In the previous sections we have been describing everything you should know about plotters, their types, characteristics, operation, etc. And in the previous article in this series we dedicated it to the best printing plotters. Now it's the turn of best cutting plotters, so you can learn how to choose the most suitable according to your needs and we will recommend some models and brands with which you will be sure to hit the right one for your business.
The best cutting plotters
If you are hesitating in the purchase or you do not have technical knowledge to choose a good model of cutting plotter, here you have some of the best recommendations with which you will hit for sure:
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How to choose a cutting plotter
FOR choosing a good cutting plotter for your company or for use as a hobby, you should consider the following features:
- Mark: Unlike printing plotters, these others are not always well-known brands in the world of conventional printers. Some examples of good plotter brands are VEVOR, Roland, Silhouette, Graphtec, CO-Z, PixMax, etc.
- plotter price: another factor to take into account, since it must be adjusted to your budget. Determining a price range that you can afford will also serve as a filter to help you choose specific models. These teams can cost from a few hundred euros for the cheapest, up to thousands of euros in the case of the most professional.
- Paper size and maximum width: depending on the jobs you need to print, you should buy a more or less large plotter. If it is a little larger than the format you usually use, you can avoid that, if you occasionally need to do a larger job, you cannot.
- Print cutting speed: Measures the linear cutting speed per unit of time. The faster you are, the more productive you will be.
- Max blade pressure: in case of being a combo, capable of printing and also cutting, it is important to know what is the pressure that the blade can exert on the material to be cut. The higher it is, the easier it will cut thicker or harder materials.
- Cutting width: The maximum width of the plotter or the paper that it accepts is not the same as the width of the cut. Generally, the width of cut is less than the maximum width, so it will not cut the full width.
- Connectivity or port type: they exist from USB to FireWire, and even with network connectivity via RJ-45 cable or wireless (WiFi). If you are going to use a plotter away from the PC with which you design, it is better to choose the network option, being able to send whatever you want to the print queue without having to move.
- Internal RAM memory: it is the memory that the plotter has in which the design or format to be printed/cut is saved. The larger it is, the more jobs you can have stored for the print queue, or the larger those jobs can be.
- Roll alignment system: Some include a roller to install rolls of continuous paper of several meters, something that comes in handy when printing large quantities or printing for surface coatings such as decoration.
- Integrated printing: some plotters can print as well as cut.
- integrated scanner: They can sometimes come with a built-in scanner so you can get ready-made models, although this feature is not very common.
- printing stand: they are structures in the form of legs to raise the plotter and not place it on a table. This makes the paper fall to the floor more, so you can eject the paper through your output tray without it hitting the floor as quickly.
- Compatibility: not only the accepted formats, it is also about ports, drivers or controllers and supported operating system.
Learn more
- CNC machines: guide to numerical control
- How a CNC machine works and applications
- Prototyping and CNC design
- All types of CNC machines according to use and characteristics
- CNC lathe types and characteristics
- Types of CNC milling machines
- Types of CNC router and CNC cutting
- Types of laser engraving
- Other CNC machines: drilling, Pick & Place, welding and more
- How can a CNC machine help in the company
- Buying Guide: How To Choose The Best CNC Machine
- Maintenance of CNC machines
- The best CNC machines for leisure and professional use
- Definitive guide on plotters: what is a plotter and what is it for
- The best printing plotters
- The best consumables for potters: cartridges, paper, vinyl, and spare parts