Difference Between Plotter and Printer

Plotter vs Printer

Summary: Difference Between Plotter and Printer is that Plotters are sophisticated printers which are used to produce high-drawings which include blueprints, circuit diagrams or maps. While Printer is an output device that produces graphics and text on a physical medium such as paper.

Plotters

They are sophisticated printers which are used to produce high-drawings which include blueprints, circuit diagrams or maps. These types of printers are used in specialized fields such as drafting and engineering but drawings made by plotters are very costly. When you use ink-jet printer technology on a much larger scale, but large-format printer always creates photo-realistic-quality color prints. These high-performance and high-cost printers are mostly used by graphic artists for posters, signs and other professional quality displays. In plotters there are more than one automated pens that can create designs such as diagrams or blueprints etc. Printer can only print a single line at a time but plotters can easily draw continuous lines from point-to-point at same time. They are usually used for CAE and are much more expensive than printers.

Printer

Printer is an output device that produces graphics and text on a physical medium such as paper. Different types and styles of printers exist with different speeds, capabilities and printing methods.

Nowadays most computer user’s print by connecting computer to a printer with a cable and a variety of printing options are available now to the users. Today, wireless printing technology makes the task of printing from smart phone, notebook computer or digital camera even easier. Bluetooth and infrared are two wireless technologies used for printing. Computer or other device transmits output to a printer using through radio waves in Bluetooth printing.  And a printer communicates with computer or other device using infrared light waves in Infrared printing.

Nowadays people instead of downloading photos from a digital camera to a computer, they print these digital photos by using variety of techniques. Some cameras are having ability to connect directly to a printer via cable and other cameras store photos on memory card which can be removed from the camera and inserted in the printer. Some printers have a docking station too, into which user inserts the camera to print photos stored in camera. Many business users and home users print to a central printer on network and their computer may communicate with the network printer through cables or wirelessly.