally does not need to be replaced until papers or other materials are not held firmly in place during the cutting process.

Where to Buy Replacements

Check out the Silhouette Shop to buy Silhouette products, or visit our store locator online to find a listing of our Authorized Retailers in your area. You may also opt to purchase through our website at www.Silhouette.com. Orders placed on Silhouette.com are filled by the closest retailer to you who has the requested product available.

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