Can the Silhouette Cameo 4 emboss paper?

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Ian

can a silhouette cameo emboss paper?
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No, the Silhouette Cameo 4 does not currently have a tool for embossing paper, card stock or any other material. 

When considering a cutter for paper craft projects, a smart question to ask is “Can the Silhouette Cameo 4 emboss paper?” The toolset for the Cameo 4 includes a rotary blade for fabric and a Kraft blade for cutting thick materials. But the Cameo 4’s toolset does not include an embossing tool.

Silhouette’s embossing solution was the Curio machine. The Curio was designed to compliment the company’s flagship craft cutters with features like embossing, stippling and etching. But Silhouette has discontinued the Curio. Hopefully, Silhouette will find a way to bring some of those functions to the Cameo toolset.

Buying a second machine to perform embossing functions when the Cameo 4’s main competitor – the Cricut Maker – performs these tasks with its Quickswap tool system…that was never a good solution anyway!

So, what are the embossing options when you own a Cameo 4?

You could wait and see if Silhouette releases a new tool for the Cameo 4 and revises their software.

If you are deciding whether or not to buy the Cameo 4 in the first place and embossing is on your “must have” list, consider the Cameo 4’s main competitor, the Cricut Maker. 

The Maker has a new set of Quickswap tools with a universal tool body and interchangeable tips. The tips include tips for debossing/embossing and also for etching.

The Cameo 4 does come with a set of tool adapters to fit tools from older Silhouette machines. These adapters also work with third party tools like the Foil Quill and Amy Chomas etching tips. These third party tools expand the functionality of the Cameo 4. But they don’t quite cover everything that the Cricut Maker toolset does.

Read our complete review comparison of the Silhouette Cameo 4 versus the Cricut Maker here.

image source: youtube.com (Blick Art Materials)

6 thoughts on “Can the Silhouette Cameo 4 emboss paper?”

  1. I looked up the Amy Chomas tools and they explicitally say does NOT work eith Cameo 4. Is your comment not for the cameo 4 or is it misleading?
    Thanks
    Gayle

  2. Hi Gayle,

    The old Amy Chomas engraving tip could work in the Cameo 4 with the blue tool adapter, but now they have an engraving tip specifically for the Cameo 4 line: link here. I haven’t tried this one personally, but it looks like this one works without an adapter at all, and I have updated my link in the article.
    Thanks for reading! – Kerri

  4. Hi Shannae,
    There are third-party tools like those made by Zoom or Amy Chomas, but there aren’t any embossing tools for the Cameo made or supported by Silhouette.

    To me, it doesn’t make any sense that Silhouette themselves decided not to make engraving or embossing tools for the Cameo since they made the Cameo 4 capable of such a large amount of downward force – why not use that feature and offer a bigger selection of tools? Silhouette has always had very reasonable prices for its own tools and blades, so it would be nice to see them offer something themselves.

    Thanks for reading! – Kerri

  5. Couldn’t agree more with your previous comment Kerri! Why introduce a new cutter with the capabilities and not replace the tools taken away when the cameo was discontinued. I have been with Silhouette since the first Cameo. Love their software and products, but frustrated with their lack of adding to their product line.

  6. Hi Lori,
    Yes, I am often surprised by the new machines developed by Silhouette, Cricut, etc. Honestly, without selling tools like engraving or embossing tips, why bother having the larger downward cutting force at all? I’m pretty agnostic about these machines, because no company really nails it 100% with all the features users want.

    This past year has seen a lot of new machines released – the Venture and Joy Xtra from Cricut, and Siser’s Juliet and Romeo cutters, and the Siser machines in particular are meant to appeal to Silhouette users. The Curio was finally discontinued and Cameo 4 machines are at the lowest prices I’ve ever seen them right now, so I am suspicious that we are going to see something new from them as well. If anything, I think they should at least replace the steppers with servo motors to make the machines faster, quieter(!), and more precise. And yeah, I wish they’d bring back a functional dual-tool carriage! Who knows? Maybe they’ll add in some embossing and engraving tools, because Amy Chomas has proven how popular they are.

    Thanks for reading! -Kerri

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