Every office has at least one printer. Most of them are just standard printers, good for printing the usual A4 documents, letters, and envelopes, but not much else. But, in certain workspaces, more advanced printers are needed, like plotter printers, which are capable of bigger, more detailed, and more versatile print jobs. But do you actually need a plotter printer? If that question is on your mind, this guide hopes to provide the answer.
An Introduction to Plotters
If you’re wondering what a plotter printer actually is, here’s the scoop: plotters are special types of printers that work by using plotter pens. These pens move around inside the printer to basically draw the image on paper or other print media (plotters can usually print on quite a broad range of materials, such as vinyl or even metal).
The big differences between plotters are regular printers are:
- Functionality: As explained, plotters use pens to form their prints, while more standard printers use either inkjets or lasers.
- Scale: Most plotters are good for large and wide prints, much bigger than those you’d get from a regular home or office printer.
- Precision: All modern printers are precise, but plotters operate at a higher level of accuracy than most. This, again, is due to their interior mechanisms – the pens are capable of incredible detail.
- Media: The average office printer prints on paper and not much else. Plotters, as touched on above, can handle many more materials.
Signs You Need a Plotter Printer
That’s the basics covered, but how do you know if you need a plotter printer? Here are some signs to look for that should help you answer that question.
You’re in One of the Industries Where Plotters Are Standard
Just as office printers are found in places like offices, banks, schools, and so on, plotter printers are commonplace in a lot of specific industries. Those industries include:
- Architecture
- Construction
- Design
- Fashion
- Marketing
- Engineering
If you work in one of these industries, having a plotter printer is often a necessity. You’ll likely need to make big, detailed prints on a regular basis, whether they be blueprints for construction projects or trade show banners to market products. A plotter can make that happen.
Your Standard Printer Simply Doesn’t Suffice
Perhaps you don’t necessarily work in an industry where plotters are standard, but you’re finding that your regular office printer can’t keep up with your needs. It might be that you often need bigger prints than your current printer is capable of or the prints you make lack detail and clarity.
You’ve got two options in that case. You can either outsource your larger and more detailed printing and pay for each print you get. Or you can invest in a long-term solution – your own plotter printer – to make as many big and detailed prints as you want.
You Need to Print on Alternative Materials
Earlier, we spoke of how plotters are good at printing on materials like vinyl, metal, wood, etc. There are lots of business reasons you might want to print on such materials. People in fashion design, for example, might want to print onto fabric, or signage firms might need to print on metal or wood.
If this is a pressing need for you, then regular printers simply won’t cut it. You’ll need to invest in a plotter printer that can meet your needs and print on the kind of media you want to work with. It’s the only logical option for your business, especially if you need these kinds of print jobs regularly or in bulk.
You Want to Make Large or Wide-Format Prints
Most standard office printers can make prints as large as A4 (approximately 8.27×11.69 inches). That’s fine for typical office documents, like contracts and letters, but what if you want to print bigger sizes, like A3 (11.7×16.5) or A2 (16.5×23.4)? That’s when you need a more specific sort of printer.
You could opt for a simple wide or large-format model, which can handle larger-than-average print jobs. But plotter printers can also produce big prints, along with offering all their other benefits, so they’re often the most valuable pieces of printing equipment to invest in.
Your Competitors Use Plotter Printers
It’s always worth keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing, regardless of the industry you’re in. It can give you tips and insights into what moves your firm should be making or how you might be able to get ahead of your competitors. At the very least, you can keep up with them and preserve your position in the market.
You may find that your competitors are using plotter printers. If so, it makes sense to get one of your own. If you can match your rivals in the hardware stakes, you’ll find it easier to match or exceed them in other areas, too. In addition, you’ll be able to answer the changing needs of your customers. For instance, the market may now include an increased demand for large-scale, detailed prints for brands that require high-quality trade show displays.
You Need Exceptionally Precise Prints
Blueprints, engineering documents, schematics – these sorts of documents demand an exceptional level of precision. If any measurements or pieces of the overall plan are off by even a few millimeters, that could have a serious negative impact on the document’s usefulness.
Unfortunately for those who work with these highly precise papers, most standard printers aren’t accurate enough to recreate them with a minimal margin of error. You need plotter printers instead, using advanced mechanisms and plotter pens to get the most detailed and accurate output every time.
Find Your Perfect Plotter Printer
So, if your business is one of the many that may benefit from a plotter printer, don’t delay. Turn to the pros, like the team at Docutrend, to learn more and get expert recommendations about which printer meets your needs.
We’ve helped lots of businesses around New York, Totowa, Cherry Hill, Edison, and Ft. Washington discover the perfect office hardware, and we’d love to do the same for you. Contact us today to get the ball rolling.