The
Calgary market continues to see a movement in the large-format
printing space (11"x17" or greater) from out-sourcing to more
affordable in-house digital plotting. One driving force behind
this movement is enhanced accessibility to oil field data and
GIS information such as seismic well logs and aerial photography.
Work in the "digital world" has also increased the requirement
for large-format printing and plot, largely due to the ease with
which information is transferred. Instead of sending plots via
courier, e-mail is now the preferred method, allowing colleagues
to plot only those maps, drawings or data that are required --
in house.
HP Plotter
Hewlett Packard has recognized the need for cost effective equipment and brought to market a full suite of large-format designjet printers. To meet the entry level or 1-3 person workgroup color requirements, the HP Designjet 500 series provides very good speed and quality at an affordable sub $3,000.00 CAN price.
The HP Designjet 800 series continues to provide an excellent
solution for Seismic data plotting. With device memory up to 160
MB and 2400 x 1200 dpi, this HP plotter provides superior detail
that complex seismic well logs require.
The largest share of the market belongs to the HP Designjet 1000 series. With the ability to hold a 36"x300" roll of paper and 350ml ink system, the 1000 series provides near "unattended" plotting, significantly reducing the inconvenience and cost of running out of ink or paper mid-way through a job.
The HP Designjet 5500 series is still the best solution
for a graphics environment but with 42" or 60" plot capability
and output speeds close to that of the Designjet 1000 series,
this HP plotter is quickly making inroads into the GIS/CAD environment.
