A vinyl cutter plotter, often referred to only as a plotter, is a piece of computer gear often used for signmaking. A vinyl letter machine may be big or small and can be used to cut out vinyl sign lettering and other images, to make a range of things from billboards to bumper stickers. The vinyl used is like a sticker material, with a vinyl facing and adhesive backing attached to a paper lining. Specific kinds are more lasting and made to resist outdoor use. Heat-transferable vinyl, often for use in making T-shirts, is also widely available and can be used with plotters.
While lettering was frequently stenciled, hand-painted, or hand-cut from vinyl before, a vinyl cutter plotter does the job much more accurately and affordably. The machine does’t require the touch of an artist to make simple signs or wall lettering, only some basic instructions. An actual artist or designer will clearly be more versed in color theory, space utilization, and other design variables, but having the ability to cut lettering with a vinyl cutter plotter makes many lettering jobs simpler and more enticing than any other options.
Some of the more streamlined variants of the vinyl cutter plotter can be connected to a computer device. These variations are affordable and useful for schools, clubs, small businesses, churches, and even for use at home. Signs, displays, posters, and wall lettering can be created by typing in verbiage or using images. Instead of paying big bucks to decorate or advertise your venture, lettering and images can be made in house, avoiding the dreaded stencil and spray paint signs that often appear amateurish.
As to be expected, there are also commercial available vinyl cutter plotters too. A few of these machines are quite big and can cut lettering big enough to letter whole walls of big buildings or be applied to enormous billboards. Commercial plotters often cut immediately, and of course accurately, and allow for simple adjustments that enhance spacing. Various typefaces, or letter designs, may not space certain letters correctly, and this can be fixed with a technique called kerning.
The vinyl cutter plotter continues to be in use in many stores but many are being replaced by broad-format ink-jet printers. Picture an immense printer effective at printing, or even mass producing, a banner large enough to cover a billboard. These printers are also capable to create more in depth artwork and images in addition to copying photos, which a plotter cannot do.