Field Trip! Graphtec Cutting Plotter

This past weekend we took in one final viewing of the Graphic Design: Now in Production – an extensive exhibition which showcases the massive growth in the field over the past decade – which had premiered at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN.

Our favorite pieces from the show; the Graphtec CE5000-60 Cutting Plotter; of course!

Artists Jürg Lehni & Alex Rich (London, UK) set up the cutting plotter, a rotated LCD display, an Apple TV, and a software interface, to create their installation. Visitors were invited to create text which was then “printed”, or cut, on large sheets of paper passed through the machine. Each dot of the poster text was cut in sequence at a controlled speed, creating a very mesmerizing experience.

Cutting plotters are widely used in the area of graphic design because these specialized printers integrate with specific design applications like InDesign or Illustrator to cut with exacting precision sticker & decal vinyl, masking film for painting or etching, vinyl lettering, decorative scrapbooking papers, card stock, stencils as well as magnetic sheets.