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equipment:laser:plotter [2026/10/07 12:05] – Add driver installation guide for Windows, Linux, and macOS sageequipment:laser:plotter [2026/10/09 13:35] (current) – Add instructions on how to center the plotter drawings jh532
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 ===== Locating the plot ===== ===== Locating the plot =====
-The origin point is in the center of the plotter. This is marked by arrows drawn on masking tape. By default, Inkscape will locate the bottom left-hand corner of your plot at the origin (that is, the bottom left-hand corner of the things to actually plot, not the inkscape document). There is a check box 'center origin' on the Inkscape plot plugin popup. If you check this the center of your plot will be located at the center of the plotter.+The origin point is in the center of the plotter. 
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 +By default, Inkscape will locate the bottom left-hand corner of your plot at the origin (that is, the bottom left-hand corner of the things to actually plot, not the inkscape document). There is a check box 'center origin' on the Inkscape plot plugin popup. If you check this the center of your plot will be located at the center of the plotter. 
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 +To set up a plot consistently on standard paper sizes, use the template files found in the computer beside the plotter (WPC35) and subtle guide markers found on the plotter surface. 
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 +The template files are stored in "/Documents/plotter" and are named "plotter_A2_guide", "plotter_A3_guide" and "plotter_A4_guide". Create a copy of the template you want to use, paste it in your own folder, then load this file in Inkscape. 
 + 
 +The template file contains two corner paths that force the plotter to draw exactly about the origin. The corner paths match up exactly with those drawn on the plotter surface already; to avoid drawing them again to your page, **place an empty pen holder in pen slot 8 on the plotter**. If nothing is in slot 8, the plotter will fall back to slot 7, then 6, and so on, until it finds a pen holder to draw with. With an empty pen holder, the plotter won't draw any extra markings, just your design wherever you've placed it on the page. 
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 +When you are ready to plot, add your paper to the plotter surface, aligned with the corner guides drawn in black ink on the plotter surface. There are two corner guides for each page size, lower left and top right, expanding out from the center of the plotter. 
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 +{{:equipment:mainroom:plotter:lower_left_paper_markings_annotated.jpg?900|}} 
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 +{{:equipment:mainroom:plotter:top_right_paper_markings_annotated.jpg?900|}} 
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 +It's easier to see the markers looking at the plotter surface from an angle and with a light shining on them.
  
 ==== Errors ==== ==== Errors ====
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 The Inkscape plot dialogue will freeze until either the plot completes or the serial adapter is removed from the computer. The Inkscape plot dialogue will freeze until either the plot completes or the serial adapter is removed from the computer.
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 +MacOS often glitches when sending data to the plotter from Inkscape, overrunning its print buffer. If printing instructions to the serial buffer of the plotter directly, add a small pause between instructions so as not to overwhelm the plotter.
  
 ===== 3D Printed Pen Holders ===== ===== 3D Printed Pen Holders =====
  • equipment/laser/plotter
  • Last modified: 39 hours ago
  • by jh532