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Yesterday I introduced you to the Silhouette Alta, Silhouette’s newest machine launch and their first 3D printer. (Haven’t read the FAQ yet? See here.) Today, I’m sharing tips and tricks I’ve picked up in my first experiences with the Silhouette Alta.

(If you are a seasoned 3D printer user, feel free to skip this post entirely. These are simply my findings and things I’ve come across as a brand new 3D printer owner.)

12 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About the Silhouette Alta

• PLA filament has a shelf life of about a year. In more humid environments, the shelf life is reduced. As someone who likes to buy in bulk, I’ll have to rethink this.
• PLA filament is made from plants and is food safe.
• PLA filament absorbs water from the air and should be stored in an air tight container.
• PLA filament can be drilled, sanded, and/or painted.
• Acrylic paint, nail polish, and model making paints all work well on PLA. I picked up this set.
• 3D printing is a slooooooooow process. Detailed designs take hours to print.
• The platform base on the Silhouette Alta must be covered for the 3D print to stick to it. Painters tape works better than the included Alta tape. (Psst: Other users say glue sticks and hairspray work well, too. They both sound too messy for me though.)
• Investing in some 3D print removal tools will save your finger nails from having to pry designs off the base. I picked up this set.
• If you don’t have a 3D print removal tool laying around and your design is stuck, place the base in the freezer for a few minutes. When you take it out, it should pop off.
• You need a decent amount of free space on your computer (4GB of RAM) to run the Silhouette 3D software. I had to first delete a lot of junk files to even load the program. Silhouette 3D also seems to work best when all other programs are shut down.
• The Silhouette 3D software shuts down unexpectedly and often. If you are in the middle of printing something, don’t fret. Reopen the software and the 3D print should continue.
• There are multiple large communities of 3D printer users. Use Google to search them out and read, read, read. The more you can learn about 3D printing – the more of an asset your Silhouette Alta will be.

Enjoying Alta Week on the blog? Tomorrow I’ve got 25 ideas of things you can print with your Silhouette Alta.

Did you find the information helpful? Save it to Pinterest and help another crafter.

As a craft business owner, one of the last things you want to hear from customers is, “I can make that!” Whether they write it on your social media posts or tell you (or a friend) while they are browsing your craft booth at a show; dealing with it gracefully can be tough.

What worked for me when I did craft shows was to engage the customer offender person in conversation like, “That’s awesome that you love making XYZ product, too! Then you know how time consuming they are!” And then, I move on. Here’s what other craft business owners do:

How Real Craft Business Owners Deal with ‘I Can Make That!’ Comments

Loved this post? Save it to Pinterest.

Oh Instagram! It seems to be the social media network that Cutting for Business readers struggle with the most. One thing I keep seeing is craft businesses trying out Instagram but not using hashtags in their captions! Today, I’ve compiled a list of 100+ hashtags for your craft business to use.

Stop! Before you read any farther: If you don’t know how to effectively use hashtags on Instagram read this post first.

100+ Hashtags for Craft Businesses to Use on Instagram

#silhouette
#silhouetteportrait
#silhouettecameo
#silhouettecameo3
#cameo
#silhouetteamerica
#cricut
#cricutexplore
#cricutexploreair
#cricutexploreair2
#cricutmaker
#craft
#crafts
#crafter
#maker
#makersgonnamake
#silhouettebusiness
#cricutbusiness
#craftbusiness
#wahm (stands for work-at-home mom)
#smallbusiness
#entrepreneur
#handmade
#homemade
#oneofakind
#etsy
#etsyshopowner
#shopify

Sales funnels. They seem to be the buzz word in so many online trainings. However, I’m telling you today that you don’t need fancy online training to set up a sales funnel

About once a week, I get an email from a Cutting for Business reader asking where to buy clear umbrellas at good prices to embellish with your Silhouette or Cricut and adhesive vinyl. Honestly, I don’t buy many umbrellas. However, I don’t mind doing the research for you.

The umbrella you’ll want to use is the clear dome that measures around 46 inches. This gives you plenty of

 

Great news for small businesses: Facebook has recently added the ability to sell in the marketplace as your Facebook page! This is great for small businesses, because it helps legitimize…. Here’s how:

How to Sell on Facebook Marketplace as Your Business

1. Log into the Facebook App.

I’m back from the latest All Things Silhouette Conference, and I can’t wait to share my photos with you! During this conference, I enjoyed teaching classes on copyrights and trademarks for Silhouette small business owners, growing your Silhouette business through social media, creating digital mockups in Silhouette Studio, and hosting home parties with your Silhouette. While not in class, I enjoyed meeting Cutting for Business readers, taking selfies, and selling and signing my books.

Here’s a look at the conference from my point of view:

Have questions about the conference? Head to this post to get answers.

Share on Pinterest to let other Silhouette lovers know about the conference:

I’m home from the All Things Silhouette Conference – and I had a blast. Since pictures tell a thousand words, I’m sharing the conference in pictures with you today:

Interested in attending a future conference? Visit Terri Johnson Creates to learn more or register.

Share on Pinterest to let other Silhouette lovers know about the conference:

I get asked a lot of questions that are best suited to a lawyer, which I am not. However, I put a list of legal teams and practices that specialize in helping creative folks with legal questions and problems.

Legal Resources for Creative Businesses

• Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts – View the list broken down by state at this link.

 

I strongly believe that the factor behind whether or not your Silhouette or Cricut business will succeed is more about the owner than the actual products you choose to create and sell. There’s one thing that customers cannot be guaranteed when they shop in a retail store – amazing customer service. Luckily, a one man or woman business can always give amazing customer service.

Here’s 30 Tips to Good Customer Service

1. Be timely. This means responding to customer inquiries, comments, and messages in quick manner. It also means keeping your turnaround times as fast as possible and always meeting deadlines. Remember, an awesome product delivered late is defective.