The new Silhouette Portrait

It is the Portrait 4 model that I would like to discuss today. Its predecessor, the Portrait 3, has long been one of the most popular devices in our store. It is characterized by many advantages, which have been used in its newer version. Combined with completely new solutions, we got an exceptional cutting plotter, offering many interesting features, and at the same time ideal for starting to learn how to create new and unique projects.

Advantages and features

Retaining the greatest advantages of previous models, the new Portrait 4 plotter has extremely useful and proven features. It will invariably cope with cutting materials such as papers up to 300g, including mirrored papers, various types of foils, such as vinyl, flex or flock. The very useful and well-liked Print&Cut function, which allows you to cut prints, also remains available. It is also possible to use the Pixscan mat to cut out shapes from ready-made scrap papers or hand-created graphics. In addition, the plotter allows sketching with the manufacturer's dedicated markers, or your own media via a special adapter. Compatibility with second-generation tools and mats that fit the Portrait 3 is also a big advantage.

News

The manufacturer also offers new features, making the Portrait 4 an attractive product even for owners of the previous, well-regarded Portrait 3. For lovers of technological innovations and those eager to learn how to use new features, while satisfied users of the previous version of the machine, the new model is therefore quite a treat.

Electrostatic platform

One of the most common threads in the context of Silhouette news is the electrostatic platform. This is a brand new accessory that allows cutting materials without the need for a mat. It will come in handy especially when cutting in thin materials that deform and tear when taken off the sticky surface of the cutting mat. So these will be tissue paper, thin paper or delicate films.

Gildings

The Silhouette manufacturer's gilding kit is also a complete novelty. Until now, the only way to do gilding with Silhouette plotters was to use We R Foil Quill tools, which, despite their many advantages, sometimes caused problems, mainly due to the need for adapters. With the modified Portrait 4 carriage, equipped with a power supply, it will be possible to plug in dedicated tools, making the process of decorating with this method easier.

Software

The plotter still requires software to operate. This is the tried-and-true, and still improving, Polish-language Silhouette Studio program. Available as a free download from the manufacturer's website, it is compatible with ready-made designs available in the Silhouette Design Store and also offers simple tools for creating your own designs and lettering. To use vector files in other formats, such as SVG, you will need paid extensions, such as Designer or Business Edition, which also offer many additional features. The software has been updated to support new features that will only be available for new plotters.

Refreshed design

The new Portrait 4 model is a tad larger than its predecessor. While these are differences of up to 3cm (in terms of the machine's width), they have allowed for improvements in certain features, such as reinforced rollers for better stability when guiding a mat or material, and more precise cutting. A "repeat job" button has also been added to save time while working. The body of the machine looks very modern, while maintaining a kind of neutrality, so that the machine will not dominate its surroundings by gently fitting into your studio.

Is it worth buying a new model?

If you are wondering which model to bet on and choosing between the Portrait 3 and 4, or you already own the previous version of this small plotter and are trying to replace it, it is worth answering the question: what will I need the plotter for? If your main focus is on cutting papers and transparencies, or cutting prints, then the Portrait 3 model will definitely handle these kinds of tasks. However, if you care about additional functions, such as gilding, then it is worth choosing the Portrait 4.