Silhouette v. Portrait?

[MSBetsyZ]

Any pros and/or cons as to which is best? Are there any ways the Portrait is vastly limited?

[gails]

Betsy, I do not have either. But I have the original Cricut and the Expression. Once the larger Cricut (Expression) arrived, I rarely used the original Cricut. For boxes and such, you can make them a nice size using the Silhouette whereas with the Cameo I would think sizing would be more limited. Another question is do you have the space/work area for the Silhouette? Do you do scrapbooking? I do and I can make larger mats or embellishments on the E but again limited in the size using the smaller Cricut. And then there is the initial cost and is one more affordable? I realize the Cricut and Silhouette are two different machines, but hope this helps a little.

[shazsilverwolf]

Betsy, I still have the original Silhouette machine, but from what I know, the Cameo can cut card/paper up to 12" wide, the Portrait cuts up to 8" wide,which is closer to the old machine. I do know the Cameo is a much larger machine than either of the other two- my co-mother in law has one. So if storage/usage room is an issue, you may want to take that into account.

HERE on the Silhouette site is a side by side comparison of the two machines. Hth.

[MSBetsyZ]

Thank you both for responding. I guess I was wondering specifically if there would be reason I'd regret not having the sd card slot or the wider format if I went with the Portrait. In the end, the deciding factor was the price, lol! I'm just not ready to spend over $250 in order to test the water, not when I already have a Cricut. Thanks so much for your help!

[Arizona]

I have had the Silhouette SD for several years and have never used the SD slot. There are times I wish I had the ability to cut wider papers for things like 12x12 scrapbook paper and larger gift boxes. I'm still saving up for a Cameo.

[shazsilverwolf]

I agree, I think its main appeal, (the Cameo) is if you are a scrapbooker. I'm a card maker, so the 12" cutting has no real appeal for me. Having seen my co MIL's Cameo- it is so much bigger than the Silhouette, both in width & height, which means it wont fit where my machine is at the moment- on my pc desk. That will mean a whole re-jigging of what I have where- I am so praying my Silhouette keeps going for a good while yet.

[HeatherHolbrook]

I had the SD and then got a Portrait, I like the Portrait just a bit better (the SD was still great), it seems to cut thicker cs easier than the SD did and I also like the mat much better, they have better hold. I personally never used the SD slot so I don't miss it. It's also smaller and lighter weight. The Cameo cuts a wider paper but that's really the only difference between it and the Portrait. I don't scrapbook much anymore and don't really need to larger size. I think for card makers the Portrait is perfect.

[javagirl984]

If you only ever need to cut things that are no bigger than 8 1/2 inches wide then you want the portrait. However if you like being able to make items other than cards, you may want to consider the Cameo. I love the wider format. I am NOT a scrapbooker, so not just scrapbookers use the wider format. I like being able to make 3-d projects and having the option of making a basket or box, etc at a larger size. It really just depends on what you make or plan to make with the machine.

I have never used the SD card on my Cameo. I really don't see that as a deal breaker feature. One of the biggest advantages of using your computer with the machine is being able to determine exactly where your cut file will be cut from the paper on the mat. This is why I ditched my Cricut for the Cameo. I want control over my cuts.

[shazsilverwolf]

The other reason I am hoping my original keeps going a lot longer is the cutters! With mine, I can just buy the blades, which I can get multi-packs from e-bay a heck of a lot cheaper than buying brand Silhouette blades. I gather for the new ones, its a complete blade housing that has to be bought, which makes it more expensive? i also read at the start about a lot of problems with the housing clogging with fibres- does anyone have any feedback on whether this issue has been fixed?

[HeatherHolbrook]

If not had any problems at all with my housing getting clogged and I use all types of different papers and cs in mine.

[shazsilverwolf]

Thanks Heather- thats great.

[MSBetsyZ]

So then any tut for the Cameo I come across is applicable to the Portrait? The interface is the same? I went with the Portrait, and it's coming tomorrow (yippee!)

[gails]

Good for you, Betsy! You will have to let us know how you like it~~and post your projects, too.

[gobarb26]

I ordered my Portrait from Scrap Ace, 3 weeks ago and haven't received it yet! I contacted them and they are looking into it. I don't think they even shipped it yet! I only paid $125.00 for it, but still…Anyway, I also have 2 Cricut Impressions so it's not like I really need it right now! LOL!