Silhouette Portrait Machine Review

The Silhouette Portrait is an electric cutting machine that can plug into the computer through the USB port and works with both PC and MAC. This machine can cut over 100 materials including paper, vinyl, cardstock, printable sticker material, magnet sheets, fabric and much more. The Portrait is a smaller portable machine making it perfect for projects up to 8” wide and 10” long. You can use any of the fonts you already have on your computer as well as shapes and patterns you draw yourself. There are thousands of designs that you can downloaded from the Silhouette store and other sites online.

Paper crafters will love the using the Silhouette Portrait. There is an endless variety of project capabilities with this cutter. The machine’s simplicity allows the crafter to easily and quickly change blade depths for different paper, vinyl, and card stocks. The included software displays your project on your computer screen enabling you to make changes and see your design before you begin. User settings and manufacturing recommendations display to help prevent mistakes and reduce waste.

For vinyl crafters, this machine has so many applications whether you are creating car decals, custom t-shirts or wall decor, the portrait can easily fit your needs. Making your vinyl crafts can be fun, but it can also save money by creating personalized gifts and keepsakes. This unit would also be suitable for people that like to make a little extra cash from selling their creations online.

You are able to use the Portrait machine to make fun holiday projects like these little Easter bunnies made with heat transfer vinyl.

With the Silhouette Portrait, you have to ability to download only the shapes, fonts, and designs you want to use rather than needing to buy cartridges like most Cricut models. Only buying the designs you need saves money, and if you create a membership with Club Silhouette you can save even more. The Portrait has more design options available compared to the Cricut making it the favorite among crafters.

Some of the pros of this machine is its light weight portable design that is great for people working in small spaces and may need to store when not in use. I also like that the buttons are hidden under the lid making them less accessible to curious children. Some cons include the noise being louder than some other units and not being able to cut larger projects if needed.

If you decide to purchase a Silhouette machine do make sure to join some of the popular groups on Facebook. I am a member of several, and own one myself. Here are my favorites:

Silhouette Cameo Creations – You can still join using a Portrait

Silhouette And Cricut Deals – This is my group

Silhouette for Beginners – Great for new owners

Purchase vinyl that is the perfect size for the Portrait machine on Amazon here