awesome-plotters

Plotters

A curated collection of code and resources for computer-controlled drawing machines and other visual art robots.

A curated list of code and resources for computer-controlled drawing machines and other visual art robots.

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last commit: 4 months ago
Linked from 3 awesome lists

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Awesome Plotters / Hardware / Plotters

AxiDraw Pen plotter from , very popular on #plottertwitter
Line-us A cute little kickstarted robotic drawing arm
Drawing Robot 3d-Printable AxiDraw clone w/ Arduino CNC Shield controller running grbl firmware
4xiDraw Yet another 3d-printable AxiDraw clone w/ Arduino CNC Shield controller running grbl firmware
WaterColorBot XY art robot and software to plot with watercolor paints
EggBot Pen plotter for egg-shaped and spherical objects
HP Pen Plotters Vintage desktop and floor-standing pen plotters from the creator of the HPGL standard. Model 7475A is very common and can usually be found on eBay
Roland Pen Plotters Vintage flatbed HPGL pen plotters. Search eBay for "roland dxy"
BrachioGraph A cheap and simple plotter made from sticks, servos, and a Raspberry Pi running Python. Here's from the creator
Arduino CNC Drawing Machine A fairly simple 3d-printed AxiDraw-style plotter with good video documentation
PlotterXY 49 4 months ago A coreXY plotter made from extrusion, 3d-printed parts, and an inexpensive 3d-printer control board
NextDraw The successor to the popular AxiDraw pen plotter

Awesome Plotters / Hardware / Motor Controllers

grblShield 133 about 11 years ago All the stepper motor control hardware needed to turn an into a G-code-based motion controller using the grbl firmware. ( )
TinyG 899 over 2 years ago More featureful and robust 6-axis G-code-based motion control hardware. ( )
Arduino CNC Shield Grbl-compatible stepper motor control shield for Arduino, similar to the grblShield
Raspberry Pi CNC Hat Raspberry Pi add-on board w/ stepper controllers and a microcontroller running grbl. Interfaces with the Pi's serial pins
EBB Driver Board USB-based dual stepper motor controller board, originally designed for the EggBot

Awesome Plotters / Hardware / Accessories and Adapters

WiFi232 Wifi to RS-232 serial via a DB25 plug. Control your serial plotter wirelessly
Plotter Cable Pinout Schematic for a plotter cable that will work for most HP and Roland plotters. Search eBay or Amazon for or similar to find them for sale
PlotAdapter 22 over 2 years ago "Serial-GPIB converter for HP Plotters", uses an Arduino microcontroller to convert serial HPGL to the GPIB/HP-IB expected by some older HP plotters

Awesome Plotters / Hardware / Pens

Sharpie Fine Point Plotter Adapter 3d-printed adapter to fit a standard Sharpie in an HP-GL plotter
Parametric 3d-Printable Plotter Pen Adapter Adjustable model to print adapters for various pens
Plotter Pen STL Models Accurate STL models of both short and long standard plotter pens
Pens for AxiDraw List of pens suitable for general plotter abuse
Pens for EggBot Egg- and glass-focused pen recommendations but still generally applicable information
JetPens - The Best White Ink Pens A comprehensive review of many white ink pens, with pictures of their coverage characteristics

Awesome Plotters / Software / HPGL

Chiplotle 33 about 3 years ago Python library for generating HPGL and interfacing with serial plotters
Chiplotle3 7 5 months ago Chiplotle fork updated for Python 3.x compatibility
HPGL Reference Guide HTML-based HPGL Reference
HP 7475A Interfacing and Programming Manual Scanned PDF manual that contains a full HPGL reference
djipco/hpgl 38 almost 2 years ago A Node.js library to communicate with HPGL-compatible plotters and printers
hp2xx GNU tool to convert HPGL into other vector and raster formats. Can also be used as a previewing in X11
vec 25 2 months ago Example C code for generating HPGL, with a turtle graphics interface
d3-hpgl 19 about 5 years ago An adapter for the HTML Canvas API so you can output HPGL using the popular library
HPGL Viewer 19 over 1 year ago An HPGL Viewer using JavaScript and HTML5 canvas
HPGL Sender 10 over 1 year ago A web interface for previewing HPGL and sending it to your plotter
HPGLGraphics 19 almost 7 years ago A Processing library for writing HPGL files
processing2hpgl 2 over 1 year ago A Processing library that allows for direct communication with HPGL pen plotters from within a Processing sketch

Awesome Plotters / Software / G-code

grbl 5,611 6 months ago A high-performance G-code interpreting firmware for the Atmega 328 microcontroller and Arduino
cncjs 2,288 6 days ago A web-based interface controlling CNC machines running grbl, TinyG, or other G-code-based firmware
node-gcode 34 almost 9 years ago Node.js G-code interpreter and simulator
svg2gcode 54 almost 10 years ago Node.js command line utility for converting SVG to G-code
svg2gcode 92 over 6 years ago Python utility for fast SVG to G-code conversion
jscut A web-based utility for converting SVG to G-code
Universal-G-Code-Sender 1,908 10 days ago Java-based grbl-compatible cross-platform G-code sender
ChiliPeppr Hardware Fiddle Modular web-based workspaces to visualize G-code and control hardware
gcode-generative-for-processing 28 over 4 years ago Processing library, aiming to create gcode from simple shapes. (Designed for usage with the Creality CR10)
gcodeplot 170 11 months ago Python utility to convert SVG and HPGL to G-code for a 3-axis CNC machine

Awesome Plotters / Software / Plotter Control

axidraw 435 7 months ago Official AxiDraw extensions for Inkscape
axi 276 over 4 years ago Unofficial Python library for the AxiDraw v3
xy 70 over 8 years ago Utilities for the Makeblock XY Plotter Robot Kit
LaserGRBL 1,258 about 1 month ago Laser-optimized Windows GUI for grbl controllers. Could be repurposed for DIY pen plotters that use a solenoid for pen up/down movements
Line-us Inkscape Plugin 9 over 6 years ago Sends drawings to the Line-us plotter directly from Inkscape
Line-us API Examples 115 about 1 month ago Example code for the Line-us plotter's G-code-based API
@beardicus/line-us 33 almost 2 years ago JavaScript library for controlling the Line-us machine from Node or the browser
PenPlotter 121 almost 6 years ago Polargraph controller that uses repetier firmware
Makelangelo-firmware 158 about 3 years ago Firmware for the Makelangelo polargraph robot
RoboPaint 126 almost 7 years ago Software for the WaterColorBot
AxiTurtle 15 over 6 years ago Turtle graphics for AxiDraw in Processing
GRBL-Plotter 684 about 2 months ago Plotter-optimized Windows GUI for grbl controller with SVG and DXF import, and flexible pen up/down control
saxi 472 4 months ago Driver and library for the AxiDraw. Uses constant-acceleration motion planning and automatically resizes to paper
MP2300-Tools 6 over 1 year ago Software for converting HPGL to Graphtec's GPGL format, as well as CAD files for a Graphtec plotter pen adapter
Inkcut 327 3 months ago Application for controlling 2D plotters, cutters, engravers, and CNC machines

Awesome Plotters / Software / Vector Creation

Inkscape Popular cross-platform open source vector graphics editor
p5.js "JavaScript library that makes coding accessible for artists, designers, educators, and beginners"
Paper.js "The Swiss Army Knife of Vector Graphics Scripting"
ln 3,277 over 5 years ago Vector-based 3D renderer written in Go
autotrace 531 7 months ago Converts bitmap images to vector graphics
stipplegen 430 over 2 years ago Creates interesting stippled drawings from bitmap images. ( )
SquiggleDraw 319 almost 2 years ago "SquiggleDraw will create a SVG file from an image, using the brightness to change the amplitude of sine waves"
svgurt Web-based PNG to SVG creative noodler
maptrace 123 about 3 years ago Produce watertight polygonal vector maps by tracing raster images
Drawbot_image_to_gcode_v2 165 over 6 years ago Creates G-code for use on drawbots
blackstripes 95 over 2 years ago Turns a PNG image into a SVG line drawing
Ribbon 243 almost 3 years ago Ribbon diagrams of proteins in written in Go
penplot 269 over 6 years ago A development environment for plotter art in JavaScript
penkit 143 almost 4 years ago A Python library for creating line-based SVG graphics
generativeExamples 63 almost 7 years ago Example Processing code that generates plottable PDFs
Let's make map Web-based tool to export an SVG map from Mapzen tiles
LineDream A generative art library for Python that can export SVGs
SuperformulaSVG for web A generative line art web app
scribbleplot 48 over 6 years ago Scribbly image transformations in Processing
Maker.js Library for creating 2D vector drawings for CNC and laser cutter machines
Turtletoy Browser-based JavaScript turtle graphics API with SVG export
cozyvec 72 7 months ago Web/Standalone terminal environment for plotter art and tweet plots
makio135/plotter An notebook collection full of plotter-oriented work
PlotterFun Browser-based Image to SVG converter similar to SquiggleDraw
SVG.js Dependency-free lightweight library for creating, manipulating, and animating SVG
Components AI Experimental computational design platform for exploring generative space
DrawingBotV3 359 7 days ago Cross-platform software for converting images to line drawings
linedraw 770 over 1 year ago Python tool to convert images to sketchy vector line drawings
plotter.vision Interactive website for hidden line removal of STL files to generate plottable SVG. Also supports Red/Blue 3D glasses
plotting-maps 47 12 months ago A simple web tool to create OpenStreetMap SVG maps for plotting
ThreadPlotter 130 over 4 years ago "A toolkit for the design and fabrication of delicate punch needle embroidery using X-Y plotters"
PINTR Plottable random line drawings from your images

Awesome Plotters / Software / Vector Utilities

svgsort 252 about 1 year ago Path planning for plotting SVG files, reduces time spent moving with the pen up
svgo 21,020 about 1 month ago Node.js-based tool for optimizing SVG files
Polargraph Optimizer 57 over 9 years ago Optimize drawing plan for a polargraph
penkit-optimize 143 almost 4 years ago An SVG optimizer that uses a vehicle routing solver to minimize plot time
svg-crowbar 839 over 7 years ago Chrome-only bookmarklet for extracting SVG from an HTML document
vpype 706 about 1 month ago Plotter-focused Python-based CLI utility for generating and manipulating SVGs, including scaling and optimizing paths
SVG Cropper A browser-based tool to crop SVGs using different primitives, custom shapes, or other SVGs

Awesome Plotters / Software / Fonts

Summary of single line fonts Good information and links to other resources and fonts
Hershey Vector Font format of vector fonts from the 60s. Includes a good overview of the original data format of the fonts
hershey-fonts 58 almost 7 years ago C library and original font data for the Hershey fonts
svg-fonts Single-line fonts in an SVG format, mainly for use with the Inkscape plugin
CNC Text Tool Browser-based Hershey Text tool with export to SVG
hf2gcode 49 over 2 years ago Generates G-code from text with a Hershey font
FifteenTwenty: Commodore 1520 plotter font 14 over 8 years ago about the creation of this font from the original ROM

Awesome Plotters / Inspiration, Instruction, and Research

An Intro to Pen Plotters Good info on getting started with old HPGL plotters
An Introduction to Pen Plotting Another getting started article with modern pen plotters
Pen Plotter Programming: The Basics Some basics of programming vector paths, including sorting, joining, and simplifying
On Generative Algorithms Nice 13-part walkthrough of interesting algorithms
Roland DG DXY-990 Quickstart guide for a Roland flatbed plotter
The Cohen-Sutherland Line Clipping Algorithm Detailed explanation and examples of an interesting algorithm
Vera Molnár OG plotter artist
Hektor The original cable-based drawbot from 2002
Pen Plotter Art & Algorithms A two-part intro to creating generative graphics for plotting
Surface Projection Deep dive into surface projection and hidden line removal using Python and penplot
Fractal Generation with L-Systems Techniques for creating line-based fractal graphics
Introduction to TSP art Resources for traveling salesman problem (single path) art
Hidden wireframe removal Discussion and links to code for wireframe removal of STL files
How to Draw Generative Art with an Axidraw Pen Plotter Lots of nice tips, not all specific to the Axidraw, plus some pen reviews and handy 3d-printed tools
The Best XY Plotters in 2020 Good overview of the AxiDraw and its clones, plus some DIY options
What is a pen plotter 2022? Nice video introduction to modern plotters in 2022
Tools, Tricks, and Hacks: Exploring Novel Digital Fabrication Workflows on #PlotterTwitter Research paper on the novel workflows of the plotter community ( )
Orbis Tertius An immersive digital installation with plotter output of Martian topography
Tech Tangents: Plotting For The First Time - HP 7470A Nice video showing an HP 7470A operated from an HP 85 computer
CuriousMarc: HP 7475A Plotter and HPGL Demo Video of an HP 7475A plotting some demos
CuriousMarc: Refilling or Replacing Vintage HP Plotter Pens Video showing how to open, clean, and refill vintage HP plotter pens
Commodore 1520 Plotter Demonstration Video of the Commodore 1520 plotter in action, including a cover-off shot of the mechanism
Tech Tangents: Gold Standard Plotter - HP 7475A Video with some HPGL and plotter history, plus operating an HP 7475A from an IBM 5160 microcomputer
curiousmarc.com: HP 7475A Plotter A great collection of info, ephemera, plot files, three YouTube videos, and a 3d-printable replacement part for the HP 7475A
From Lettering Guides to CNC Plotters "A Brief History of Technical Lettering Tools"
Building an interactive plotter art installation Nice writeup (with videos) of an interactive plotter art exhibit at SIGGRAPH 2023
Taxan KPL 710 Demo Plot A handheld recording of the Taxan KPL 710 running its demo plot
Sweet-P Six Shooter SP-600 Plotter Demonstration A recording of the Sweet-P SP-600 running its demo plot
Bottle Plotter Blog post about building a cylindrical pen plotter for drawing on wine bottles
Buildlog.net Atari 1020 Plotter Retrofit Blog post and video about converting an Atari 1020 plotter to use a ESP32-based GRBL controller
Texas Instruments HX-1000 Plotter Photos Photo gallery of the plotter's exterior, interior, and packaging
Making cheap HP plotter pens Blog post mainly about using vinyl cutter parts as pen holders
Marcel Schwittlick and The Long Run Interview with Marcel, and lots of photos and videos of his work and workspace
Lars Wander and Mixing Paint With Code Interview with Lars Wander, plus art and videos
Flatulence, Crystals, and Happy Little Accidents by Nick Fitzgerald (RustConf 2019) A RustConf talk with very little Rust, more about the creative process of generative art and pen plotters
Recreating Retro Plotter Art, by Sher Minn (Plotter People #1) Conference talk with lots of great computer and plotter history
20+ Questions About My Plotter Painting Practice Q&A blog post with lots of details about more painterly plotting
How to Watercolor Paint with a Robotic Drawing Machine: An Interview with Licia He
300 Days with Plotters Blog post by Licia He about a successful 100 day plotting challenge
Roland DXY 1300 Plotter Self Test
Vintage Aritma 0507 Plotter drawing Sierpinski triangles in one stroke Aritma Minigraf 0507 video
Plotter (Artima Minigraf 0507)
https://jiristepanovsky.cz/project.php?p=13plotter Blog post on the Aritma Minigraf 0507 plotter from Czechoslovakia
Another drawing on Aritma Minigraf 0507
Aritma Minigraf 0507 Plotting Space Shuttle
Drawing an Etch-Mask Directly onto a PCB using a Vintage Plotter The video description has some interesting details about this plotter
OrCAD 386 and a plotter Colorgraf Aritma 512 Article about using a Colorgraf 512 plotter with OrCAD 386 for making printed circuit boards
Early Computer Art in the 50s and 60s Good art history lesson with lots of plotter-relevant artists
Coding My Handwriting Great exploration of creating handwriting with p5.js and some custom tools

Awesome Plotters / Manuals, Ephemera, Papers, and Patents / Manuals

Apple Color Plotter User's Manual
Aritma Colorgraf 512 Website with scanned schematics and manual
Atari 1020 Color Printer Owner's Guide (1982) A higher-quality scan is also available as
Atari 1020 Color Printer Field Service Manual (1983)
CalComp Artisan Plus 1023/1025/1026 User's Guide (1990)
Programming CalComp Pen Plotters (1968)
Commodore 1520 Printer Plotter Manual (1983)
Commodore 1520 Printer Plotter Manual
Control Data 165/165-2 Plotter Manual
Esterline Angus Spartan X-Y Recorder Instruction Manual Rev 1178
Esterline Angus Spartan X-Y Recorder Instruction Manual (1980) Revs 1080, 1178, 0480
Esterline Angus Model XY530 Recorder Instruction Manual
Esterline Angus Model XY575 Recorder Instruction Manual (1976)
Fluke 1771A Intelligent Digital Plotter User's Manual (1983)
Gerber GS750 Plus User Manual (1995) (manualslib)
Gerber Signmaker IVB User's Manual (1983) (manualslib)
Graphtec Pen Plotter MP303 Series Service Manual (2004)
Houston Instrument DMP-160 Plotter Operation Manual
Houston Instrument DM/PL Command Language (1984)
Houston Instrument DMP-40V Operation Manual (1988)
Houston Instrument HIPLOT DMP-51/52 Operation Manual (1985)
Houston Instrument Interface Notes for DM/PL Intelligent Plotters (1983)
Houston Instrument Stand Assembly Procedure DMP-50 Series Plotter
Houston Instrument DMP-60 Series Plotters Operation Manual (1990)
HP 7470A Interconnection Guide
HP 7470A Operator's Manual (manualslib)
HP 7475A Graphics Plotter Operation and Interconnection Manual
HP 7570A DraftPro Plotter Hardware Support Manual
HP 7580B Drafting Plotter Service Manual (1986)
HP 7585B Drafting Plotter Service Manual (1983)
HP DraftPro Plotter User's Guide (1986)
HP DraftPro Plotter Programmers Reference (1986)
Mutoh ET202 Scriber (German)
Olivetti PL10 Microplotter User Guide (1983)
Olivetti P6060 Programming Manual (1979) (Italian)
Philips X-Y Flat Bed Recorder PM 8120 (1971)
Radio Shack TRS-80 Plotter Printer Manual
Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Graphic Printer Operation Manual
Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Graphic Printer Service Manual
Roland DXY-880 Operation Manual (1984)
Roland DXY-980 Operation Manual (1985)
Roland DXY-990 Operation Manual (1986)
Roland DXY-1300 -1200 -1100 Command Reference Manual
Roland DXY-1350A -1150A User's Manual (1997) (manualslib)
Roland DPX-2000 User's Manual
Roland DPX-3300 Operation Manual (GitHub) 0 about 8 years ago
Roland DPX-3300 Service Notes (1987)
Roland DPX-3300 Schematics (1987)
Roland DPX-3700A DPX-2700A User's Manual (Roland Direct Download)
Roland XY Plotter DXY-1350A DXY-1150A User's Manual (1997)
Rotring Tubular Plotter Points Practical Tips and Information
Rotring NC-scriber CS 50 Operating Instructions (1989)
SEGA SP-400 Operation Manual This doesn't present as a flippable book on the archive, but the original page scans are still available for download
Sekonic SPL-450+/SPL-455 User Manual (1990) (German)
Siemens C1613 Plotter Manual (German)
Silver Reed Colour PenGraph EB-50 Operating Manual (1984)
Taxan X-Y Plotter KPL 710 Instruction Manual
Tectronix 4662 Interactive Digital Plotter User Manual (1976)
Tectronix HC100 Instruction Manual (1987)
Panasonic RK-P400C 4-Color Graphic Penwriter Manual
Panasonic Penwriter Manual Excerpt: RS232 Protocol Section
(Unknown Brand) LP 2002 Photo Plotter Attachment Operating Manual (German) Also see with pictures of this device

Awesome Plotters / Manuals, Ephemera, Papers, and Patents / Ephemera

Time Share Peripherals TSP-212 Brochure
Hewlett-Packard Journal Volume 29 Number 1 Multiple articles about the development of the HP Model 9872A and 7221A pen plotters
Hewlett-Packard Journal Volume 32 Number 10 Multiple articles about the development of the HP Model 7580A plotter
Hewlett-Packard Journal Volume 32 Number 11 Multiple articles about the development of the HP Model 7580A plotter
Hewlett-Packard Journal Volume 33 Number 12 (1982) Multiple articles about the HP Model 7470A plotter
CalComp Precision Graphics System 900/728 Brochure (1970)
Digital Plotting Newsletter (1967)
Versatec Printers and Plotters Brochure (1977)
Versatec Printer/Plotters, Plotters and Output Systems (1981)
Roland Users Group Volume 2 Number 4 (1984) article on page 36 (PDF page 40)
Omega-t Systems FasPlot Plotter Brochure
Commodore Computer Plotter CBM 8075 Brochure (German)
Strobe Model 100 Graphics Plotter Brochure (1980)
Roland DG Plotter Ad in Byte Magazine Vol 12 No 4 (1987) ( )
Auerbach On Digital Plotters And Image Digitizers (1972) A book about plotters and digitizers
CalComp Graphics Products Brochure (1981)
CalComp Plotters in 1968 Promotional video showing a flatbed CalComp plotter and its output
Houston Instrument DMP-41 and DMP-42 Plotters Brochure
Houston Instrument DMP-51/52 Series Brochure
Houston Instrument Omnigraphic Plotter Brochure
Sweet-P Plotter Brochure and Price List Four-page color marketing brochure with attached suggested retail price list
IEEE Electronic Systems News Autumn (1985) Review of the three-color Penman robotic plotter
Apple II Business Graphics Film (1982) There's a Strobe Model 100 Graphics Plotter drawing bar charts at 4:57
Elektor Magazine Selbstbauplotter MONDRIAN II (1990) (German) Also see
IBM 7374 and 7375 Color Plotter Brochure (PDF)

Awesome Plotters / Manuals, Ephemera, Papers, and Patents / Papers

Toward Aesthetic Guidelines for Paintings with the Aid of a Computer (1975) (PDF) Vera Molnar
Pen Plotter as a Low-Cost Platform for Rapid Device Prototyping with Solution-Processable Nanomaterials (2023) (PDF)
Preparation of V2O5 Thin Film by Sol–Gel Technique and Pen Plotter Printing
PatternPortrait: Draw Me Like One of Your Scribbles (2024)
Can I teach a robot to replicate a line art (2019)

Awesome Plotters / Manuals, Ephemera, Papers, and Patents / Patents

Adaptor for universal X-Y plotter pen

Awesome Plotters / Courses

Painting with Plotters A work-in-progress course by Licia He, to be released September 2024

Awesome Plotters / Community

PlotterArt Subreddit
AxiDraw Subreddit
Generative Art Subreddit
Plotter People In-person meetups (SF and NYC so far) with talks and plotter art galleries
DrawingBots Discord Forum Discord forum with an active community
PlotterFiles Community for sharing SVG files for plotters

Awesome Plotters / Plotter Art For Sale

Paul Rickards
Michael Fogleman
inconvergent
Monica Rizzolli
EmergentDesign
BustBright
Martin O'Leary
Geoffrey Bradway
brubsby
Arjan van der Meij
Nadieh Bremer
Michelle Chandra
Pedro Alcocer
AndyMakes
Marcel Schwittlick
Adam Fuhrer
Ingrid Burrington

Awesome Plotters / Other Awesomes

awesome-generative-art 1,713 6 months ago
awesome-creative-coding 12,962 3 months ago
awesome-3d-engines-for-plotters 80 almost 4 years ago

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