What is a Plotter?

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 models. Cartridges and print heads can be purchased in our online store.