Hey Gang. My office is moving to a new office and we will need to buy a new plotter (we currently share one with an engineering firm). I have scoured the internet and when I could get through the mire of ads, the discussion groups out there offered little more than what I already knew. And then Archinect was down... I am lost without it.
Anyway, we are a 7-person architecture firm and we need to be able to print 40 E-size sheets on a busy day (from AutoCAD). Also, we need to be able to print the occasion full-color presentation board with renderings, photos, etc. It seems we would want two seperate plotters, but when I contacted HP they recommended the 4000ps. Damn pricey. What about the 1055cm? Oce?
i have used the hp 1055 and the hp 5000 and both are solid machines. IMO, the 1055 is more of a workhorse and the 5000 has better quality. i never ran side by side, but i think the 5000 is a little faster, but both machines can easily produce 40 E sheets in a day. for a firm your size i would consider getting a large format xerox machine $12-15k,and outsorsing your full color work. way faster and cheaper to run,
My office runs both the 1055 and the 4000, and they each work great. I prefer the 4000, but if you're not talking about a high volume, the 1055 would do. The main difference that I notice is that the 4000 has quite a bit more speed to it.
lease don't buy - if you're in a major metro area then there are lots of service companies willing to place a plotter in your office and bill per print. makes bookkeeping eas.
Go with jh's suggestion. We are a small firm and we are upgrading to the large format xerox. The speed and the lack of noise are huge reason's why you should do this! (4) D-size in a minute! We are going to outsource any color work as well. the price tag seems huge, but if you run your bulk prints in house for let's say a year, you should be able to pay it off pretty quick. Depending on how busy you are of course.
Hope this helps!
I have to agree with treekiller on his lease don't buy opinion. I never have to worry about plotter problems as I can get a tech out 24/7, and there are no warranty issues as I don't "own" the plotter either.
As for color, how occasional do you print those renderings? Compare the lease price for a color HP vs the cost per print of color when outsourced. For a small firm my guess is you'd be better off outsourcing the "occasional" color print and letting someone else deal with the ink & quirks of those things. They are not the solid workhorses that commerical lazer printers are.
As for your 40 E sheets I agree it's always better to lease. I know of some 10 person firms running OCE equipment. They are fast and quiet. Also if you ever want to run full CD's and avoid repro costs you have the ability. Depends on the place but as I've seen the price is based on paper usage and by contract you must buy paper from the company the lease is through. Still, owning a new OCE plotter isn't cheap and maintenance can kill a small firm.
Aug 16, 06 12:00 pm ·
·
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.
New Plotter
Hey Gang. My office is moving to a new office and we will need to buy a new plotter (we currently share one with an engineering firm). I have scoured the internet and when I could get through the mire of ads, the discussion groups out there offered little more than what I already knew. And then Archinect was down... I am lost without it.
Anyway, we are a 7-person architecture firm and we need to be able to print 40 E-size sheets on a busy day (from AutoCAD). Also, we need to be able to print the occasion full-color presentation board with renderings, photos, etc. It seems we would want two seperate plotters, but when I contacted HP they recommended the 4000ps. Damn pricey. What about the 1055cm? Oce?
Anyone have a set up they can recommend? Thanks.
i have used the hp 1055 and the hp 5000 and both are solid machines. IMO, the 1055 is more of a workhorse and the 5000 has better quality. i never ran side by side, but i think the 5000 is a little faster, but both machines can easily produce 40 E sheets in a day. for a firm your size i would consider getting a large format xerox machine $12-15k,and outsorsing your full color work. way faster and cheaper to run,
My office runs both the 1055 and the 4000, and they each work great. I prefer the 4000, but if you're not talking about a high volume, the 1055 would do. The main difference that I notice is that the 4000 has quite a bit more speed to it.
lease don't buy - if you're in a major metro area then there are lots of service companies willing to place a plotter in your office and bill per print. makes bookkeeping eas.
We have an HP Deskjet 430 plotter that you can have for a 12 pack of PBR...
Go with jh's suggestion. We are a small firm and we are upgrading to the large format xerox. The speed and the lack of noise are huge reason's why you should do this! (4) D-size in a minute! We are going to outsource any color work as well. the price tag seems huge, but if you run your bulk prints in house for let's say a year, you should be able to pay it off pretty quick. Depending on how busy you are of course.
Hope this helps!
I have to agree with treekiller on his lease don't buy opinion. I never have to worry about plotter problems as I can get a tech out 24/7, and there are no warranty issues as I don't "own" the plotter either.
As for color, how occasional do you print those renderings? Compare the lease price for a color HP vs the cost per print of color when outsourced. For a small firm my guess is you'd be better off outsourcing the "occasional" color print and letting someone else deal with the ink & quirks of those things. They are not the solid workhorses that commerical lazer printers are.
As for your 40 E sheets I agree it's always better to lease. I know of some 10 person firms running OCE equipment. They are fast and quiet. Also if you ever want to run full CD's and avoid repro costs you have the ability. Depends on the place but as I've seen the price is based on paper usage and by contract you must buy paper from the company the lease is through. Still, owning a new OCE plotter isn't cheap and maintenance can kill a small firm.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.