electrostatic plotter

A plotter that uses an electrostatic method of printing. Liquid toner models use a positively charged toner that is attracted to paper which is negatively charged by passing by a line of electrodes (tiny wires or nibs). Models print in black and white or color, and some handle paper up to six feet wide. Newer electrostatic plotters are really large-format laser printers and focus light onto a charged drum using lasers or LEDs. See electrostatic.

Electrostatic Plotter

This early plotter from CalComp used a dry toner process like a laser printer. LEDs beamed light onto a charged plate and produced monochrome drawings at 400 dpi. (Image courtesy of CalComp, Inc.)

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Trey Welliver, environmental administrator for CalComp, recommends that users of electrostatic plotters contract waste disposal firms that specialize in removing flammable materials to handle their plotter waste chemicals.

Special subsystems have been developed to make electrostatic plotters more conducive to office environments.

Because the systems do not plot mechanically, they have throughput speeds similar to electrostatic plotters. The cost of this special 36-inch thermal premium-grade paper is about 20 cents per foot; 36-inch thermal film can cost up to $5 per foot.

Plotting on the straight and narrow

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