Plotters are large-format printers that operate with formats up to A0. When buying a plotter, carefully consider what you mean to print, in what format, in what amounts, and on what medium.
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Plotter types
- Cutting plotters use knives to carve a template or design directly into a piece of target material, such as paper, cardboard, mylar, fabric, felt, and many others. The interesting thing is that the template does not have to be processed in a computer. You can draw or print it on paper and the cutting plotter will scan it and create a template automatically.
- Inkjet plotters are essentially just large-format inkjet printers. They allow you to print both vector and bit graphics (posters, billboards, etc.). They can often emulate PCL or PostScript and work as a normal printer. The colour spectrum is limited to eight colours, or sixteen colours with a four-color print-head.
Ink types
- Dye-based inks - highly precise printing for technical designs and drawings.
- Pigment inks - better colour and print stability, but a little worse for printing lines. These are best suited for visualisation and photo printing.
Material rolls
Having more rolls saves time if you use multiple paper sizes or types. The plotter can automatically detect what roll should be used to reduce paper waste. One roll is enough for a small design office, but if your team consist of ten people or more, then you should invest in a double-roll plotter. The most advanced models offer up to three rolls with front loading. The largest 200 meter rolls allow you to print 600 A0 design drawings.
Supported media types
Thanks to inkjet technology, inkjet plotters can print on different materials, such as plain paper, technical paper, film (clear, matte), photographic paper (satin, gloss, semi-gloss, premium, polypropylene), or adhesive paper. For cutting plotters you can also use cardboard, fabrics, felt, leather, and other materials.
Connectivity
USB is the most common connectivity interface, compatible with all modern computers. LAN and WiFi connectivity enable network printing.
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