Printer

[krisinjersey]

We are shopping for a new blueprint printer. Our old one isn't large enough to accomodate anything wider than 36". Just curious what you guys are using and any advice, as this is going to be a bigger purchase.

 

[billsnuff]

I'm using a designjet 500, goes to 40 - 42", probably not any help.

 

[gadfly56]

We are shopping for a new blueprint printer. Our old one isn't large enough to accomodate anything wider than 36". Just curious what you guys are using and any advice, as this is going to be a bigger purchase.

Do you mean an honest-to-God blue line machine, with UV sensitive paper and an ammonia developer section? Or do you mean a plotter?

 

[gardiner]

I'm using a Xerox 8142 color plotter and I advise anyone in the market for a good reliable plotter to stay right away from this piece of cr**. The only way to avoid the needed sevice calls on it is to shut it down otherwise consider one call per twenty plots.
P.S. the Black and White plotter Xerox sold us as a backup is not much better one call fro repair a week is the minimum.

 

[krisinjersey]

Is that pipe run really that long? What's the print say?

Is that pipe run really that long? What's the print say?

We have an older design jet. I wouldn't be opposed to another HP. And yes I want a printer or plotter, not an old blueline machine. I had the "awesome" experience with running that throughout my drafting class in high school. It needs to fit 42" paper because it will automatically rescale my drawings which, I'm sure you realize, can be a little problematic.

 

[billsnuff]

I have had good luck with the hp designjet 500. Here is a link to a replacement. Price isn't bad at under $3M.

http://www.superwarehouse.com/HP_DesignJet_500_(42)_Plotter/C7770B/p/119671

 

[jumper]

Price isn't bad at under $3M.

http://www.superwarehouse.com/HP_DesignJet_500_(42)_Plotter/C7770B/p/119671

Tell me that is a typo.:grin:

 

[billsnuff]

roman numeral

roman numeral

M = 1,000

oh what the hey, even at three mil they are a steal

 

[gadfly56]

I have had good luck with the hp designjet 500. Here is a link to a replacement. Price isn't bad at under $3M.

http://www.superwarehouse.com/HP_DesignJet_500_(42)_Plotter/C7770B/p/119671

I can second the motion. I've been with my current employer almost four years, and I think we've had maybe 3 service calls on our DesignJet 500, which was no spring chicken when I got here. If you print in portrait, you can get an Architectural E size drawing (36" x 48") with no problem. You can put a 42" roll on it if you need to. It's definitely not a speed demon though. An E-size drawing will take ?7m30sec to plot.

 

[Jljohnson]

We use a KIP model # 3000 that is leased from a business machine supplier for a monthly fee. Fee includes all toner, service calls, and PM. We supply paper rolls only. Machine works great and prints very quickly.

Some added features of this machine, compared to our old designjet, are the ability to make copies and scan prints (such as as-builts) into a PDF file for our records and the owner's.

 

[dbuckley]

Designjets are not the cheapest things to run but for non-specialist needs they are excellent tools.

For those who use project management software, you'll probably also find you like printing Gantt charts out on them; once you've done an A1 and stuck it on the wall, printing Gantts in A3 is just a drag, and the print is too small...

If you just need the odd big plan drawn, ask around your local copy shops, they may have a designjet or an architectural plan printer, and the latter is very cheap to have prints done on, a few bucks for A0; just turn up with a PDF of the right dimensions on a USB memory stick. The machines are hellishly expensive, which is why the designjet rules in this space, and has for over a decade.

 

[cadpoint]

There are several things to consider here, like what is the Rev. of your CAD software, what plotter/printers do they support now!

The difference from 42" to 48" plotting is quite an expense, I'll guess an additional 2K+ for the cost of a plotter.

If your dealing with Plats/ or a lot of Civil or Surveyors work than go and don't look back, other wise as suggested find a local shop that can handle your printing requirement!

I'll even go out on a limb and state that 9/10th of all work is with 42" of height for plotting.

Just be sure to 110.3 and read up on the dead zone for the plotter wheels... it will matter!

 

[masterinbama]

I use a local printer. At $2.50 per sheet for D size drawings I can't justify a plotter.