Is A Vinyl Plotter Right For You?

Written By Eisla Sebastian

A vinyl plotter, also sometimes referred to as a sign cutter, is a device that is used to print and/or cut out vinyl pieces for indoor/outdoor signs, banners and posters. These machines print on large rolls of vinyl films that have an adhesive backing. The rolling of the vinyl film helps to prevent the vinyl from developing crease marks and stress marks, allows for printing signs as long as desired.

If your company uses a lot of signs or banners for promotional purposes, or if you are in the business of manufacturing signs and posters for other companies, then a vinyl plotter can be a great investment.

Pros and cons of a vinyl plotter
There are several different pros and cons associated with using vinyl plotters. The biggest advantage of using a vinyl plotter is that its ability for completing precision cuts in vinyl is unsurpassed. Wide-format inkjet printers, which are common alternatives to vinyl plotters, simply aren't capable of replicating the cutting capabilities of the vinyl plotter. Another advantage of using a vinyl plotter is that you can buy a machine that can handle both the cutting and printing of sign pieces.

On the other hand, wide-format inkjet printers do offer some advantages over the vinyl plotter. First of all wide-format inkjet printers are better at creating photo-realistic graphics on vinyl because they can fade and blend colors, as well as offer users a larger selection of colors for each project. Next wide-format inkjet printers tend to be slightly less expensive than vinyl plotters. Finally, vinyl plotters are not as widely available as the wide-format inkjet printers are.

Digital vinyl plotter
Digital vinyl plotters provide you with the opportunity to create precision designs on vinyl. You can use the digital controls to adjust the line thickness, brightness, cutting depth and size of the piece. Digital vinyl plotters can be used to create a number of products such as signs, packaging prototypes, labels, banners and promotional posters.

Ultimately, the best way to determine what type of printer is best for your sign production needs is to talk to several qualified wide-format printer dealers. BuyerZone can help: try our free printer price quote request service to be connected to the best suppliers in your area.