Traditionally, plotter printers are more likely to show up in architectural offices and engineering firms, but they have their place in other businesses as well. Useful for creating detailed, colorful, and eye-catching prints, plotter printers may be used to produce posters, advertisements, graphs, drawings, charts, maps, presentations, and more. If you choose to add a plotter printer to your collection of office tools, however, learn how to maximize its benefits through the following best practices. Here are the dos and don’ts of using a plotter printer.
Do Understand Its Capabilities
Plotter printers were created to produce highly intricate prints. Architects and engineers use them because they reproduce their designs with terrific precision. Familiarize yourself with the user’s manual to fully grasp what it can do, and if the manufacturer or retailer offers you any resources or opportunities to use the device to its utmost, take advantage of them. Knowing the ins and outs of your plotter printer ensures better performance and clearer and more effective prints!
Don’t Overlook Regular Maintenance
Plotter printers are complex devices that need periodic maintenance and upkeep to keep running smoothly. Have a technician come in at least twice a year to inspect and clean it, ensure worn-out parts are replaced, and update the software to prevent downtime, costly repairs, and other issues.
Do Use Quality Materials
Make no mistake, a plotter printer isn’t the same as your average general-purpose office printer. Use only high-quality materials and substrate for your printing media. Off-brand and cheaper-grade paper, film, inkjets, and other materials ensure poor-quality prints. They may even damage the printer over time, reducing its working life and even damaging it to the point of replacement. Ask the retailer or manufacturer which materials are best for your machine to keep it running efficiently.
Don’t Ignore Software Updates
Every now and then, the manufacturer may send out a software update, patch, or similar upgrade to improve performance, eliminate buggy behavior, or handle viruses and the like. Stay on top of these updates. Ignoring them can lead to compatibility issues and reduced functionality. As mentioned, a technician can keep your printer’s software up to date during periodic maintenance, but keep your eyes open for alerts in between sessions.
Do Calibrate It
For accuracy, regularly calibrate your plotter printer to keep the colors and lines in prints true to the designs. Inaccurate prints look bad and require extensive and expensive reprints, which wastes time, money, and materials. If you don’t know how to calibrate your printer, call in a technician.
Don’t Overload It
Plotter printers can do a lot and do it well, but as with any device, you shouldn’t push them past their limits. Don’t try to print an excessive number of large files at one time. Allow cool-off periods between big jobs to prevent your plotter printer from overheating. And address jams and errors by pacing yourself and the machine.
Those are just a few of the dos and don’ts of using a plotter printer. Overall, whether you use it to produce fliers, posters, wall murals, or signage, be good to your plotter printer, and it’ll be good to you!