Comparison HP DesignJet T1530 (L2Y23A) vs Epson SureColor SC-T5200D

The highest image resolution the plotter is capable of printing on paper. It is indicated by the number of dots per inch horizontally and vertically — for example, 1440x720.

The higher the resolution, the smoother the printed image will be as a result, the less noticeable individual dots will be on it (to the point that they cannot be seen at all with the naked eye). On the other hand, the ability to print in such resolutions affects the price of the plotter accordingly. In addition, do not forget that high-quality printing requires appropriate source materials — the quality of the print cannot be higher than the quality of the original image.

Note that in this case we are talking about the maximum resolution; usually in the settings it is possible to set more modest parameters.

Approximate time taken by the plotter to print one sheet.

This indicates for the paper size that the machine was originally designed for (see "Paper Size"). And it is approximate because it is usually given for optimal or almost optimal printing conditions: low quality and resolution, relatively simple images, etc. So the actual print time of the sheet may differ from the claimed one in one direction or another, depending on the operating parameters — starting from the mentioned quality and resolution to the type of media. However, according to the figures indicated in the specs, it is quite possible to evaluate different models and compare them with each other: the difference in the claimed time, usually, will proportionally correspond to the difference in the actual printing speed.

It is also worth noting that this time is usually indicated by the duration of the printing process itself — from the capture of the sheet by the feeder to the output of the completed print from the device. Interruptions inevitably occur between printing individual sheets, so that the total printing time is longer than the printing time of a sheet multiplied by the number of sheets. For example, a device with a time consumption of 36 sec per sheet theoretically should print about 100 sheets per hour (1 h = 3600 s, 3600/36 = 100), but in fact such a plotter usually produces about 70 – 75 sheets in this time.

The smallest drop volume of ink that can be produced by the printhead of an inkjet or similar plotter (see "Product Type").

This parameter is directly related to the print resolution (see “Maximum resolution”): the more dots per inch, the smaller the separate dots and, accordingly, the drops should be. At the same time, models with the same dpi number may differ slightly in this parameter. In such cases, it should be assumed that a smaller droplet volume potentially provides better print quality, with more accurate reproduction of fine lines and borders between individual areas of the image, however, such features accordingly affect the price of the device.

The largest roll diameter that can be installed in a plotter with roll printing (see above). This parameter is useful primarily for the selection of media: the material of the same width can be produced in rolls of different diameters.

The number of individual cartridges the plotter needs to operate.

Each cartridge is responsible for its base colour used in printing. Monochrome plotters (see "Output Type"), by definition, use only one cartridge, for black colour and for such devices this parameter is usually not specified at all. But in colour printing, where all available shades are obtained by mixing basic colours, the number of such colours (and, accordingly, cartridges) can be different.

The most modest of modern colour plotters are designed to work with 4 or 5 cartridges. The first option corresponds to the CMYK colour scheme with 4 basic colours — this is the minimum required for full colour printing. In turn, 5 cartridges usually mean a CMYK colour scheme, supplemented by a separate supply of black ink for monochrome images — this allows you not to waste consumables for such images that may be needed for colour prints, and also to print monochrome even with empty colour cartridges, and vice versa.

In general, these sets of basic colours are inexpensive, while they are able to provide fairly good quality prints; so plotters for 4 – 5 cartridges are very popular nowadays. However, the use of additional basic colours can significantly increase the quality of the image, primarily the reliability of colour reproduction. Thereby, advanced plotters can provide a larger number of cartridges — 6 – 10, and s...ometimes more. Such devices are quite expensive and difficult to maintain, but they are indispensable for printing materials with high requirements of colour quality.

Models of cartridges used in the plotter. With this info, you can easily find original consumables for the device.

The amount of built-in memory provided in the design of the plotter.

Such memory is used to store various service data: print tasks, settings profiles, etc. Due to this, the plotter becomes more "independent": for example, many models allow you to continue printing even when the master PC is turned off.

We emphasize that in this case we are talking about solid-state flash memory, which is used mainly for "operational" service information. The capacity of such memory is relatively low, it is measured in megabytes; but in addition to it, the design may include a larger storage capacity — usually a traditional hard drive. For more information about it, see "Drive Capacity".

The type of display provided in the design of the plotter.

The presence of the display significantly expands the control capabilities, makes it more convenient and with visual appearance. Such a screen can display at least various information about the operation state of the device; and in many cases it is also used for specific functions — direct control of plotter settings, selection of materials for printing from a USB-drive or card reader (see "Data transfer"), etc. Thereby, models that do not have display at all, are extremely rare nowadays; usually they are units with the most basic functionality, as like "only printing and nothing more." In other cases, the types of displays can be as follows:

— Monochrome. Single colour (usually black and white) display. Such displays usually also have a rather modest resolution, so their capabilities are severely limited compared to colour ones. However, this option is somewhat cheaper, but in this case this is its only advantage. Therefore, devices with monochrome display are not very popular nowadays.

— Colour. A display capable of rendering different colours. The specific quality of colour displays can vary from the simplest panels with a couple of hundred (or even tens) shades, to high-end solutions that are not inferior to PC monitors. However, anyway, the colour display has more extensive possibilities than monochrome. So, among other things, it can be used t...o preview images before printing, and they will look quite authentic. Such equipment costs more than monochrome panels, but this difference is usually not fundamental compared to the cost of plotters in general. So most of these devices nowadays are equipped with colour display. Such a display also often made with a touch screen(see below), although there are also traditional, non-touch colour displays.

— Touch screen. A touch screen similar to those used in modern tablets, which allows you to manage the device by touching the image on the display. Such control is often much more comfortable and functional than using a panel with traditional buttons, knobs, etc.: a variety of controls (buttons, sliders, counters, interactive menus, etc.) can be displayed on the touch screen, and for each situation, you can use your own, the most optimal set of such elements. In addition, it is convenient to view graphic information on such displays (drawings for printing, data from a scanner, etc.) — the screens themselves are usually coloured and have a fairly high resolution, and sensors make it easy to change the scale and move the image in the right direction. The presence of the touch screen affects the cost of the display, but in this case this moment is not fundamental. Such displays in modern plotters are very popular: a colour display in such a device is most likely also a touch screen.

The maximum noise level produced by the plotter during operation. The lower this indicator, the less inconvenience to others the device will create. At the same time, in modern plotters, the noise level usually does not exceed 60 dB, which is comparable to a TV set at an average volume; and many of them do not "reach" even up to 50 dB, corresponding to a quiet conversation at a distance of 2-3 m. And if we also take into account the fact that plotters are usually used in industrial premises, then we can say that in most cases this indicator does not play a significant role.