These are objects from a time when people were willing to watch machines work, not just get instant output.<p>Today, even if small DIY plotters were cheap to build, they’d mostly live in the “art / hobby” space: most users won’t wait several minutes for a page when a laser printer does it in seconds.<p>That said, it would be great if a simple, well-documented DIY standard (protocol + format) emerged that hobby plotters could implement and that common tools (Inkscape, CAD, etc.) could support out of the box.
> That said, it would be great if a simple, well-documented DIY standard (protocol + format) emerged that hobby plotters could implement and that common tools (Inkscape, CAD, etc.) could support out of the box.<p>I know just about every CAD program, inkscape and many others use the text based DXF. Might be a bit overkill in some cases so perhaps a simple plotting language such as the plot format: <a href="https://man.9front.org/6/plot" rel="nofollow">https://man.9front.org/6/plot</a>
HPGL and HPGL2 exist, and most CAD tools have ways to export to it. Not sure about inkscape, but it should be doable.<p>Hell, some plotters used to come with handbook of HPGL, even
I had one of the Panasonic models a long time ago, and I used to love typing with it.<p>I didn't have a reliable source for pen cartridges though, so I usually saved it for things that were "important" at the time.<p>Everything else was typed on an IBM Wheelwriter, which in my mind is still the pinnacle of typewriter technology.<p>Supposedly you can still order the film ribbon cartridges for them online.
I had a plotter that took these pens. I couldn't afford to buy new pens, so I sawed one in half and soldered a threaded insert in to make a cap, so I could refill it. Refilling worked, though wasn't as reliable as a new pen.
Yeah, I had one when I was going to a community college in the 80's. I think I got it because it was actually less expensive than some other standard kind of electric typewriter.<p>Man, I wish I still had it now seeing all the plotter functionality that I was not taking advantage of…
On our way to synesthetic live-typing!!<p><a href="https://youtu.be/aj6u8cEjDK4" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/aj6u8cEjDK4</a>
I have a penwriter. Haven’t used it much because I have far more capable plotters, sadly…
I wonder if any of them are still usable. I would guess that new pens are NLA and whatever pens that might be around are long dried out.
I have one. The pens work fine.
Oil-based ballpoint inks tend to last a really long time, especially if sealed.
You might be surprised, I picked up a box of new/oldstock sealed in packaging pens for the HP 7475A, they still work just fine. Also I have some of the weird little ballpoint pens that are used for the Atari 1020, they also continue to work.