Plotter Art

Plotter Art

Pen plotters are machines from a pre-printer era that draw images on paper using pens. They were originally used for technical drawings, architectural plans, engineering designs, and other precise line work. They haven't seen much use since the 1990s, having been replaced by dot matrix printers. However, they've found a new life in the hands of artists and hobbyists.

The Pen Plotter accepts 3 types of commands: Move pen to (X,Y) coordinates, Lift Pen, Lower Pen. Most of what I create with it has been generated programmatically using code, starting from a basic of set of rules, and then tweaking the parameters to get something visually interesting.

What makes using a plotter art unique compared to a modern printer is being able to see the individual pen strokes and the imperfections that come with it. You could also swap out the pens for different colors, thicknesses, or even use unconventional tools like brushes or markers to create different effects.