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Add to SafariWhen comparing Roland Stika SV-12 vs Silhouette CAMEO 3 kit, the Slant community recommends Silhouette CAMEO 3 kit for most people. In the question“What are the best vinyl cutters?” Silhouette CAMEO 3 kit is ranked 1st while Roland Stika SV-12 is ranked 2nd. The most important reason people chose Silhouette CAMEO 3 kit is:
The starter pack contains all the products required to experiment with sign vinyl and heat transfer vinyl, and it is an excellent solution for those that want something that's ready to work with straight out of the box.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Good for domestic use
This simple-to-use vinyl cutter can work with various materials, such as standard vinyl, twill, paint mask, heat transfer, reflective vinyl, and etching materials, which makes it perfectly suitable for domestic DIY applications.
Pro Rigid and durable
The body of this vinyl cutter is made from very durable high-quality, injection-molded plastics. Overall, it feels very rigid, with no loose parts.
Pro Portable
Due to its small dimensions (17-⅜” x 8-⅛” x 4-½” ) and lightweight design (only 6 pounds), you can take this machine anywhere you want.
Pro Simple, straightforward software
This machine comes with a simple, clean, and reliable software: Roland CutStudio. With it, you can either create new vector designs or import existing ones from the BMP, JPG, STX, AI, or EPS files. After the design was created, just adjust the outline options and press the start button. The machine will do the cutting automatically.
Pro Capable of cutting custom designs
This machine can cut custom printed designs. The process is implemented by the aid of registration marks and a camera. This is a must-have feature for those who want to cut custom stickers or do multi-color heat transfers.
Pro Can export a design directly
With this cutter, using the provided Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw plug-in, users can export and cut specific design files straight from those editors. Step files are not required.
Pro Well-rounded kit, ready to use out of the box
The starter pack contains all the products required to experiment with sign vinyl and heat transfer vinyl, and it is an excellent solution for those that want something that's ready to work with straight out of the box.
Pro User-friendly, free software
This vinyl cutter comes with a free copy of Silhouette Studio software. This software is a great tool for taking the first steps in vinyl cutting. Its user interface is clear and simple. The main functions (shape drawing, exporting, and cutting) have their own separate toolbars. It's also very good for experimenting and trying out new cutting parameters.
Pro Can adjust the blade automatically
After the blade depth is initially calibrated, using the Silhouette Studio software, the cutter will automatically adjust it, if needed. This can significantly reduce the machine preparation time and also allows for fast switching between different materials.
Pro Can be used wirelessly
It's capable of data communication using a standard Bluetooth communication protocol. No USB cables are required whatsoever, allowing it to be placed/used wherever you'd like.
Cons
Con Unsuitable for commercial use
Even though Roland Stika SV-12 is a decent machine, it is not the right option to use in commercial applications. First of all, the cutting speed is slow when compared with more professional competitors. Secondly, its cutting quality is suitable only for cutting standard thickness vinyl: since the blade is actuated by a stepper motor, the machine struggles to adjust the cutting depth with enough precision to cut thin vinyl. Furthermore, thick vinyl cannot be cut, as the downforce of the blade is too weak.
Con Can't cut fast
Regarding cutting speed, this machine is on the lower end of the market. The speed of almost 2 inches per second seems like a joke when compared to the speeds of larger Graphtec, Roland, and USCutter machines (more than 30 inches/s).
Con Imprecise height control
The manufacturer did not use a digital servo driver to control the Z axis of the machine. Instead, a cheaper and less reliable solution was implemented: a stepper motor.
Con Small cutting area
The cutting area of this vinyl cutter is minimal, only 9-13/16” x 39.47”.
Con Hard to find spares
The manufacturer does not sell spare parts for this machine (apart from blades). If a mechanical part (a motor, a pulley, a belt or a gear) fails, you will have to find an alternative part yourself.
Con Not very precise
The Z axis of this machine is not accurate enough to cut vinyl thinner than 3 mils. This is a typical downside of almost any vinyl cutting machine with a stepper motor controlled Z axis.
Con Can't do complicated cuts
Due to the absence of the overcut feature, the Silhouette CAMEO 3 will also struggle to follow complicated curves.
