Question: I have a new MacBook (or iMac) with an M1 processor…can I run Silhouette Studio?
Answer: Absolutely! New Mac computers with M1 chips are compatible with Silhouette Studio thanks to the Rosetta 2 app. This app allows the new processor to read and use apps written for Intel processors.
Here’s a step by step guide to installing Silhouette Studio for Mac (M1):
Video Tutorial: How to install Silhouette Studio for Mac
Download the software from Silhouette America
- Open www.silhouetteamerica.com in your web browser (ie. Safari, Chrome, Firefox or other)
- Click the “Software” link in the menu bar, then click the “Get Software” option
- On the download page, click the pulldown arrow next to the “DOWNLOAD” button. Then select the option for “MAC 64 bit“
- The Silhouette Studio installer DMG file will be downloaded to your computer. A DMG file acts like a digital version of a physical disk, and is commonly used to install new software on Mac computers. Depending on how you have set up the preferences on your computer, the file may be saved directly to your Downloads folder, or you may be prompted to select a location on your computer where the file should be saved (like your Desktop.)
Install Silhouette Studio on your Mac
- After the DMG file has finished downloading, open the Finder window and open the download location. This will be your Download folder, or other designated location (like your Desktop). Click the file icon to open it.
- When the installer window opens you’ll see the Silhouette icon and an arrow pointing at the Applications folder icon. Drag the Silhouette Studio icon into the Applications folder.
- After you’ve dragged the icon into the folder, click the Applications folder icon to open it.
- Find the Silhouette Studio icon in the list of Apps and click to open it.
- If you see a security prompt warning “‘Silhouette Studio’ is an app downloaded from the internet. Are you sure you want to open it?”, it’s OK to click “Open.” (You may also be prompted to enter your administrator password.)
Does your Mac need to download the Rosetta 2 app to run Silhouette Studio?
Silhouette Studio version 4.4 is still an Intel app, and requires a special administrative app called Rosetta 2 to run on M1 Macs. Rosetta is software created by Apple to update compatibility so older software will run on computers with the new M1 processors. When installed, it runs in the background and you’ll never notice it.
In this case, I already had Rosetta 2 installed on my M1 Mac mini. I wasn’t prompted to install it again when I installed Silhouette Studio. But, if you have not installed Rosetta, your Mac will prompt you to install it before you can proceed with Silhouette Studio installation.
At this point, you may get an error message when you click the install button. The first time I tried to install Rosetta 2, I had an error message pop up. It read “Rosetta is not currently available in your country or region.” When I restarted my computer, this error was resolved.
After restarting your Mac, go back to the Applications folder in the Finder window and click on the Silhouette Studio icon to resume the installation. This time, the Rosetta 2 app will be installed, and you should be able to resume installing Silhouette Studio. You will have to restart your installation of Silhouette Studio yourself because your Mac will not do this automatically after installing Rosetta.
Install & Configure Silhouette Studio
- When you click the Silhouette Studio icon to complete the installation, the app will ask you to check for updates, for permission to share performance information, and for permission to install another administrative app that will show you a preview thumbnail of saved projects in your Finder window.
These permissions are optional. Even if you decline permission for any or all, you can still complete the installation of Silhouette Studio. After you accept or decline permissions, you may be prompted to enter your admin password again.
- Next, you will be prompted to read and agree to the End User License Agreement. Agreement is required to complete the installation of the software.
- Finally, Silhouette Studio will load. When the main canvas window opens, you’re ready to open a file or start a new design!
Does this work for Premium Versions of Silhouette Studio?
If you have a paid version of Silhouette Studio, like Designer or Business Edition, installing the software is the same process. You may be required to install Rosetta 2 before you can fully install premium Silhouette software. Once that step is complete, you can install a paid version on your computer.
Will Silhouette Studio work on Monterey?
If you have been contemplating upgrading your MacOS from Big Sur (OS 11) to Monterey (OS 12), you can be confident that Silhouette Studio will still work after the upgrade. The tutorial I have laid out in this article is a fresh install of Studio on Monterey. Reddit users confirm Silhouette Studio works after upgrading to Monterey as well (although some users report Bluetooth connectivity issues).
Do you need to keep the DMG file after Silhouette Studio is installed?
No, you can delete the DMG file after Silhouette Studio is installed to save space on your hard drive.
Final thoughts
Adding new apps to your Mac is usually a simple process, and the computer’s operating system usually has a number of helpful prompts to guide you through the process. Adding Silhouette Studio to an M1 Mac computer is no different. although it is helpful to know that a small administrative app called Rosetta 2 is required to make the new computer compatible with the software.
This isn’t to say that Silhouette Studio is old or outdated, it is merely written on a framework intended for a different kind of processor. Silhouette continues to update and refine its design software to perform well with new Mac computers, and many Silhouette users report that Studio continues to perform normally after major software upgrades.