Recommendations for New Plotter

[Scott]

Does anyone have recommendations for a new Plotter?
We are looking for a plotter that can use both 18" roll and 24" roll.

We would maybe like to include scanning as well as printing, but wow the price to include scanning is over triple.

Attached is the list of choices we have going.

[Mike Mueller]

If my memory serves, we switched to the lease/rent option on plotters after the 3rd or 4th breakage. Now it is a consistent cost that we can include in our overhead. We use a KIP 7170 since it can handle two rolls of whatever size up to 36". We have 18inch and 36 inch rolls loaded at the same time so we can print 24x36 as well as 36x48 and RoS sheets.

I would urge you to pay for the scanner, as we use the scanner more than the plotter these days. We generally publish straight to PDFs, which are what is submitted for most jurisdictions and clients. When we get redlines that aren't PDF markups its quite nifty to scan the redlines for the file. The scanner is also nice to be able to save the hand marked up prints that are often the result of client meetings and for scanning clients old plans or surveys.

I know I didn't answer your question, but hope it still helped :)

Mikey Mueller, PLS 9076
Sonoma County

[Scott]

Thanks Mikey.

Has anybody ever had issues with a particular plotter printing on matte film, like flaking or bleeding?

What does everyone do to "assure permanent legibility" on matte film?

[Mike Mueller]

We send it out to a print shop. Just wasn't worth struggling to get our plotter to do it right. Started doing that 12-15 years ago? (iirc), and never looked back.

Mikey Mueller, PLS 9076
Sonoma County

[Jim Frame]

I bought an Epson T3470 (plot only) in 2019 when I was no longer able to find ink for my HP-450C. The HP lineup at the time didn't seem very attractive for the small operator, so I decided to try the Epson. It's been a solid performer, though nowadays almost all my deliverables are digital, so I pretty much only use it for mylars anymore. While I can't say how long those mylars will last -- once I plot them they go to the County Recorder -- I haven't seen any problems with them.

[PLS7393]

Scott,
Why don't you just use the 24" roll and your 18" will still fit?
Multiple roll plotters will only cost extra.

I use a 36" inch roll, and very satisfied. My education even taught me how to trim paper, lol.

[Scott]

We ordered the HP Design Jet T830

[dmcdougall]

Along similar lines, has anyone been able to get 18" mylar (or 26") mylar? If so where did you order from? It always seems to be out of stock at the places I've looked.

[falcon]

We picked up an HP Design jet, T500 series if I recall correctly, and were pretty happy with it for what we paid.

However this was for an agency and we didn't plot to mylar. So I can't comment on how the HP handled that.

Where I work now we use the scanner more than the plotter, especially when we get some extra summer help.

[falcon]

If my memory serves, we switched to the lease/rent option ...

Mikey Mueller, PLS 9076
Sonoma County

We are considering doing the same with Trimble. They have a new "Placement" program to allow long term leases and you get new equipment every 3 years. Interesting concept.