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Welcome, Mal!

Excellent! Thanks guys. I’ll give it a go. Brad

Welcome aboard, Mal! Kev

Hi all fellow builders and greetings from Sweden. Im quite active on LSP for many years, fantastic forum indeed it is and i really enjoying being there, see all fantastic projects in progress. Im used to use vinyl masks, but the down side i have to rely on AM or if lucky one can cut masks for me, so stuck in a way in options. So to lock up more options, its time for me to learn that too in modelling, so got me a own cutter, and i think after reading about it it is a good to start with, as i am truly a beginner, do know PC and OS, and troubleshoot hardware, and games, as im a period gamer,.builded many of them. But when it comes to software, well that is something else, yes can draw in MS paint all that and some other simple software. So joined here to get valuable tips and how to, and hopefully when good and confident will be able to share, sure will be a learning curve for me, and yes will try to share my fails aswell, as its from them we do learn from. Later will do my first ones for my ongoing project on LSP So keeping it simple, Hinomaru with s white border.

100% yes Brad, the Designer Edition is an absolute must have. Funnily enough I have just this morning upgraded from DE+ to Business so that I can export SVG files to a customer. The free Silhouette version is very basic and clunky, DE is a game changer. Max

From memory, the Trace function should be available in the Basic edition, but given that it's not a very expensive upgrade, I'd definitely consider it if you want to take your mask-making further. I ended up going all-in with the Business edition, as I found it pretty affordable - and it's only a one-off cost. Kev

Thank you Kevin and Max. Just wondering , is it worthwhile to upgrade my basic Silhouette Studio software to the Design edition to get the autotrace capability? I uploaded a photo of a mask set for the Zoukei-Mura F-4E and loaded it into Silhouette but found that tracing over it with the shape tools or freehand to be very difficult. I watched a YouTube video on using these drawing tools and adjusting the points on the mask but was unable to duplicate the results. I'm not sure if the person had an upgraded version of Studio or not. I appreciate the warm welcome and the opportunity to ask questions. Brad

Indeed, welcome Brad. Canopy masks can be tricky, take patience and usually many test fits and adjustments, but very worthwhile. On compound curves make sure you cut some lines at right angles to the curve to help the mask to conform. Max

Welcome aboard, Brad! Kev

Hello fellow modelers. I’m new to the site. I’ve owned a Silhouette cutter for a few years now but have not really used it to design and cut more than basic masks, simple stuff. I’m really interested in cutting my own canopy masks since some of the aftermarket masks are impossible to find. Looking forward ramping up the learning curve . Thank you all for helping out the newbies. Brad

Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire XVI codes + serials for silver camouflage

Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire XVI codes + serials for silver camouflage Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire XVI codes + serials for silver camouflage File Information Submitter Fenous Submitted 08/11/2026 Category Aircraft - Military View File

Apart from the fact that I use a Portrait 3 rather than a 2, my answer is pretty much the same as Kevin's above. I'm quite happy with mine, and mainly use it for 1/32 and 1/48 models: I tend to stick to decals (in all senses lol) for 1/72, but never say never. I've managed to cut 1/32 Royal Navy serial numbers on my Portrait 3, and these scale out at 0.125inch. 8in. in 1/72 scales out at 0.11.. (recurring) inches, so effectively not that much difference: it may be possible. Why not try it, then adjust the cutter settings (depth and so on) and try again if it goes wrong? I've found that this is the best way to learn (as well as posting on here, not instead of, obvs).

Hi Kevin, Sorry to have not chimed in here before now, and sorry to see that you've had no other responses. The answers to your questions aren't completely straightforward, however, especially since very few of us have had much experience with more than one machine. For what it's worth, I believe a laser cutter would give you the best results, and you can buy Tamiya masking sheets to use instead of the regular vinyl material. This is what Sven at 1ManArmy uses, though I do know that he had to tweak his machine to get the amazing results that he does. Of course, that all comes with a significant cost, as you've noted, so leaving that aside, we're left with a relatively limited range of mechanical cutters and plotters. I personally have only had experience with the Silhouette Portrait 2, which I only use sporadically. I don't generally build in 1/72, so I can't really comment on its efficacy at that scale, but the smallest items I've successfully cut would be serial numbers in the 2-3mm range. I can't really comment on the other machines, but you're correct in assuming that Silhouette is the most common brand used in the hobby, with Cricut a distant second. I've read good things about the Siser unit, but really know nothing about it. On the software front, the basic version of Silhouette Studio is bundled with their machines, and is pretty capable. Whatever the use case, however, I thoroughly recommend upgrading to one of the non-free additions, as they're very reasonably priced, and include some key additional features - such as import/export capabilities for sharing with third party applications. Whatever software you use to design your masks, you'll still need to use Silhouette Studio to send them to the machine for cutting. Sorry that I couldn't be more directly helpful, but we do have some Cameo users here, so hopefully they can offer their perspectives too. Kev

Do you have a link, Harry? Nevermind, found them! Thanks for uploading those, Harry. Kev

Roundel of Italy (1940–1943).svg Italian national insignia from 1940 to 1943. The size can be scaled to adjust the dimensions. Enjoy using it! Harry File Information Submitter Timbacat Submitted 07/26/2026 Category Luftwaffe - WW2 View File

Hi all.....sameone may help me? Thanks in advance,Enrico.

PM sent

Here is the file from member @MartinR (Lotus 49, 1967) in .svg format, for anyone unable to read the .studio3 format. Harry

Lotus 49_Tyres.svg Here is the file from member @MartinR (Lotus 49, 1967) in .svg format, for anyone unable to read the .studio3 format. Harry File Information Submitter Timbacat Submitted 07/26/2026 Category Vehicles - Civil View File

Lotus 49_Tamiya 1-12.svg Here is the file from member @MartinR (Lotus 49, 1967) in .svg format, for anyone unable to read the .studio3 format. Harry File Information Submitter Timbacat Submitted 07/26/2026 Category Vehicles - Civil View File