Make Printing Templates for Metal Dies in Silhouette Studio

If you are a Silhouette user who has a card making background then there’s a pretty good chance the you have Metal Dies and a Metal Die cutting /embossing machine.

If so, this post is for you.

What I don’t have a lot of, is Rubber stamps with greetings and Sentiments and I often print and cut my own using my Cameo. However here’s an alternative method that once set up is super easy too.

I’ve  created templates in Silhouette Studio that I can use with my metal die Cuts to quickly and easily make custom sentiments to decorate my cards.

Why not just Print and Cut?

A few reasons

1. I love the “edge” of a cut out made with a Metal Die Cut, to me it looks slightly rounded and more finished than a cut edge made by my Cameo {not that there’s anything wrong with the Cameo edges LOL} and sometimes there a bit of embossing to to add to the more finished look.
2. With this method, you are able to use the smallest scraps of Card stock to print on so there’s less waste. No Pixscan mat required.
3. My Cameo Print and cut is always slightly “off” and all the troubleshooting in the world hasn’t made it perfect. I just accept it …..but, I find this is a pretty accurate alternative.
4. No messing around with torches and shining an extra light on registration marks when cutting with my occasionally cantankerous Cutting machine. Yay!

How to..

I’m using a basic rectangle Metal die to demonstrate here. But this method will work for any shape that can be drawn with the drawing tools in Silhouette Studio: Squares, Rectangles, Rounded Rectangles, Circles, Hexagons, Octagons and Triangles. Which means it will work with most of your nesting dies.

Measure up

1. Turn the metal die with cutting side away from you and take the measurements of the outside and also the negative space inside. The outside of my die measures 6.7cm x 3 cm. The inside space measures 6.1cm x 2.3 cm
2. Use a piece of Card stock that will go through your printer. I’m using 10 x 15 Photo paper because I have a lot of it (see this post) but any size (A4/Letter etc) will do as long as it’s compatible with your printer.

Make the Template

1. Go to Design Page Settings > Select the size of the Card Stock you are using or type in the custom size of your Card stock. Check the boxes at the bottom to show Print and Cut Border.
2. I also type in some reference details.  First I note the Top of the page. This will come in handy when using the template later in your printer. Then I add the size and the shape of the Metal Die.
3. Draw out two rectangles the same size as your measured die. I prefer to put the measurements in from the Scale window rather than try to drag the rectangles to the correct size. Select them both > go to Align Window> align them Center > Group>
4. While still in the Align Window and with both rectangles grouped > check > Center to Page.

1. With the Rectangles selected go into the line style window and change the weight to 1 point. This will ensure they will print out and be visible
2. Print out the template. If your printer gives you an option in the advanced settings –  > check “Print Borderless”.

Here it is printed with the metal die next to it.

Finish the template

To finish off the template, line up the metal die with the rectangular lines on the print out

Secure with low tack masking or slightly “unstickied” sticky tape.

Run through your Die Cutting machine as you normally would.  Remove and discard the cut out.

To use the Template.

Prepare the card stock  you wish to use

1. Cut out a new piece of card or paper with your Metal Die Cut and emboss if required.
2. Insert your new cut out into the hole in your template
3. Secure with small pieces of tape (not too sticky)  from the reverse side and insert in your printer so that the printing will be on the front of the template.

In the Software.

1. In the line style window > Select the rectangles and reset the line width to zero, They don’t need to be printed again
2. Move any other text off the mat – you don’t want that to print either. Save File.
3. Type your sentiment and position it in the rectangles.

Print and then carefully remove your sentiment from the template.

Save the Silhouette Studio File and pop the Template in a Safe place for next time.

Here’s a few cards I’ve decorated using the Templates.

Did all that sound like hard work…..?

TLDR – LOL! I admit the steps may sound a bit time consuming – but for each die,  once the template is set up, you can use it multiple times with the Silhouette Studio File to quickly make unique custom sentiments using any font you own and in the shape of any metal die you own!

Also, my choice here is one metal die per template as I’m using small size photo paper, but there’s no reason why you can’t use A4 or Letter Size Card, then Multiple die shapes can be placed on one page. Leave a little clearance between each shape, Group them together and Centre them to the page as in step 4.

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