Introduction to wide-format plotters
Many businesses can get by sending their occasional oversized print jobs to a copy shop. However, if you often print blueprints, banners, or other documents over two feet wide, investing in a wide-format printer or plotter can be a good choice. These machines can print in either color or black and white, on a wide range of materials, in widths of 24" to 60" or more.
There are two primary markets for large-format plotters. The first is the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, which has long been buying plotters for blueprints and other technical documents.
The other market is for graphics printing. Print and design shops, for example, use wide-format printers to create large-scale banners, signs, and other outdoor durable graphics or textiles. These large-scale graphics are used by educational institutions, advertising agencies, and retail stores, just to name a few. Some of these organizations may even benefit from acquiring a wide-format printer of their own, if their print volume is high enough.
This BuyerZone Plotters Buyer's Guide will give you the inside scoop on the basics of choosing a wide-format printer, what features to look for, and how much you can expect to pay.
