Typewriter Plotters (2022)

These are objects from a time when people were willing to watch machines work, not just get instant output.

Today, even if small DIY plotters were cheap to build, they’d mostly live in the “art / hobby” space: most users won’t wait several minutes for a page when a laser printer does it in seconds.

That said, it would be great if a simple, well-documented DIY standard (protocol + format) emerged that hobby plotters could implement and that common tools (Inkscape, CAD, etc.) could support out of the box.

I had one of the Panasonic models a long time ago, and I used to love typing with it.

I didn't have a reliable source for pen cartridges though, so I usually saved it for things that were "important" at the time.

Everything else was typed on an IBM Wheelwriter, which in my mind is still the pinnacle of typewriter technology.

Supposedly you can still order the film ribbon cartridges for them online.

On our way to synesthetic live-typing!!

https://youtu.be/aj6u8cEjDK4

I have a penwriter. Haven’t used it much because I have far more capable plotters, sadly…

I wonder if any of them are still usable. I would guess that new pens are NLA and whatever pens that might be around are long dried out.