Plotter and Its Types

Plotter

Plotter is an output device mainly work for printing the graphics content which is of Vector form. Vector Graphics basically uses the sharp lines, curves, shapes to draw an image. By using the Plotter you can print a vector graphics or vector graphic image. Plotter is the first output device which is used to print the vector Graphics content. The plotter not used for printing dots or raster images, it is generally used for Vector graphics in which continuous lines exist to draw an image. Plotter are very costly to purchase and only the big scale organization can buy this. The application of Plotters are Car Manufacturing, Computer Aided Design, Geographical Representation, Earthquake estimation on graphics etc.

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Types of Plotter

Types of Plotter

👉Drum Plotter- As the name suggest, its having a drum as a mechanical part. This drum is used in both the direction ( forward and backward direction) to plot the drawing. The drum plotter is also called roller plotter because of having roller or drum in it. Paper sheet is placed on the roller and roller movement draw on Paper sheet. A mechanical part called Arm is used in Drum plotter for movement of drum in both the direction to draw vector graphics on Paper sheet. This arm having pen and pencil with different colors that move side by side in both direction when roller moves. The ink is used by Arm to plot the continuous lines for creating vector graphics. The Example of using Roller Plotter to represent Earthquake activity by drawing.

👉Flatbed Plotter- This plotter is tabular format like bed sheet. It is having 20-50 feet tabular sheet on which continuous drawing is done by plotter called Flatbed Plotter. It contains two mechanical parts or Arms that have the pens or pencil containing different set of colors to draw the image. These arms are movable and plotting the color on stationary or fixed paper sheet. Its working is slow as compared to Drum Plotter because it contains two arms that consume more time in movement from one coordinates to another particular coordinated on paper sheet. It is used in mainly in big scale drawing like Car designing, Ship designing, Building structure design, etc. that is why it take long time even several hours to draw an Image.