Silhouette owners often ask the question, “Can you use Cricut vinyl in a Silhouette?” The easy answer to this question is yes. If you happen to see a great deal on Cricut vinyl but are wondering if it’s compatible with your Cameo or Portrait cutter, you don’t have to worry; Silhouette vinyl cutters are versatile enough to cut almost every type of vinyl, including vinyl sold under the Cricut brand.
Cricut vinyl comes in three broad categories:
- iron-on vinyl (HTV or heat transfer vinyl)
- permanent vinyl
- removable vinyl
Crafters, sign makers, T-shirt designers and stencil buffs widely use these types of vinyl. These types of vinyl are sold in sheets or rolls sized for their machines.
Cricut vinyl styles and finishes
Cricut sells a wide variety of vinyl finishes and textures in matte or glossy, including:
- holographic
- metallic
- shimmer
- brushed
- frosted
- patterned
- foil
- glitter
- mesh
Cricut 12” rolls or sheets fit perfectly in the Silhouette Cameo 4. If you have a Silhouette Portrait 3, however, Cricut has no vinyl options sized to fit a nine-inch feed. Cricut does sell “smart vinyl” for their new portable Cricut Joy machine that is 5.5” wide, and that Portrait 3 cuts that vinyl (even without a mat).
If you have purchased a new Cameo Plus or Cameo Pro, you might be out of luck. Cricut does not sell vinyl in 15” or 24” widths, but you can still cut the 12” Cricut vinyl in these wider machines.
If you are shopping for vinyl and can’t see what you want from Cricut or Silhouette, many crafters and makers swear by these vinyl brands for their projects:
- Oracal 651 (permanent vinyl)
- Oracal 631 (removable vinyl)
- Siser easy weed (HTV vinyl for T-shirts, tote bags, etc)
- Thermoflex HTV
- Color Theory heat transfer vinyl
If you are considering a craft cutter for your own projects but are stuck on the fence deciding between Cricut Maker and Silhouette Cameo 4, read our head-to-head breakdown here.