Plotter
- Thread starter sparky76
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bradleyelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- forest hill, md
HP Designjet 750C It's older but is sitting right in the corner and the black cartridge is on the shelf at staples. The colors are still available. Cuts down having to email prints to a print shop and the need to go get them, or waiting for them to be sent. I just send them across the room and I have prints and have a data copy. I like being able to ask if whomever I'm speaking to has an FTP site I can download plans or if they can email them. Sometimes they mail a disk. I don't like missing the face to face that I got when I would pick up plans from my main contractors.
asti1
Member
- Location
- Easton, PA
I use Printing Svc. I also think that GCs should provide EC with plans. It's funny how they do stuff - we will send u prints via email, u run print them and then do not put it in your overhead. Plotter costs too much money and to print it takes time. Printing comp. is much faster and less problems. But it's only my 3 cents
HP Designjet 1050C 36"
You can pick a used one up for under 5K.
I have had this one for about 5 years and it is a work horse, and has had little to no problems.
Recently I found a HP DeisgnJet T1100 44" for 4.5k but have decided to just get a second 1050C because the 44" paper is a lot more and I go through a ton of paper.
You can pick a used one up for under 5K.
I have had this one for about 5 years and it is a work horse, and has had little to no problems.
Recently I found a HP DeisgnJet T1100 44" for 4.5k but have decided to just get a second 1050C because the 44" paper is a lot more and I go through a ton of paper.
DanZ
Senior Member
Currently:
Owned Canon iPF700
Owned Canon iPF600
Previously:
Owned HP DesignJet 400
Owned HP DesignJet 600c
Owned HP DeisgnJet 700
Owned (OLD) Xerox large format copier
The Canon's are a little quirky, and very expensive, but worth it on the Engineering end. They use 6 ink cartridges, 1 each CMY, 1 Black, 2 Matte Black (both have to be full?!?).
I've gotten in the habit of emailing a full set of plans to the subs, and asking what pages they wanted plotted full size (from a repro shop). I would love to give every sub a full set, but my boss thinks it's too expensive.
Owned Canon iPF700
Owned Canon iPF600
Previously:
Owned HP DesignJet 400
Owned HP DesignJet 600c
Owned HP DeisgnJet 700
Owned (OLD) Xerox large format copier
The Canon's are a little quirky, and very expensive, but worth it on the Engineering end. They use 6 ink cartridges, 1 each CMY, 1 Black, 2 Matte Black (both have to be full?!?).
I've gotten in the habit of emailing a full set of plans to the subs, and asking what pages they wanted plotted full size (from a repro shop). I would love to give every sub a full set, but my boss thinks it's too expensive.
bradleyelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- forest hill, md
My designjet 750c is 36". You can get them 24" but that's a waste. You'd have to get a set printed elsewhere occasionally. You can get a 750c used for around $1200. but it's not the workhorse of Ito's 1050c. It's slow and likes to be held, but I like it better than getting them from a repro.
dezwitinc
Senior Member
- Location
- Delray Beach, FL
I have been doing quite a bit of research lately on these and have come to the conclusion that unless you can pick up a used one at a very reasonable price, it is probably best to let the local repro shop do the work.
I pay $1.25 for a 36x24 and would have to print an awful lot of pages to start investing 4 or 5k in a plotter not to mention supplies.
It is not quite like a copy machine.
I have run into a couple of great deals on Craig's List but they go quick.
DanZ
Senior Member
I whole heartedly agree! They are incredibly expensive, and usually not worth the investment, unless you're part of an Architectural / Engineering firm, or need to plot a whole lot of full size sets quickly. Even though we have a plotter, we still send out for more than two full sets of drawings. Sometimes even one.
Unless you're scaling drawings, you can usually get away with 11x17 if nothing else.
asti1
Member
- Location
- Easton, PA
I agree with dezwitinc
PCN
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
We lease an OCE TDS 700. Way better than our previous KIP.
I bet you don't run many estimates do you?
Yeah a buck and quarter is the bare cost, but the trips to the repro shop, labor, gas... ect. Sure you could just email them the file have it printed then delivered to you, but then delivery comes into play and wait time...and reprinting the correct page.
Wait time... I don't even know how to put a price on that.
Sure you may not need a plotter and a plotter is not for everyone but I cant even begin to count the times I have done quicky take offs, gotten plans for the field at the drop of a hat, printed extra pages for other crews, printed half size plans for meetings, done prelim layouts for clients, and asbuilts on a deadline.
Again its not for everyone, but I love mine.
bradleyelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- forest hill, md
Fulthrotl
~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
- Occupation
- E
yeah, it's 10 o'clock at night, and you need it at 6 am.
not being an autocad wizard, it's always a pain to get
something to plot on someone else's system, for me at
least.
one of the things i would like is a wide carriage printer
that is roll fed, and can do photo grade work as well
as blueprints.... all i need to do is find a couple customers
to pay for it.....
i'd already have one, except for wanting something with a little more zing in the output...
hm... prices are falling.... a Epson Stylus Pro 9900
Standard Model (44" roll feed) can be had for $6,000,
and that'll do giclee prints..... brand new list price. hm.
maybe santa's little helper can pimp me one of these...:smile:
The HP DesignJet 1050C is roll fed and does color prints, about as well as any inkjet pritner, and you can get high quality paper too. The funny thing is I though for sure I would do some big color prints but the only ones I actually do are google earth maps.
zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
Last I looked, 36" plotting around here was more like $1.50/sq ft, so a D-size would run more like $9 each for b/w. This argues for a used designjet or similar, esp if you need more than a couple a month or need color. The only catch is the water-based inks.
BTW, I pretty much always plot autocad to a PDF, and then dump that to the printer/plotter. I can then send the dwg around- anyone can print it and no one can (easily) mess with it.
(remembering the days of flat-bed plotters with single pens....)
BTW, I pretty much always plot autocad to a PDF, and then dump that to the printer/plotter. I can then send the dwg around- anyone can print it and no one can (easily) mess with it.
(remembering the days of flat-bed plotters with single pens....)
Len
Senior Member
- Location
- Bucks County
plotter
plotter
Just bought a HP T610
Saves me 1-3 days on waiting.
cost with tax 4100.00
If you are local to me I can reccomend where I bought it.
plotter
Just bought a HP T610
Saves me 1-3 days on waiting.
cost with tax 4100.00
If you are local to me I can reccomend where I bought it.
sparky 134
Senior Member
- Location
- Joliet, IL
I have an HP DesignJet 600 that I picked up from the curb on trash day in front of an architect's office about 4 years ago. I took it home, cleaned it up and it started right up.
Bought some new ink, paper and I'm still using it. It's only 24" but it's good enough for me for now.
Bought some new ink, paper and I'm still using it. It's only 24" but it's good enough for me for now.
Rampage_Rick
Senior Member
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada
Currently running an HP DesignJet 500. Even the Mom 'n Pop shop stocks cartridges for it.
Previously used an Encad Novajet Pro. Rather than scrapping it I ordered pigment-based inks for it. It's a really neat machine in that it has a 0.5L reservoir for each ink color, rather than using cartridges. (You can get a bulk-ink system for many plotters, but this one came that way) You can't believe the difference between dye and pigment, especially for yellow. Can be used for printing signs that won't fade in the sun. This thing can handle the thicker media too, like canvas and backlit-sign film.
Previously used an Encad Novajet Pro. Rather than scrapping it I ordered pigment-based inks for it. It's a really neat machine in that it has a 0.5L reservoir for each ink color, rather than using cartridges. (You can get a bulk-ink system for many plotters, but this one came that way) You can't believe the difference between dye and pigment, especially for yellow. Can be used for printing signs that won't fade in the sun. This thing can handle the thicker media too, like canvas and backlit-sign film.
Hope it doesn't rain... And yes, I still have a Roland D-size 8-pen flatdeck in storage.
Last edited:
Ragin Cajun
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate S.C.
D sized plots are $1.10 over 10 sheets.
The repo sjp[ is near several clients so the trip is a wash.
They do good work and can do them by the time I get there if I am in a huge hurry. I typically e-mail the drawings the night before.
I plot to PDF in AUTOCAD so I know exactly how it will look.
Have never needed color plots.
Used to have a HP plotter, but this is so much cheaper, quicker, and less fuss.
IMHO
RC
The repo sjp[ is near several clients so the trip is a wash.
They do good work and can do them by the time I get there if I am in a huge hurry. I typically e-mail the drawings the night before.
I plot to PDF in AUTOCAD so I know exactly how it will look.
Have never needed color plots.
Used to have a HP plotter, but this is so much cheaper, quicker, and less fuss.
IMHO
RC
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