1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. Silhouette Manuals
  4. Cutter
  5. portait4
  6. User manual

Silhouette portait4 User Manual

Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
Silhouette Cutting Machine
User's Manual
MANUAL NO. PORTRAIT4-UM-151

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading

Related Manuals for Silhouette portait4

Summary of Contents for Silhouette portait4

  • Page 1 Silhouette Cutting Machine User's Manual MANUAL NO. PORTRAIT4-UM-151...

  • Page 2: Preface

    Preface Thank you for choosing Silhouette Portrait4. Silhouette Portrait4 is an electronic cutting machine suitable for cutting the following sizes (width): 5.5 in., A4, Letter, 9 in., and 8.5-in. mat. In addition to cutting films, craft papers, and iron-print sheets, the machine can easily cut various materials.

  • Page 3: Before Using This Machine, Please Read This Manual

    Before using this machine, please read this manual Handling Precautions To use the product correctly, as well as to establish an excellent cut, be sure to read the following points thoroughly before use. Note • To avoid bodily injury, handle blades with care. •...

  • Page 4: Intelligent Path Technology

    If the media to be cut is not fixed firmly, depending on the cutting order, this tension may cause the media to shift or rip thin papers. * This can be used to select the Silhouette Studio check box. More...

  • Page 5: Optional Items

    This section describes the optional items that can be used with this product. Silhouette Auto Sheet Feeder (ASF) Set the ASF connecting plate and attach the ASF on top of it. There are two sizes available: letter and A3 plus.
  • Page 6 For the latest information on this product, supplies, and consumables, please refer to our website. Please use it together with this manual. https://www.silhouetteamerica.com...

  • Page 7: Table Of Contents

    Check the connection with Silhouette Portrait4 ........
  • Page 8 Check the free contents ........... . . Use trial subscription in Silhouette Design Store .......
  • Page 9 When the media is stuck ............Are you loading the media in Silhouette Portrait4 using the cutting mat? ..

  • Page 10: About Silhouette Portrait4

    The Silhouette Portrait4 comes with accessories shown in the following list. Make sure all the accessories are included when unpacking. If any item is missing, promptly contact the distributor where you purchased it or Silhouette America Customer Center. Silhouette Portrait4 AC adapter and power cable set Cutting mat (8.5 x 12 inches)

  • Page 11: Removing Packaging Materials From The Machine

    01 About Silhouette Portrait4 1-2 Removing packaging materials from the machine There are strips of tape and cushions to hold the moving parts of Silhouette Portrait4 in place during shipment and prevent any damage to the machine. Remove all of the packaging materials (strips of tape and cushions).

  • Page 12: Name And Functions Of Each Component

    (6) Guiding Line (2) Power Connector (1) USB Interface (3) Power Button (1) USB Interface : Used to connect Silhouette Portrait4 to the computer with a USB Interface cable. (2) Power Connector : Connects the AC adapter. (3) Power Button : Switches the power on or off.

  • Page 13: Operations

    (6) Pause Button (4) Media Load Button (5) Media Removal Button (1) Repeat Job Button : Repeatedly cuts the data sent from Silhouette Studio using Silhouette Portrait4. (2) Bluetooth Button : Switches the Bluetooth on or off. The lamp indicates the connection status.

  • Page 14: Setting Up The Machine

    Create your Silhouette account You can create your Silhouette account for free. A Silhouette account allows you to register the Silhouette machine, and you can use the same account on SilhouetteAmerica.com, SilhouetteDesignStore.com, and as a shared account for the Silhouette Studio library.
  • Page 15 Enter your name, email address, email address (retype), password, password (retype), language, currency, and timezone. If you do not want to receive newsletters (English) from Silhouette, unselect the check box of "Send me newsletters..." Select the check boxes of "I agree to the privacy policy", "I agree to the Terms & Conditions", and "I am over the age of 13".

  • Page 16: Register The Machine

    You can download 50 designs included with the Silhouette Library for free. • A one-month trial subscription is available to download contents from the Silhouette Design Store free of charge. * Please note that the upper limit for the download may change under the trial subscription.
  • Page 17 01 About Silhouette Portrait4 Click "Sign In". Enter the registered email address and password for your Silhouette account and then sign in. Select the country where you live from the country drop-down menu and enter your address information. Click the "CONTINUE" button.
  • Page 18 01 About Silhouette Portrait4 Enter the required information and click the "CONTINUE" button. The serial number is marked on a sticker on the back of the machine as an 11-digit number starting with an alphabet. * Depending on the web browser, you may be required to click " " to confirm after selecting.
  • Page 19 (Silhouette Studio). After the machine registration, you will receive an email with details on the one-month free trial • subscription. For details, refer to "Use trial subscription in Silhouette Design Store". Exit the screen.

  • Page 20: Install The Software (Silhouette Studio)

    01 About Silhouette Portrait4 Install the software (Silhouette Studio) The explanation for the software can be found by accessing the Silhouette America.com website after "1-4 Setting up the machine". After registering the Silhouette machine in use, download the software from the download page (https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/software) and use it.

  • Page 21: For Mac

    01 About Silhouette Portrait4 For Mac Go to "https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/setup". Please select your language. On the "Silhouette Machine Setup" screen, select the model to be used. Click MAC (64-bit). Downloading the installer starts. Double-click the downloaded installer file "(downloaded file name).dmg" to execute it.

  • Page 22: Check The Connection With Silhouette Portrait4

    01 About Silhouette Portrait4 Check the connection with Silhouette Portrait4 You can choose to connect Silhouette Portrait4 to the computer using a USB cable or wireless connection with Bluetooth. Connect it according to the usage environment. Connect with Bluetooth Silhouette Portrait4 has a built-in Bluetooth adapter that allows wireless connection with a computer.

  • Page 23: Connect With A Usb Cable

    Open the "SEND" tab of Silhouette Studio and click the "Silhouette Devices" icon. Select "Portrait4" from the displayed device list, and the software will start syncing. The setup is completed when the Silhouette Portrait4 status is displayed as "Ready" or "Load Media" on the "SEND" panel.
  • Page 24 01 About Silhouette Portrait4 Press the Power Button to start Silhouette Portrait4. Open the "SEND" tab of Silhouette Studio and click the "Silhouette Devices" icon. Select "Portrait4" from the displayed device list, and the software will start syncing.

  • Page 25: Obtain Free Contents

    To register for a Silhouette account, click the link in the confirmation email you receive when you register the Silhouette account. If you do not activate your account, you will not be able to register the machine or access the Silhouette Design Store.

  • Page 26: Use Trial Subscription In Silhouette Design Store

    Once the setup is completed, 50 free contents will be displayed in the LIBRARY. These contents will be displayed in the "Portrait" folder in "Free with Machine". Use trial subscription in Silhouette Design Store With the trial subscription, you can download contents (designs, fonts, patterns, etc.) for free* for one month after machine registration.
  • Page 27 01 About Silhouette Portrait4 The "Sign In" screen for logging in to Silhouette Design Store appears. Enter the registered email address and password and sign in. The machine registration screen appears. Click "CONTINUE" to view the "Use trial subscription" screen.
  • Page 28 01 About Silhouette Portrait4 Click "I don't have a credit card" at the bottom of the screen. I don't have a credit card Note If you start the trial subscription after registering your credit card, the basic subscription will automatically start after the trial ends, and your credit card will be charged monthly.
  • Page 29 01 About Silhouette Portrait4 When the trial subscription has been applied, the "SUCCESS!" screen appears. Once the trial subscription has started, click "CONTINUE" to return to the top page. CONTINUE Additional information You will receive an email with the title "Your FREE Design Store Trial Subscription".

  • Page 30: Confirm Activation

    Confirm activation If you hover the mouse pointer over the "My Account" icon on the top right of the Silhouette Design Store screen, "Free 1-Month Trial" will be displayed, and you can check the credit balance and expiry date of the subscription.

  • Page 31: Available Functions

    01 About Silhouette Portrait4 1-5 Available functions Size of the media that can be loaded The following media sizes can be loaded for Silhouette Portrait4. • 5.5 inches, A4, Letter, and 9 inches Cutting mat (8.5 in. x 12 in.) •...

  • Page 32: Cut Images

    01 About Silhouette Portrait4 Cut images The following cut images can be created from Silhouette Portrait4. Half-cut Die cut (cut out) Cut the top media. Do not cut the release paper. Cut all media. Do not cut the mat. Paper...

  • Page 33: Easy Operation Guide

    Be sure to use the cutting mat when cutting media that is not of a standard size. Otherwise, it may damage the machine and the blade. Press and hold the Power Button ( ) of Silhouette Portrait4 for at least two seconds to start it. Power Button Align the left edge of the media against the Guiding Line on the front panel.
  • Page 34 02 Easy Operation Guide Adjust the Pinch Roller Unit according to the media width and load the media. Additional information " " symbols are printed on the front panel for each media size. Align the " " symbol of the Pinch Roller Unit with the " " symbol on the front panel, and secure the Pinch Roller Unit.

  • Page 35: Setting The Auto Blade

    Note To avoid bodily injury, handle cutter blades with care. Silhouette Portrait4 allows tools to be set on the Tool Carriage. The tools that can be set are tools marked with the number "1" on them and tool adapters. Tool (Auto Blade) Tool Holder Slowly pull the lock lever of the Tool Holder toward you to unlock it.
  • Page 36 Insert the tool all the way and then lock it. If it is not inserted all the way, the media may not be cut properly. When setting the tool, Silhouette Portrait4 recognizes the tool and automatically displays the tool in the "SEND" tab of Silhouette Studio.

  • Page 37: Workflow From Simple Designing To Cutting

    02 Easy Operation Guide 2-2 Workflow from simple designing to cutting This section describes the steps for using Silhouette Studio to create cutting data from simple figures and texts and to cut the media. Step 1. Creating cutting data using figures and texts Use the drawing tools of Silhouette Studio (such as lines, ellipses, rectangles, polygons, curves, and texts) to create cutting data.

  • Page 38: Step 2. Cutting Created Data

    Operation method Load the media onto Silhouette Portrait4. Click the "SEND" tab on the top right of the Silhouette Studio screen. The "Cut Setting Panel" is displayed. From the pull-down list of cutting conditions, select the cutting conditions, action, and tool according to the media to use.

  • Page 39: Basic Workflow Of Printing And Cutting

    On the Page Setup Panel, select the "Registration Marks" tab and set the thickness and length of the registration marks. Print the design data. Cut the printed media. Click the "SEND" tab on the top right of the Silhouette Studio screen. SEND tab Drawing Tool Note <How to add registration marks (alignment marks)>...

  • Page 40: Pattern 2. Using The Auto-Trace Function

    02 Easy Operation Guide The cutting lines are displayed. Press the "SEND" button. It starts detecting the registration marks and then cutting once all marks are detected. SEND button Pattern 2. Using the auto-trace function Select the "Auto trace" check box of the PNG file on the "Import" tab on the Preferences menu to create cutting lines automatically when loading images.

  • Page 41: Pattern 3. Loading And Tracing An Image File

    02 Easy Operation Guide Additional information The auto-trace function may not be available depending on the way the image is created. In such a case, trace the image using the steps described in "Pattern 3. Loading and tracing an image file". Pattern 3.
  • Page 42 02 Easy Operation Guide <When Trace is selected> <When Trace Outer Edge is selected> Additional information • If a low contrast image is used, the image may not be traced clearly. • To trace the image and create a label, select "Trace Outer Edge".

  • Page 43: About The Silhouette Studio Screen

    The Silhouette Studio screen is mainly used to create designs. 3-1 Starting the software (Silhouette Studio) For Windows • Start Silhouette Studio by double-clicking the icon on the desktop or from the Start menu. For Mac • Open the Applications folder and start Silhouette Studio.
  • Page 44 For details on each function of the design page, refer to "Help" and "User's Manual..." on the toolbar. STORE tab Access the Silhouette Design Store from the "STORE" tab when connected to the Internet to browse and purchase contents such as designs and fonts. LIBRARY tab You can access the designs saved in the library and the contents downloaded from the Silhouette Design Store from the "LIBRARY"...

  • Page 45: About The Store Tab (Silhouette Design Store)

    03 About the Silhouette Studio Screen 3-3 About the STORE tab (Silhouette Design Store) The Silhouette Design Store is a store that sells over 200,000 high-quality design items that can be used with Silhouette cutting machines. In addition to designs for regular cuts, the store also offers a large variety of designs created by artists from all over the world, such as 3D data to facilitate the creation of three-dimensional pieces, fonts, designs for printing and cutting, and fill patterns.
  • Page 46 03 About the Silhouette Studio Screen Click the "My Account" icon. My Account icon...

  • Page 47: Configuring The Cutting Conditions

    Once you select a media from the list, the optimal cutting conditions for that media are automatically applied. When using materials other than Silhouette media, click "Add New Material Type" and manually set the cutting conditions. SEND tab Cutting...

  • Page 48: Guideline For Blade Depth And Media Materials

    03 About the Silhouette Studio Screen Specify an action such as "Cut" or "Sketch" from the Action pull-down list. Specify the tool to use in the Tool pull-down list. If you want to manually set the cutting conditions, set the blade depth, speed, force, and passes.

  • Page 49: About The Intelligent Path Technology

    03 About the Silhouette Studio Screen About the Intelligent Path Technology If you want to set advanced cutting conditions manually, click "MORE". If you select the checkbox of the Intelligent Path Technology function, you can perform cutting using a dedicated cutting procedure, making it possible to cut delicate materials without misalignment.

  • Page 50: Auto Cross-Cutting

    03 About the Silhouette Studio Screen Auto cross-cutting If you use the auto cross-cutting function, after cutting the design, the specified line on the media is automatically cut, and the design is separated from the media on the cutting machine.
  • Page 51 03 About the Silhouette Studio Screen Insert the Auto Blade. Press the "SEND" button to start cutting. SEND button If you enable auto cross-cutting, the created design is cut, and then the auto cross-cutting is performed. Additional information During auto cross-cutting, the blade depth of the Auto Blade is automatically adjusted.

  • Page 52: Troubleshooting

    04 Troubleshooting Troubleshooting This chapter describes what to do if problems occur with Silhouette Portrait4. 4-1 Unable to load the media properly If the media cannot be loaded properly, check the following causes and solutions. Unable to insert media, or it bends and folds up If you are using a rolled media, does the edge tend to curl down? •...

  • Page 53: Unable To Feed The Media Properly

    04 Troubleshooting 4-2 Unable to feed the media properly If the media cannot be fed into the machine properly (for example, it slips out of the roller during cutting), check the following causes and solutions. The media move obliquely in the machine during cutting Is the media or the left side of the cutting mat aligned with the Guiding Line? •...

  • Page 54: The Media Slip Out Of The Pinch Roller

    04 Troubleshooting The media slip out of the Pinch Roller Is the tip of the media placed against the Pinch Rollers on both sides and loaded straight? • Check the following points to ensure that the media are loaded straight correctly. •...

  • Page 55: Unable To Cut Properly

    04 Troubleshooting 4-3 Unable to cut properly If the media, such as paper or film, peel off during cutting, or if you are unable to cut them properly, check the following causes and solutions. The film peels off during cutting Are the tools set correctly? •...

  • Page 56: Is The Blade Tip Cap Of The Auto Blade Loose

    Kent paper. Is the blade depth too small, or is the force set too low? • Gradually increase the blade depth and force on Silhouette Studio and perform a test cut. Force setting Blade Depth setting...

  • Page 57: (Cutting Speed) Too Fast

    Use a bold typeface or make the figure larger. The approximate size of characters that can be cut with the Silhouette Portrait4 is about 10 mm square for alphanumeric characters and about 15 mm square for MS Gothic double-byte characters when using a cutting film with tension on the material, such as vinyl chloride.

  • Page 58: Is The Set Media Floating Or Bent

    Is the cutter blade sticking out too much, or is the force too high? • In Silhouette Studio, set the blade depth and force to a smaller value and perform a test cut. When the media is stuck Are you loading the media in Silhouette Portrait4 using the cutting mat? •...

  • Page 59: Is The Media You Are Using Too Thick

    The media is cut too much Is the cutter blade sticking out too much, or is the force too high? • In Silhouette Studio, set the blade depth and force to a smaller value and perform a test cut. Force setting Blade Depth setting...

  • Page 60: Firmware Update

    The firmware is a control program that is built into the hardware. Firmware update requires Silhouette Studio. If a message for firmware update is displayed in the "SEND" panel of Silhouette Studio, follow the steps below to update it. Note Do not turn off Silhouette Portrait4 while updating the firmware.

  • Page 61: When In Trouble

    When in trouble Please visit our website for information on how to operate this machine and what to do if you have a problem. https://www.silhouetteamerica.com...
  • Page 62 Specifications are subject to change without notice. Silhouette Portrait4 User's Manual PORTRAIT4-UM-151 August 20, 2023 1st edition-01 Silhouette Japan Corporation...

Table of Contents