I invested in a Silhouette Portrait about a month ago and have had very limited luck getting it to do what I want. Basically, I think it should do one thing and it has consistently proven me wrong. Really, I read raving review after review before I received the thing in the mail. But, then, all I found were tons of folks having similar problems and one very entertaining YouTube video about how much a lady hated her Silhouette. I really did have an "oh crap" moment thinking I had just tanked $140 down the drain.
But, me and my can-do attitude just could not accept defeat. I scoured YouTube and the Internet for helpful videos and tips or tricks to make this little electronic cutter do what I wanted. I had two main issues to overcome: the new software to make the thing work, and getting the paper off the cutting mat after I cut something.
I have been a happy Photoshop Elements user for about six years and the Silhouette Studio software pales by comparison. Like, seriously doesn't hold a candle to Photoshop. But, just like learning to navigate Photoshop, well, you have to learn to navigate the Silhouette Studio. It does get easier and YouTube will become your very best friend because there are tons of tutorials to help you. I've never spent much time on YouTube, but I'm now a happy follower of several YouTube channels and have several tutorials saved in the "watch later" category.
The second hurdle is the cutting mat and how sticky the darn thing is. Don't even think about cutting stuff out of regular ol' copy or printer paper. Thin paper just sticks to the mat and rips when you try to peal it off. Not only is it a mess, it's a frustrating mess to deal with. I found a recommendation on a blog (I don't know where) that the Cricut cutting mat is less sticky and works in the Silhouette machine. The thing to keep in mind is the size of your Silhouette. As far as I know there are two Silhouettes, the Portrait (which is less expensive) and the Cameo. The Portrait can only handle cutting shapes that are 8 inches or smaller, the Cameo can do 12 inches or smaller. I think they can cut things that are 10 feet long, but I am no where near cutting any project that large. I ordered my 8.5"x12" Cricut cutting mat from Joann.com. I completely agree with that blogger who said the Cricut mat is more user friendly and less sticky. It's still too sticky for plain copy paper, though.
When I searched for the Cricut mats I saw that the Cricut tool kit was also on sale at Joann.com and I went ahead and ordered it. I really didn't want to invest any more money into this fiasco because I thought it was the worst possible idea. But, the special tools definitely make life easier when trying to get the paper off the cutting mat. That little metal spatula is a god-send.
So, I'm slowly growing to appreciate my Silhouette and what it can do. I really like the print-and-cut option and see limitless possibilities for it! If you're a paper scrapbooker, which I have never been (I'm all digital) you'll probably be head over heals for your Silhouette. But, it's definitely taking me a little longer to fall in love!
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