Printer plotters produce images on a large scale. These printers are used for blueprints, signs and other large scale print jobs. Plotter printers require replacement supplies to keep them up and running. These supplies are normally model specific and are available to purchase online. Ordering supplies for printer plotters ensures your plotter printing jobs do not halt because of low supplies.

When searching for plotter printer supplies, first locate the brand and model number of the printer. These are located on the printer or in the instruction manual of the plotter. Plotter printer supplies come in three categories: ink, paper and pens. Ink and paper are required for all plotter printers. Pens are only required on pen plotters. All of these items are sold with general instructions for installing the product in the printer.

1. Purchase printer plotter replacement ink.

2. Locate paper and film to fit your plotter printer.

3. Find pens for pen plotter printers.

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Locate printer plotter ink

Ink and toner for plotter printers is available for all models of printers. This ink and toner is model specific and comes in new and refill cartridges. It's wise to stock up on printer plotter ink so you don't run out in the middle of a big print job.

I recommend: Find ink and toner for business plotter printers at Keenzo.com. InkJetSuperStore supplies ink for Hewlett Packard large format printer/plotters. RC Labs sells ink and toner for new and refurbished plotter printers. Search the online catalog at Castle Printer Ink for plotter printer ink and toner.

Purchase paper and film for printer plotters

Plotter paper and film are available in a variety of types of paper. It is sold in both rolls and sheets. Some of the available paper types include environmental bond, opaque, translucent, film and color paper. Be aware that some specialty papers must be special ordered and may take longer to attain, especially if you need them in large quantities.

I recommend: Visit Océ North America for plotter printer paper and film to fit all major brands of printer plotters for businesses. Buy plotter paper by the roll and by the sheet in translucent premium and bond types at WAB Paper Supply. Wideformatoutlet.com sells plotter printer paper and film for all types of plotter uses.

Purchase pens for a business plotter printer

Plotter printer pens are generally made with a bonded fiber tip for creating fine graphs and charts. These pens are used in pen plotter printers and are sized to fit the model of the plotter printer. When ordering, you need to know your printer's brand and model number to be sure you order the correct pen.

I recommend: Numeridex carries a number of supplies for printer plotters including pens, also known as pen plotters. SaleOnAll.com supplies pens for all major brands of printer plotters. Find replacement pens and print head for large format printers at Plotter Supplies.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Printer plotter ink refills and new cartridges all list an estimated print quantity on their packaging. Compare prices and print output on ink before purchasing.

A printer plotter can save you thousands of dollars over hiring an outside printing firm if you need to generate large printed materials on a regular basis.

Large format printers run the gamut in quality and price, from inexpensive pin-impact printer plotters, to high-resolution sheet-fed ink jet plotters that reproduce poster-size photographs in stunning detail.

When shopping for printer plotters for business, usage and purpose should take precedence, with price being an important but secondary consideration. Key points to consider are:

1. Volume and quality of prints needed.
2. Maximum plotter width.
3. Ease of use and/or ability to locate replacement printer plotter parts.

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Know that quality comes with a price tag

Blueprints and monochrome renderings print easily on large format printers that use inexpensive impact-pin technology to print large sheets of drawings, charts and data. As the quality increases so does the price. Color inkjet technology reproduces a high level of detail in color-calibrated output.

I recommend: Hewlett Packard (HP) sells a wide line of printer plotters for business and industrial use with formats up to 104 inches wide. Another giant in the printer plotter industry is Canon, with a range of large format printers, including their popular PosterJet and high-resolution, graphic-quality large format printing solutions.

Choose the widest printer plotter you can afford

You might use a narrower setting 80% of the time but choose a business plotter printer for the widest sheets you will reasonably be printing. Weigh the price difference between widths against the cost to have the largest sizes printed by a professional printer. The exception is when you occasionally need a super-size print in the 'grand format' printing range. Unless you use a grand format printer often, opt for a regular plotter.

I recommend: Epson business printer plotters offer numerous widths. Be sure to request a sample print before you buy. In the event you need very large format printers, visit Innovative Solutions to learn more about grand format printers with widths up to 16 feet. Get a custom quote through BuyerZone for large format printers that fit your specific needs.

Find affordable plotter printers

Let's face it--purchasing a printer plotter is a major investment for many businesses. Depending upon your needs, used or refurbished plotter printers may be just the ticket. Manufacturers will refurbish plotters returned by customers and offer limited warranties with purchase. Buying a used plotter from a private party is more risky so be sure to ask for a demonstration before clinching the deal.

I recommend: Large Document Solutions offers refurbished plotters with all the needed software disks included. Professional Plotter Technologies offers an extensive line of used plotter printers with a guarantee. If you purchase from a private party, you can download any missing drivers online.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Inquire with the reseller about the cost of replacement ink or toner and their policy towards on-site repairs.

Making the most of plotter printers increases your printing capabilities. Large format printer/plotters allow you to create blueprints and large posters or signs. The way each plotter printer works varies by manufacturer, however there are certain issues that all plotter printers face. Quickly dealing with these problems in an effective manner keeps the printer up and running, and keeps your business running smoothly.

Making the most of printer plotters requires knowledge in three areas: drivers, repairs and printer errors. Drivers allow communication between the printer and the computer. Any computer that needs to print to the plotter needs to have a driver for the plotter. Maintaining and repairing the plotter keeps downtime to a minimum and saves money in repair services. Properly dealing with error messages and adjusting the printer as needed keeps the plotter in working order.

1. Locate plotter printer drivers.

2. Find repair information for plotter printers.

3. Fix plotter printer errors.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find drivers for printer plotters

A driver is the software the printer uses to communicate with a computer. Without an up-to-date driver, business plotter printers can not printer. To locate a driver for a printer plotter you need the machine's model number and the name of its manufacurer.

I recommend: Printer-Drivers.com provides drivers for all major printer plotters. Select the plotter manufacturer and model to download drivers at DriverZone.com. Visit Hardware Secrets to find drivers for large format printer/plotters.

Repair a business plotter printer

Repair and maintenance is vital to keeping a plotter printer running. All plotter printers have to be repaired if they are used long enough or are under the strain of heavy use. Learn how to troubleshoot a printer and repair a problem to reduce your plotter printer's downtime.

I recommend: Search Werner Heuser's list of plotter printer manufacturers for how-to guides about repairing your plotter. Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ provides troubleshooting guides and repair how-tos for business plotter printers.

Deal with errors from a plotter printer

Printer errors cause countless frustrations. Deal with these errors quickly and get back on track to complete any printing job with ease. Printer plotters for businesses often have various errors related to connections and transferring information. Visit the websites below to find fixes for general plotter errors.

I recommend: Locate how-to guides for dealing with plotter printer errors at the University of Minnesota's website. Academic and Research Computing supplies many tips for resolving errors from printer plotters. AllExperts.com provides tips about dealing with errors from large format printers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Never open or work on large format printer/plotters with the power cord plugged in. In offices with carpet, it is best to ground yourself before touching the inside of a plotter printer. Static electricity can build up and do damage to the printer.

A printer is a peripheral device that produces graphics and text on physical media, such as paper or transparencies. Historically, a plotter has been a separate device that uses vector graphics to make a graphical plot. Today, large-format printers perform plotting functions with raster graphics, although these devices still use vector graphic printing languages. These languages are an efficient way of providing drawing instructions, producing files that are considerably smaller than files that use raster graphics.

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Vector graphics

Vector graphics are a method of describing any object by using geometrical primitives like curves, lines, points and polygons. Pure vector graphics plotting devices, such as pen plotters, have all but disappeared except for specialized applications, such as engineering drawings.

I recommend: TechTarget describes vector graphics in greater detail.

Raster graphics

Modern large-format printer plotters use raster graphics to perform plotting functions. This technique uses a grid of pixels to represent an object. Unlike vector graphics, images rendered by raster graphics cannot change resolution without losing quality.

I recommend: The Keiger Printing Company offers an extensive discussion of raster graphics and their effect on image quality.

Computer-aided design (CAD)

Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computer technology to create virtual designs of objects. This technology makes frequent use of plotters to create hard copies of these designs.

I recommend: John Wiley & Sons provides definitions for a range of computer related terms, including a more detailed definition of CAD.

Inkjet printer plotter

Inkjet printer plotters create an image by using heat or electricity to propel droplets of ink onto the medium. They combine black, cyan, magenta and yellow inks to create a variety of colors. Injket printer plotters are inexpensive and have largely replaced the pen plotters that were previously used to render engineering drawings.

I recommend: FreshPatents.com provides a definition of inkjet printer plotters.

Bezier curve

A Bezier curve is a type of parametric curve that can be used to model smooth curves. Printer plotters that use vector graphics commonly employ Bezier curves because they can be scaled indefinitely. These types of printer plotters may also use image manipulation programs that refer to Bezier curves as 'paths.'

I recommend: MoshPlant.com provides a complete discussion of a Bezier curve.

Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (HPGL)

Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (HPGL) is a printer control language originally used by Hewlett-Packard printers and plotters that is now used by virtually all plotters. HPGL commands have two letters with optional parameters. An HPGL file typically consists of setup commands followed by commands that actually print the image.

I recommend: VeryDOC.com provides an overview of HPGL, including a sample HPGL program.