The Difference Between a Printer and a Plotter
Since the day the first printer was introduced to the world in 1938, much has changed in the world of printing and graphic creation. The first printing presses created words and images in black ink on white paper, but today, we use laser technology and wide format printers to create an array of bold, colorful images and amazing graphics.
The First Printer
The ability to draw precise images on a large scale has been the goal behind many new inventions. Chester Carlson invented a technique for photocopying images called Xerography in 1938. It used a process of applying powered ink to the surface of an electrically-charged object that is then exposed to light, causing a chemical reaction that is then transferred onto paper.
This process would soon come to be known as “xeroxing” after the technology was purchased and developed by the Xerox corporation to produce high-quality text and graphic images on paper. The official name for photocopying was “electrophotography.”
The wide format plotter was a device used by architects and engineering firms to draw blueprints and schematics. Modern laser technology has replaced the plotter in architectural design firms, but they are still available and useful.
Tools and Techniques of Drawing
What is a Plotter?
A plotter is a tool used in creating the straight, and ultra-precise lines on a blueprint, chart, or schematic. These are used for large documents between 2 and 6 feet wide. Unlike the early printing press or photocopier, it does not use powdered or liquid ink but an actual pen, which is attached to a moving arm that moves from left to right. The pen draws lines which then become images and designs.
How Do Pen Plotters Work?
The first pen plotters worked by placing a sheet of paper over a roller that moved the paper back and forth in an X motion, while the pen moved back and forth on a track for the Y motion. It came to be known as the “XY Plotter.”
The moving arm and pen device was the early beginnings of what is now known as CAD, or computer-aided design. The computer is programmed with the CAD software that makes the machine move. The design would be uploaded into the computer and the settings provided by the software would tell the pen when to move and when to stop.
What is the Difference Between a Printer and a Plotter?
The main difference between printers and plotters is the file format they use. Mechanical pen plotters use vector images, while format printers use raster images, otherwise known as pixels.
Vector Imaging
The lines on the plotter are set to mathematical equations to create lines that connect to form coordinates. This enables the plotter to enlarge or reduce designs without losing detail. Rasterized images tend to become pixelated and blurry when enlarged, but vector images can be resized easily and flawlessly.
Wide Format Printing
Plotters delivered a higher level of accuracy and clarity in detail than printers until 1980, when laser printing became the next best thing. Laser printers were much faster and handled gradients and line shades effortlessly. They were also more cost-effective for large scale projects.
Laser technology and computerized robots have greatly impacted how we create designs and images today. Most plotters have been replaced by laser printers for creating designs on a large scale, but if you want something more precise that can imitate human handwriting for drawing cartoons, or creating designs on leather, paper, or wood, the iDraw XY Plotter combines the best of both worlds
Most architectural firms and engineers use wide format printers, the simple pen plotter can be used for a variety of smaller-scale projects that require accuracy and precision to create lettering or handwriting on various materials. This drawing machine uses open-source, which is a popular format for software programs.
Some of the benefits of the iDraw XY Plotter are that it imitates handwriting and laser engraving on paper, leather, and wood. It can also use a variety of different types of pens for different effects.