Apparel companies, car manufacturers all use plotters for printing on vinyl. If you were to get different colored pieces of vinyl and cut them to your requirements, it would be quite costly. A plotter is a more cost-effective alternative in projects like these because it paints directly on the vinyl. Vinyl plotters are better suited for projects such as blueprints, advertisement billboards, banners, and the like these are best used when printing is involved. However, sometimes we have found people who even use them together. The devices function differently, and it goes without saying that their uses would be different too. And this would make the cost go up to $10,000 easily. This is because, for this purpose, you would need larger ones (36-inches and above) with more utility features, extra tools for a better experience, and upgraded software. If you are planning to buy one for commercial use, the price will go up considerably. And these are plotters that are 24 inches and do not offer that many features. If you buy within the low-end range, the plotters vary somewhere between $500-$2000.

They are more professional-grade instruments and are not as affordable as the cutters. Moving on, vinyl plotters are way more costly than vinyl cutters. Yes, they are costly, but considering the utility, totally worth the price. These cutters cost more because they come with additional tools, scanners and most importantly, are a lot bigger. A fair estimate would be something around $300-$600. Within a range of $100- $300, you can get well-functioning vinyl cutters without having to worry about anything else.īut if you are looking for a cutter for commercial or large-scale applications, you would have to spend a few extra bucks. Your wallet will not suffer a big dent if you start with the basic options. But, again, it all depends on what kind of cutters you are on the lookout for. If you are planning to get your hands on a vinyl cutter, honestly, there is no need to spend a large amount of money. This device is a lot more convenient in such scenarios. This is quite helpful if you have to color and shape elaborate pieces. What it does is that it prints the fed design directly on the vinyl through a computer or a cartridge. The arm which has the knife attached to it moves following the commands that it receives.Ī vinyl printer, on the other hand, does not always cut the vinyl. It receives commands that the computer sends and makes the cuts following the programmed patterns. The blade is small and looks like a utility knife that carves things using a mechanical arm. If you are planning to buy one, this should guide you to understand the requirements better.Ī vinyl cutter uses a knife to make the cuts.

Now that we know a little about the devices, it’s time we jumped in to understand how they are different from one another. Differences Between A Vinyl Cutter And Plotter

Vinyl cutter printer