Page 274 - CITS - Dress Making - TT - 2024

DRESS MAKING - CITS

Lesson 46-50 (4) : Introduction of Plotter (Print pattern)

Objectives

At the end of this lesson you shall be able to
• gain knowledge about plotters and their uses in apparel & fashion Industry
• understand different types of plotter and their printing process
• understand the importance of plotter.

Plotter is a computer output device used to produce high-quality, large-scale graphics and drawings. It works by
precisely positioning a pen or other drawing tool to create lines, curves, and shapes on paper or other media.
Plotters play a crucial role in CAD systems, enabling designers to transform digital designs into physical drawings.
It generate vector-based output for the special purpose of computerized pattern making, grading and lay-planning.
Types of plotters
There are commonly two types of plotter used in Apparel Industries:
1 Drum Plotters
2 Flatbed Plotters

1 Drum Plotters
In this plotter the pen moves in the horizontally and the drum rolls on the other axis. Generally it is a graphical
output device, used to plot drawings. The width of the plot is limited by the length of the drum. It is the first
graphical output device produced to print large scaled engineering drawings. Colored prints can be made if you
use colored ink. It is very good for line drawings but it is very slow. Here the pen is held in gantry and it moves
in x-axis and the paper moves on y-axis. These plotters are known for their accuracy and the ability to produce
detailed drawings.

2 Flatbed Plotters

This is a plotter where the paper is fixed on a flat surface and pens are moved to draw the image. This plotter can
use several different colour pens to draw with. The size of the plot is limited only by the size of the plotter’s bed.
Some Flatbed cutting plotters are relatively inexpensive, that uses a knife or laser to cut intricate, precise designs
and shapes as they are able to accurately follow a variety of pre-designed patterns.

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