# Vinyl Cutter or Plotter? is there a difference between the two



## shawnar80

Is there a difference between a vinyl cutter and vinyl plotter? If so, what are the differences?


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## R1Lover

*Re: Vinyl Cutter or Plotter?*

same thing, just different description.


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## kenimes

*Re: Vinyl Cutter or Plotter?*

Same thing, a vinyl cutter/ plotter does both. You load the blade attachment to cut vinyl or other materials, or you would load the pen attachement to plot on paper.


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## COEDS

A vinyl cutter and a plotter are the same machine, but are used different. The term plotter is when pens are installed and draw on paper like maps. The term cutter is when a blade is used to draw/cut vinyl material for signs or shirts etc. ..... JB


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## spankthafunk

so the same machine is interchangeable? Would you print posters with vinyl or just let the pen draw it?


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## kenimes

spankthafunk said:


> so the same machine is interchangeable? Would you print posters with vinyl or just let the pen draw it?


 
Plotting is not printing. Plotting is one color- like a Bic pen- whichever color pen you want, one at a time. You can do fill plotting, but it is very time consuming.

Printing uses ink catridges.


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## thiswayinc.

so if a cutter and


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## thiswayinc.

oops that was weard but if a cutter and a plotter are the same machine then couldnt you plot out a job with the pen attatchment to see what it would look like before you just start cutting up some vinyl i mean to get to know your machine and settings before you get too deep in the hole burning up materials


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## ambitious

Yes you can do that. That's what i use to do when i first started out, I'll plot it on a regular piece of paper to see how it look's, and if i like it i'll go ahead and load the vinyl for my work.


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## kenimes

Yep- alot of people plot out their job first to make sure it is good before loading vinyl to cut it out. You can also plot house plans, CAD designs, fill plot multi-colored graphics, and I have even seen some people make their own coloring books for kids....


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## Wrightdesign

so if you can plot your own coloring books, then you could plot a designs for embroidery , scan it in , then digitized the designs..


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## kenimes

Wrightdesign said:


> so if you can plot your own coloring books, then you could plot a designs for embroidery , scan it in , then digitized the designs..


 
Sounds like a lot of work, but yes, I believe that can be done as well.


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## xingywl

The same thing.


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