Today, Silhouette continues to design and innovate desktop cutting machines, competing directly with Cricut and Brother ScanNCut. Their Cameo series remains the flagship line, offering powerful, full-size machines, while the Portrait series provides a compact and portable option for crafters on the go. Over the years, Silhouette has released a variety of models, each building on the last with new features and capabilities. Here’s a look back at the history of Silhouette machines and how the brand has evolved.
Early Beginnings
- early 2000s – Graphtec Craft ROBO (no longer available)
- Before founding Silhouette America, the company operated under the Graphtec name
- 2009 – Original QuicKutz Silhouette (no longer available)
- This is one of the oldest models
- 2008 – 2010 Silhouette SD (no longer available)
- One of the earliest consumer desktop cutting machines.
- Connected to a computer and cut from a small selection of materials, mainly paper and cardstock
Curio
The Curio 2 is an invaluable machine for special projects as it can engrave, emboss, heat foil, draw, and more with a vertical clearance of 20mm. This is in addition to the precision cutting available on the 12 x 12-inch electrostatic bed.
- 2015 – Curio (no longer available)
- Designed for specialty projects like embossing, stippling, etching, and thicker materials.
Mint
The Mint makes custom stamps to add personal touches to your projects.
Specialty Machines: Silhouette also offers additional machines, like the Alta 3D printer, for specific applications to help every crafter find the best tool for their needs.
- 2015 – Mint
- Not a cutter, but a custom stamp maker. Allowed users to design and “print” stamps.
Cameo Series (Flagship Line)
The Cameo is the perfect tool for any creator with its versatility in cutting a wide range of media types, large or small. Fast, accurate, and reliable–this machine suits beginners and hobbyists to the creative professional. Plus and Pro models cut even larger than the standard 12-inch width.
- 2011 – Silhouette Cameo (Original) (no longer available)
- First 12-inch cutting width machine, a major step up from the smaller SD.
- USB connection and mat-fed cutting made it popular among scrapbookers.
- 2014 – Cameo 2 (no longer available)
- Touchscreen interface.
- Slight hardware updates, improved user experience.
- 2015 – Cameo 3 (no longer available)
- Dual-carriage system for cutting and drawing/embossing in one pass.
- Bluetooth capability added.
- 2019 – Cameo 4 (no longer available)
- Stronger cutting force (5 kg).
- New tools for rotary cutting (fabric) and kraft blade (thicker materials).
- Faster cutting speeds.
- 2021–2022 – Cameo 4 Plus (15″) and Cameo 4 Pro (24″) (no longer available)
- Expanded cutting widths for larger projects.
- 2023 – Cameo 5
- A newer version called the Silhouette CAMEO5α and CAMEO5α PLUS was announced
- improved tracking for long cuts.
- Enhanced tool carriage for even more specialty tools.
- Focus on matless cutting, precision, and speed.
- 2024 – Silhouette CAMEO PRO MK-II
- The Silhouette CAMEO PRO MK-II features enhancements such as a second powered carriage, a quieter operating model, and an emergency stop function that improve its functionality and ease of use.
Portrait Series (Compact Line)
The Portrait is so portable and compact that it is perfect for smaller projects or for a crafter working in a limited area. It offers all the same craftsmanship and precision as a larger machine and is an outstanding starter Silhouette cutter.
- 2012 – Portrait 1 (no longer available)
- Smaller 8-inch cutting width for portability and lower cost.
- 2017 – Portrait 2 (no longer available)
- Bluetooth connectivity.
- Compatible with auto-blade technology.
- 2020 – Portrait 3 (no longer available)
- More compact, matless cutting with certain materials.
- Fast, precise, and very beginner-friendly.
- 2023 – Portrait 4
- Latest compact model with higher cutting force and matless options.
Heat Press
- 2025 – cloChe
- Customize fabric, apparel, accessories, and décor in minutes using the lightweight, versatile cloChé and cloChé Petite heat press system.
3D Printer
- 2018 – Alta (no longer available)
- The Silhouette Alta is a user-friendly, delta-style 3D printer designed to build 3D objects from PLA filament using its proprietary Silhouette 3D software and compatible with third-party STL and OBJ files
