| What is a plotter? |
| A plotter is a printer of
high precision, using special inks, usually in large (high capacity) ink
cartridges and prints on media rolls (roles) of various types
|
| |
| How was the plotter invented? |
|
The plotters began by the need for
Engineers, Architects, Scientists and Technicians had to obtain reliable
and accurate prints, which could "pull" measures or distances, for
example, using a scale rule |
|
The HP 7550A plotter, one of the first HP plotter and the pen wheel. The
second picture featuring the wheel container. Below, the pen wheel
detail and enlarged picture of the yellow pen.
 |
| Early plotters used pens. In
the 1970's, the pen plotters were the only way to get an high resolution
and accuracy output. At this time the resolution of graphics printers
ranged from 72 to 100 dpi. But the first HP pen plotters could produce
outputs with resolutions of 1000 dpi |
| |
| Why did the plotters had a better
resolution? |
One of
the main reasons for early pen Plotters high-resolution was their could
“print" or plot a line or a curve at once, thanks to the HPGL
language.
HP has created the HPGL-Hewlett
Packard Graphics Language that would become a
standard language for almost all plotters. The language is formed by a
combination of two characters and optional parameters. For example, to "plotte"
an Arc the following commands were sent to the plotter:
|
| AA100,100,50; |
| Meaning an Arc Absolute,
with center at paper coordinates (x, y) 100.100, with an 50 degrees
angle measured in a counterclockwise direction. The plotter positioned
the pen at point 100.100 of the paper and drew the Arc at once. |
|
|
|
The HP-GL
/ 2 and line thickness |
|
With the improvement of printing on inkjet
printers, plotters began to adopt this technology and it was possible to
vary the line thickness. HP has improved their language and then came
the HPGL2 (or HP-GL / 2) with which it was possible to define the
thickness of line in a plot. |
 |
| |
| Current Plotters |
| In today's Plotter, the
Ink Cartridges, who was also the Print Head in the early (it was who
"send" an ink jet on paper) had its functions divided. Currently,
cartridge only stores the ink and the print function is performed by
other dedicated and specialized part, the Print Head.
With this specialization, the Print Heads
can produce outputs at resolutions up to 2400x2400 dpi |
| The specialization also
occurred in the Ink/Cartridge. The greater the number of ink colors, the
less the need to combine them to get the desired color. Currently, the
HP’s Photo Printer family "Z" with up to 12 different colors of
inks that produce prints with high resolution and color fidelity |
  
HP Designjet Z3200 has 12 ink cartridges
that supply 6 print heads. Each print head prints two colors. Far right
one of the heads |
| |
| Check out the main features,
cartridges, print heads and technical brochure of
all current models of HP Plotter and
discontinued Plotter models.
Plotter Cartridges and print heads can be purchased
in our online store. |
