Oct. 18, 2022
There are three main types of plotters on the market. These types include drum plotters, inkjet plotters and flatbed plotters. These three types of plotters perform different roles. When you choose to buy one, you must determine what your needs are and whether the plotter can handle the material or paper size you will be using. For example, drum printers can only work with paper, while other plot printers allow you to print on different materials. Understanding the capabilities of each type of plotter may be the key to determining which plotter is right for your needs.
Let us analyse each type and the work it can help you achieve.
These are low cost plotters that use the inkjet technology commonly found in printers. It uses three colours, mainly cyan, magenta and yellow. By combining these colours, the printer can create some stunning graphics and images.
It pushes these colours directly onto the material being printed. Compared to other plotter types, they are smaller. So choose materials that will easily fit into an inkjet plotter, rather than oversized materials that might be better suited to a flatbed printer.
They are designed for simple colour printing rather than complex output. However, you can still get high quality prints and crisp detail from these printers, while adding a splash of colour. Inkjet plotters are part of modern plotters, which include laser, electrostatic or thermal printers. With advances in technology and more options appearing on the market, users can choose and get beautiful prints.
Vinyl Plotter
This plotter is the most common type. As the name suggests, this plotter comes with a typical drum on which a piece of paper or material being printed is placed. It is important to note that the pen remains fixed, but the drum moves to its length.
This process allows the pen to draw single-axis development marks on the material. However, the size of the drum may limit the type of material you can print on or the size of the material being used.
They are ideal for bendable materials, such as PVC or canvas, as it can be bent over the drum. Make sure your material is flexible enough to bend to the circumference of the drum and that you can easily manipulate it as the drum rolls.
The flatbed plotter prints on a relatively flat surface, allowing you to print in large sizes on materials that do not need to be folded. Due to the nature of the printing surface, this type can print larger sizes compared to drum plotters.
The pen is not fixed like a drum plotter and this allows the use of several coloured pens to produce excellent designs. It is ideal for printing on sheet metal, plywood and some plastic surfaces. However, it is necessary to ensure that your material easily fits the size of the printer bed to ensure that the design prints correctly and maintains resolution throughout the printing process.
Vinyl Plotter
Determining which plotter to buy is not an easy task. You must consider the artwork you need to produce, the brand and the availability of accessories. If you decide on any type of plotter, you must ensure that you have access to a reliable supply of accessories such as pens, chemicals, material holders and blades.
The most important factor to consider when choosing the best plotter is the type of work you are doing. These details can include size, print material and number of colours. Before you start buying a plotter, make sure you have the right information. After all, without this information, you could end up buying plot printers that can't handle the graphics and projects you'll be completing, or you could end up buying more printers than your business really needs.
Again, it's good to take the bottom line into account. The cost of printers can be high. The business at hand must be able to meet the purchase cost, making it a profitable option to grow and support your organisation. If you don't have the customers to justify the cost, then you may need to reconsider making the investment. On the other hand, if your business can support it, then you need to choose a plotting printer that fits your budget while still allowing your business to grow. If the printer can't take on as much work as you need, then it may be too small for your needs.
If not, then you need to consider using an alternative plotter or even going back to a regular printer. It is best to consider the cost of materials to be used and the necessary accessories.
Other factors to consider when choosing a plotter are print resolution and speed. You will want a plotter that takes less time to print but still produces high resolution prints. In addition, some plotters come with other additional options, such as scanning.
