What is a Plotter Printer?
A plotter is an output device used to produce hardcopy. Plotters are used for a variety of applications, which include drawing graphs, making maps, plotting civil engineering drawings and machine components. Plotters work on the principle of a human hand holding a pen and moving it on paper. Plotters are normally very slow output devices because of excessive mechanical movement required during plotting but still plot much faster than a draughtsman and the output is of better quality. Plotters are of two type’s flatbed and drum type.
Flatbed Plotter
Flatbed plotter is less expensive and is used in many smaller computing systems. It plots on paper that is spread and fixed over a rectangular flatbed as shown in the image. Pens of different colors are mounted in the pen holding mechanism that moves on the surface in two orthogonal directions. The pen can be raised or lowered onto the paper during the drawing operations. The microprocessor in the plotter selects the desired pen and controls its movement under the control of the computer.
Drum Plotter
Drum plotters are normally used with mainframe and minicomputer systems. The paper on which the design has to be made is placed over a drum that rotates back and forth to produce vertical motion. The pen is mounted on a carriage, which movies across the width of the paper. The vertical movement of the paper and the horizontal movement of the pen create the required design under the control of the computer. Pen having ink of different colors can be used to produce output in multi-colors. The plot size may be very large with paper widths of up to 1 meter.
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