Anyone have experience printing out blueprints with a wide format printer - need suggestions

[lightpants]

A few friends of mine have a construction business and they have to print new blueprints with any revision of the project. They currently outsource the job and are paying a pretty penny to have it done.

Idea!!! I buy a large format printer, and do it for them- I get to keep the cash!

So what would I need, I see large format printers going for such a wide range on ebay, and I don't think I would need all the bells and whistles of the real expensive ones.

Any suggestions on hardware, anyone have experience in doing this kind of work. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jim

 

[Viper GTS]

Given how much you seem to know about the subject, if you're truly their friends you'll advise them to continue doing it the way they are now.

Viper GTS

 

[gordy]

How large is large?
an HP 24" wide couple grand
an HP 36" a few grand
a Kip America 48" several grand

 

[Ogg]

If you generally want to print out line drawings and not raster data (imagery) then you can get a decent plotter for just over $1000 starting ast small as 24"wide up to 42"wide. Its gotta be an HP baby
Ink, quality paper, and printheads cost a fortune though

In my office we use an 60" HP5500ps..........sweet plotter

😀

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Pen plotting will be too expensive for consumables, and a quality machine will costs upwards of $10k. There IS a reason most architectural firms outsource printing, and it's not because they like having to pay someone else.

 

[new2AMD]

Ive got an HP 550 all to myself. Not the greatest in the world but Im the only one who uses it. Ive submitted for capital budget next year an HP plotting/scanning solution for $20k. Thatll be nice.

 

[gistech1978]

yeah if its just lines an older pen plotter would work fine.
we have a HP 120nr at our office.
it was a little over 2,000 IIRC.