Types of plotters. Plotters (plotters) Where is the plotter located in the computer

Nowadays, there are various types of plotters that differ in the principle of operation, technical characteristics, purpose and other features. To make the right choice when buying, you need to understand all the varieties of this equipment.

A plotter is a piece of equipment that is used for large format printing, including A0 format. A plotter, also called a plotter, depending on the characteristics of the work, can print not only on paper, but also on other materials, synthetic media, film, and so on. In addition, some models are equipped with a cutting function, which is used when printing on hot-melt adhesive film, labels, logos, and so on.

A plotter performs similar functions to a printer, but specializes in large format printing. It is used for printing:

drawings and projects;
advertising posters and announcements;
topographic maps;
presentations;
products on hot-melt adhesive film and other wide-format materials, and so on.

Due to their large size and functionality, these devices are not purchased for home use. The most common areas of application include:

design bureaus;
design companies;
cartography centers;
advertising firms;
printing services companies and so on.

Plotter classification

All models of devices for large-format printing are classified into the following types of plotters:

feather;
jet;
electrostatic;
PPVI;
thermoplotters;
laser;
LED.

Each of them has its own characteristics and is suitable for solving certain problems.

Pen plotters

Pen devices are vector-type electromechanical equipment. A picture or image on paper or other media in such devices is applied with a writing element or pen, which can move in two directions.

There are models that can work on liquid paints and special stylus-pencils (pencil-pen plotters). An electric motor is responsible for the movement of the writing element, in connection with this, the equipment makes a lot of noise during operation. Another disadvantage of this type of device is the low print speed, which manufacturers cannot overcome even by optimizing the operation of electric motors.

The main advantages of pen plotters are:

very high print quality;
high color output and contrast when printing color images.

The quality of printing largely depends not only on the equipment, but also on consumables - paper and ink.

Inkjet plotters

The inkjet printing technology used in plotters is somewhat similar to the technology used in printers. Printing occurs by applying a large number of dots with paint. Usually 4 standard colors are used:

the black;
purple;
yellow;
blue.

Other colors and their shades are obtained by mixing primary colors.

The so-called "bubble" technology that is now used in inkjet plotters was developed and patented by Canon, although it is now used by other manufacturers. The print head consists of a huge number of nozzles through which ink is supplied to print an image. Each nozzle has a thermal heater, which, when heated, forms an air bubble. It squeezes the paint out of the nozzle, and then the heating element instantly cools down until the next task is completed.

Inkjet devices are very popular, as they have many advantages:

good print speed;
a high resolution;
ease and availability of service;
availability of consumables;
acceptable cost of equipment.

In some models, the ink supply is regulated, which allows you to get high-quality, clear and bright images, but requires special skills and abilities from the operator. In such devices, so-called piezojet heads are used.

Electrostatic plotters

In electrostatic plotters, an invisible image is applied to special paper, and then liquid paint adheres to the charged particles of the carrier. The next and final step is drying the paper.

The use of this technology allows obtaining high-quality and accurate images in a short time, but it also has its drawbacks:

maintaining temperature and humidity at a certain indicator in the room;
service complexity;
high price.

They are an excellent solution for businesses that have high quality and resolution requirements and require high print speeds and productivity.

Direct Output Plotters

In equipment of this type, the image is applied to thermal paper impregnated with a special composition. When passing through the "comb" in places exposed to thermal heaters, the paper changes its color, which contributes to the appearance of the image.

Such equipment is well suited for design and engineering organizations. Despite the monochrome printing, it allows you to get high-quality and accurate images. In addition, such a plotter is undemanding to maintenance and does not need to comply with special conditions during operation.

Heat Treatment Based Plotters

The principle of operation is similar to the devices described above (PPVI). The main difference is that when the thermal paper passes through the "comb", there is a special colored donor between them.

When printing a color image, the process of passing through the comb is repeated the required number of times. The main advantage of using this equipment is that the image is resistant to moisture and ultraviolet.

Laser and LED plotters

The printing technology in such devices is very similar to the technology used in laser and LED printers. Using a laser beam or LEDs, an invisible image is applied, then toner sticks to the charged paper particles, which is subsequently baked.

LED and laser devices provide high resolution and image quality, as well as high print speed and productivity, but have a significant drawback - high cost.

Cutting plotters

Such equipment is distinguished by the fact that it can not only print, but also perform the cutting function. The plotter can cut various materials:

paper;
cardboard;
thermal film;
vinyl;
photo paper and so on.

The printing plotter with cutting function has found its wide application, including the field of advertising and design. A special knife or cutter is responsible for cutting. Due to its versatility, this type of equipment is very popular.

Depending on the location of the media during printing, plotters are classified into the following varieties:

tablet;
rolled.

Tablet plotters

In flatbed devices, the media is fixed on a special table and remains stationary during printing. The printing element is moving. Such equipment is not very popular due to its large size.

Roll plotters

A feature of this equipment is that the roll paper moves on the drum, and in the process of passing through the head, an image is applied to it.

Consumers prefer roll devices, as they have many advantages:

take up less space;
allow you to save consumables;
suitable for various tasks;
provide high quality printing.

Features of choosing a plotter

Given the wide range of plotter models available on today's consumer market, a potential user should be aware of the basic technical characteristics of the devices in question. The defining indicators include:

The purpose of the purchased equipment. So, when planning to use a device for printing drawings and maps, you should give preference to devices with a minimum set of functions. The possibilities of "budget" options are enough for the high-quality performance of "primary tasks". However, with the planned use of the plotter for printing advertisements, banners, and so on, it is advisable to opt for devices with the option of "materialization" of color images.
Maximum cutting width. This indicator is inextricably linked with the format of the material that is compatible to work on the selected gadget model. In the case of the planned operation of the plotter at home, it is worth choosing a device with a maximum cutting width of 250 mm, and when buying the equipment in question for subsequent use in production, the optimal size of the material available for cutting is at least 1000 mm.
Print speed. An acceptable indicator of the characteristic under consideration is considered to be a speed of at least 8 - 10 sheets per second. In this case, the operation of the plotter will be as productive as possible with moderate power consumption.
Financial costs for the operation of the gadget. In this case, we are talking not only about the need to choose the considered type of high-quality assembly devices with high strength of individual functional elements, but also about plotters that do not require a special media format. In other words, in accordance with this criterion, the selected model must be compatible with all (or the vast majority) of materials.
Submission type. With the further use of the selected equipment at home, it is advisable to pay attention to roll plotters, which are distinguished by their compact design and low cost of consumables. In the case of the planned operation of the purchased plotter in production, flatbed models will be ideal, which have high accuracy in operation, but, as a rule, have impressive dimensions.
Maximum knife pressure (if cutting plotter is selected). The optimal indicator of the characteristic under consideration, as a rule, is a “strength” of at least 200 g. Devices that meet this requirement will provide their owner with a high-quality performance of their functional “duties” associated with cutting material with minimal energy consumption by the user.
Manufacturer's warranty. Given the high cost of the vast majority of models of equipment in this segment, it is reasonable to pay attention to the warranty period provided by the manufacturer or supplier. On average, the "creators" of the plotter "vouch" for their product during the first 2 years of its use.

To form an idea with the buyer about what parameters a high-quality plotter should have, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the following rating of the top models of 2019.

Top Models

Plotter type: cutting
Material format: A3
Feed type: roll
Maximum cutting width: 305mm
Functional knife pressure: 200g
Additional features: built-in Bluetooth adapter

fast connection that does not require special skills
ease of use and maintenance
compactness

software incompatibility with Corel software
unintended fastening of cutting paper in the central part of the device
high price

γράφω - I write, draw) plotter- a device for automatic drawing with great accuracy of drawings, diagrams, complex drawings, maps and other graphic information on paper up to size or tracing paper.

Graph plotters draw images with a pen (writing block).

Plotters usually communicate with a computer through serial, parallel or

The first plotters (such as Calcomp 565 from 1959) worked on the principle of moving paper with a roller, thus providing the X coordinate, and Y provided by the movement of the pen. Another approach (embodied in Computervision's Interact I, the first CAD system) was a modernized pantograph controlled by a computer and having a ballpoint pen as a drawing element. The disadvantage of this method was that it required space corresponding to the area being drawn. But the advantage of this method, resulting from its disadvantage, is the easily improved accuracy of the positioning of the pen and, accordingly, the accuracy of the pattern itself applied to paper.Later, this device was supplemented by a special cassette holder, which could be assembled with pens of different thicknesses and colors.

Hewlett Packard and Tektronix introduced standard desktop size flatbed plotters in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, the smaller and lighter HP 7470 was released, using an innovative "grain wheel" technology to move the paper. These small home plotters have become popular in business applications. But due to their poor performance, they were practically useless for general purpose printing. With the widespread use of high-resolution inkjet and laser printers, the reduction in the cost of computer memory and the speed of processing raster color images, pen plotters have practically disappeared from everyday life.

Types of Plotters

roll and flatbed
pen, inkjet and electrostatic
vector and raster

The purpose of plotters is high-quality documentation of drawing and graphic information.

Plotters can be classified as follows:

according to the method of drawing formation - with arbitrary scanning and raster;
according to the method of moving the carrier - tablet, drum and mixed (friction, with an abrasive head).
according to the tool used (type of drawing head) - pen, photo plotters, with a scribing head, with a milling head.

Tablet plotters

In tablet plotters, the media is fixedly fixed on a flat table. Fixing is either electrostatic, or vacuum, or mechanical due to the attraction of the plates pressing the paper to (electro)magnets mounted in the table surface. No special paper required. The head moves in two perpendicular directions. Media size is limited by tablet size.

In some devices of small size, the head is fixed motionless, and the table with the carrier fixed on it moves, as is done in milling machines with numerical control.

Moving media plotters

There are three types of moving media plotters:

drum plotters, in which a fixed size carrier is mounted on a rotating drum;
friction plotters, in which the media is moved by friction rollers. These plotters (with equal dimensions of the drawing) are much smaller in size than drum plotters. One of the new varieties of the friction plotter, which appeared due to technological advances in metalworking, is the plotter with the so-called. abrasive head, in which the paper drive rollers are steel with a special notch that is not clogged with paper fibers;
roll plotters, which are similar to friction plotters, but use a special media with edge perforations.

Regardless of how the media is moved, the random scan plotter drive system uses either stepper motors that turn a fixed angle when a single pulse is applied, or a feedback actuator system containing drive motors and position sensors. Stepper motor movements are typically performed 1 step in one of 8 directions.

Therefore, an approximation of the drawn curve by strokes of the main directions is required. An increase in the approximation accuracy is achieved both by reducing the step and by increasing the number of directions of movement by using additional pairs of motors or by changing the gear ratio.

Electrostatic plotters

Electrostatic plotters work on the shockless electrographic raster principle. A special dielectric paper moves under an electrostatic head containing needles with a density of 40-100 per 1 cm. A negative voltage is applied to the needles, as a result of which the dielectric paper is charged and a latent image is created on it. The paper then passes through a box in which a positively charged toner is sprayed over it. Charged areas attract toner particles. In color systems, this process is repeated for each of the primary subtractive colors cyan, magenta, and yellow, as well as black.

A plotter is a device with which you can make copies of electronic circuits, drawings, drawings, maps and other graphic images. The device outputs graphic information from a computer to paper or some other type of media. As a carrier, in addition to ordinary paper, a special film is used, as well as electrostatic or thermosetting paper. The second name of the plotter is a plotter. Not a single engineering bureau or design and construction organization can do without devices of this class. They are used in the design and production of advertising.

Modern graph plotters are classified according to a number of criteria. Depending on the writing unit, they can be pen, inkjet, electrostatic, direct image output and laser. According to the principle of image formation, plotters are of vector or raster type. Depending on the type of media, plotters are divided into roll and flatbed.

Flatbed plotters provide the highest printing accuracy. However, they usually have a small format. Roll plotters are compact and can handle very long drawings.

A pen plotter is a vector-type electromechanical device. In this case, writing elements called nibs are used to create images. Pens use different types of writing fluid and can be disposable or refillable. Inkjet plotters reproduce graphics using cartridges.

Laser devices use laser printing technology in their work. In them, the image is formed using a laser beam. Laser devices have different ways of fixing the image. A type of laser plotter is a cutting plotter. This is one of the main devices in the equipment for the manufacture of promotional products. It is mainly used for cutting sheet and roll materials, self-adhesive films, photographic paper, design cardboard, and much more.

The main operational and design characteristics of plotters that you should pay attention to include: accuracy, original format, working area size, drawing speed, software, memory availability.

The most important parameter of any graph plotter is the speed of media movement or the speed at which printing takes place. These parameters largely depend on the type of device interface.

Equally important is such a parameter as accuracy. It is the accuracy of the plotter that determines the ability to reproduce small objects and thin lines. It directly depends on its resolution. Working field size, shows the possible working size of the image. This indicator is especially important for roll devices.

Plotters can be made in desktop or floor versions. Additional devices can be connected to them, such as folders, sheet feeders, output table or document stacker.

Types of plotters and their characteristics

Even though today CAD takes its place of honor as an invaluable and proven design tool, but still, most of the information that is produced by various companies is drawing projects that are made by hand. Plotters are devices that, in computer-aided design systems, perform the function of outputting graphic information to paper and other types of media. This term has an English-language adventure, which has replaced its Russian-language counterpart.

To date, plotters are divided into two types:

– Vector type plotters. In this type, the writing unit moves along one or two coordinates. Pen plotters are typical representatives;

– Solution type plotters. In this variety, the principle of creating a picture is applied by filling the surface of the paper with dots of dye. An inkjet plotter is a typical representative.

Now consider each variety separately and in more detail.

Pen plotters

This variety is a vector-type electromechanical device and produces an image thanks to the writing elements, which are usually called by the generalized name - “feathers”. There are also other types of writing elements, the difference in which lies only in the type of dye. There are disposable and reusable types of dye, with oil-based and water-based inks. The pen is mounted in a special holder of the writing element and has two or one degree of movement. Pen plotters come in roll and flatbed types. The roll type has a pen that moves along one axis of coordinates, while the media moves along the other axis using the transport roller grip. With the help of the friction force, the forces of movement are transferred. The flatbed type differs from its counterpart in that the paper in it is motionless, and the pen moves across the entire image plane.

Inkjet plotters.

The principle of inkjet printing is that all elements of the resulting image are created using ink droplets that are produced from a nozzle, the drop speed is large enough to overcome the not small barrier between the imaging surface and the nozzle. To date, there is only one type of slender technology that has become widespread and revolutionized the plotter industry. Bubble inkjet printing is the most popular. Canon holds the first and last patent for this inkjet technology. The “bubble” technology itself lies in the fact that the writing head has a huge number of tiny nozzles, thanks to which the directed spraying of ink droplets is carried out.

Despite the fact that this technology has a minimal cost, there are still a lot of other positive qualities, such as:

– Each nozzle has a high level of reliability;
– The print resolution is increased due to the close location of the nozzles relative to each other;
– The print head works without any extraneous noise.

Definition 1

Plotter, plotter- a device for automatic drawing of graphic information (drawings, diagrams, complex drawings, maps, etc.) with high accuracy on paper up to $A0$ or tracing paper.

Picture 1.

Principle of operation

Plotters create images with a pen (writing block).

The plotter communicates with a PC using the serial port, parallel port, $SCSI$ interface and Ethernet. Some plotter models have a built-in buffer (from $1$ Mb).

The principle of operation of the first plotters was to move the paper with the help of a roller, which provided the $X$ coordinate, and $Y$ provided the pen movement.

Later plotters were computer controlled and had a ballpoint pen for drawing. With this approach, increased accuracy of pen positioning and, accordingly, the accuracy of the drawing itself, which was applied to paper, became available. The upgraded plotters were supplemented with a special cassette holder that could be combined with pens of different thicknesses and colors.

Remark 1

At the end of the $1970$-s. Hewlett Packard and Tektronix have developed tablet plotters with the dimensions of a standard desktop. In the $1980$-s. a smaller and lighter $7470$ HP$ model was introduced that used innovative "grain wheel" technology to move the paper. These household plotters have become popular in business applications. With the development of computer technology, plotters with a pen have practically disappeared from everyday life.

Types of plotters

There are several classifications of plotters, according to one of which they are divided into:

pen, inkjet and electrostatic;
roll and tablet;
vector and raster.

Plotters can be classified according to the following parameters:

according to the drawing formation method are divided into plotters with arbitrary scanning and raster;
by way of media movement- on tablet, drum and mixed (friction, with an abrasive head);
by tool used(type of drawing head) - pen, photoplotters, with a scribing head, with a milling head.

Tablet plotters

The media in flatbed plotters is fixed on a flat table. The fastening can be electrostatic, vacuum, mechanical due to the attraction of the plates pressing the paper to the magnets that are built into the table surface. No special paper required. The head moves in two perpendicular directions. The media size cannot be larger than the tablet size.

Figure 2.

In some small plotters, the head is fixed, and the table with the media attached to it moves.

Moving Media Plotters

There are three types of moving media plotters:

drum plotters, in which the carrier of a fixed size is fixed on a rotating drum;
friction plotters in which the media is moved by friction rollers. These plotters (with equal drawing sizes) are much smaller than drum plotters. One of the new varieties of friction plotter, which has appeared due to technological advances in metalworking, is a plotter with an abrasive head, in which the paper drive rollers are steel with a special notch that does not clog with paper fibers;
roll plotters similar to friction, but use a special media with edge perforations.

Figure 3

Regardless of how the media is moved, the drive system of random scan plotters uses stepper motors that turn a fixed angle when a single pulse is applied, or a closed-loop actuator that contains drive motors and encoders. Stepper movements are typically $1$ steps in one of $8$ directions.

Electrostatic plotters

Electrostatic plotters work on the shockless electrographic raster principle. Under the electrostatic head, which contains $40–100$ needles per $1$ cm, a special dielectric paper moves. As a result of a negative voltage applied to the needles, the dielectric paper is charged and a latent image is created on it. On paper, after passing through the box, a positively charged toner is sprayed, the particles of which attract charged areas. To create color images, this process is repeated for each of the primary four colors—cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

Electrostatic plotters are $10–20$ faster than pen plotters, but slower than laser plotters. The speed of the plotters is $500-1000$ lines per $1$ min., they work with a resolution of $200-400$ dots per inch. Used for high quality color output for the $CAD$ system.

Photographers

Used in very precise constructions, PCB tracing. Advantages include low cost compared to pen plotters and higher speed. The disadvantages include the need to use special rooms (shaded photo labs).

Manufacturers

Inkjet engineering plotters are manufactured by Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Epson, Encad.

The main manufacturers of outdoor plotters are $XAAR$, Konica-Minolta and Spectra, which are not manufacturers of other equipment.

The main manufacturers of laser plotters are KIP, Ricoh, Oce, Xerox.

Plotter? The answer to this question becomes clear when it becomes necessary to print various information in a large format. A regular printer is not capable of this task. So, a plotter is a device designed to draw diagrams, drawings, maps and any other graphics with maximum accuracy.

The plotters are capable of handling large format paper starting from A0. According to the principle of operation, the plotter device is somewhat different from the printer. The fact is that in standard printers, the ink element remains stationary, and printing occurs due to the movement of paper. The plotter system is a pen that moves along the surface of the paper according to the trajectory specified by the program. Thanks to this feature, some individual modifications of plotter devices allow you to apply graphics not only to paper, but also to vinyl, fabric, film and other similar materials. According to their functionality and features of the device, plotters can be of different types.

What is a tablet plotter

This device can create an image of almost

Any material that is fixed on a specially designed table. The printing element in the form of a head, which moves in a two-dimensional projection during the application of the image, is installed from above. A tablet plotter, the head of which is in a fixed state, and the image is applied by moving the table, has a significant disadvantage: the media in its format should not exceed the dimensions of the table.

What is a pen plotter

The pen plotter is a device for reproducing high-resolution images with excellent color reproduction. Refers to a variety of graph plotters working on the vector principle. The device is based on an element, which is called according to the duration of operation, one-time and multiple use are distinguished. The pen is fixed in the grooves of a specially designed holder, which, in turn, moves it along the surface of the media.

What is a pen and pencil plotter

In such plotters, an ordinary pencil lead is used for drawing an image. In the process of its work, the pencil-pen plotter does not require additional control and management. The stylus is automatically pulled out of the holder as it is used up, which creates additional convenience when applying a large number of images. In the pen counterpart, this process is more problematic, because if the ink supply channel becomes clogged, you have to stop printing and fix the problem. The pencil perfectly draws quite high-quality images of various types on paper. In addition, if necessary, some elements of the resulting drawing can be corrected with an eraser.

What is an inkjet plotter

Inkjet plotters apply an image using a special ink, which is supplied in the form of droplets from a nozzle and applied to the surface of the media. Recently, the "bubble" method has found wide application. Ink is applied using microscopic nozzles. They are in the amount of several hundred arranged in a disposable design. The ink is quickly heated (up to 10 µs) by means of a thermistor from an electric pulse, as a result of which a bubble is formed. It creates under the action of which the ink comes out of the nozzle. After the pulse is turned off, the formed bubble disappears, and the temperature of the thermistor drops rapidly.

This is not a complete list of existing plotters. There are also electrostatic, direct output, laser, cutting, solvent. Each is selected according to its technical characteristics and printing method for specific tasks.