Wide-Format & 3D Printer Blog

Let’s face it, electricity is something we just don’t think that much about. In fact, it is something we take for granted. We simply plug our electronics into a wall outlet and they magically work. But, the truth is, not all incoming electricity is the same. Sometimes, voltage fluctuates. It can rise or fall, or burst in a power spike. To the common user, these events are often not noticeable, but they can be troublesome, if not catastrophic to your electronic equipment. That is why it is a good idea to have your sensitive electronics, like printers, scanners, and plotters on some type of an external power filter, like an AMETEK ESP Conditioning System. Here’s why.

Canon recently announced the release of their updated entry-level “Le-Series” plotter/scanner systems. Built on the same technology and success of the preceding L24 and L36 models, the new L24e and L36e offer a variety of significant upgrades, of which you should take note.

When it comes to researching technology, in Google We Trust! So, in an effort to save you a chunk of time, we are providing a comparison chart that shows how the popular Canon iPF780 and iPF785 plotters stack up against their HP rivals. This let's you easily compare wide-format printers in a side-by-side format. 

When it comes to new large format printing systems for CAD and other technical printing applications, the PageWide XL Series from HP is getting a lot of attention. It is impressive to watch as pages simply fly out of the printer. This high speed is possible because a new technique called single pass printing. Unlike traditional ink jet machines, that use a reciprocating print head, single pass machines utilize a stationary print head that jet droplets of ink onto a traveling print media. On the surface, upgrading to the HP PageWide XL may seem like a no-brainer, but take a closer look. There are some limitations to know about before you decide on an upgrade.

Please enjoy this guest article from our friends at India CADWorks.

Construction industry surveys show that industry stakeholders recognize the need to improve their productivity. Despite this, some still do not recognize Building Information Modeling (BIM) benefits due to the prevailing ‘BIM myths’ that continue to perpetuate throughout the industry. 

Without a doubt, the Designjet 1050 plotter was a wildly successful model for HP. After all, tens of thousands of them were sold and installed throughout the United States during the early to mid-2000s. There are still a lot of those units in the field and in use today. But, we have reached the threshold of their usefulness. If you have one, there is a good chance that you are experiencing the law of diminishing returns firsthand. So, considering an upgrade may make sense. Here are a few things to keep in mind regarding your old HP 1050c plotter.

Large format scanning has become instrumental for many AEC (architectural, engineering, & construction) companies. Powerful CAD programs and other software applications, such as Bluebeam Revu, are changing the way construction documents are handled, viewed, marked up, and shared. But, what about the vast number of archived drawings stored in flat files?

Many business leaders are opting to get a large format scanner to digitize those files, but when considering a purchase, there can be some confusion on selecting the right solution. There are two primary types of wide-format scanninng technologies to consider. Both have there merits, but it really is a matter of application regarding which process it right for your situation. Read on to learn the difference between the two to determine which one is best suited for you - CCD vs CIS scanner technologies.

Everybody loves getting a promotion. Today, it is our turn. Since becoming an authorized Bluebeam dealer mid-2016, we have worked hard to provide our clients the very best Bluebeam customer experience possible. Today, all of our dedication and effort has paid off. TAVCO has now officially leveled up to Silver Bluebeam Partner Status. Here's whats in it for you. 

The comparison between which wide-format plotter technology is better, toner or ink jet, has been questioned within AEC companies for years. Historically, this has been relatively easy to examine. The cost of ink jet printing is higher, but the price of the toner-based equipment was more expensive than their ink jet counterparts. In the past, the break-even point was when the printing output reached 2,000 square feet per month. However, the playing field has changed. Ink prices have dropped, ink jet systems have gotten faster with the introduction of new single-pass ink jet systems. So, how do the two plotter technologies compare now? 

Please enjoy this guest article from our friends at A TopGun PC & Networking.

Small and mid-sized businesses are targeted by cyber-criminals more often than ever before. That is because automation makes it easy to attack them by the thousands, and many of them are easy targets because they don’t put up a good fight. It's time to improve the defense.

Please enjoy this guest article from our friends at India CADWorks.

The days of construction project teams (architects, engineers, and contractors) coordinating multiple drawings over light tables to detect ‘clashes’ between trade work packages and construction assemblies, elements, and components are numbered.

There are plenty of new startup companies and small firms that need a solid, entry-level, large format printer for all types of general purpose, CAD, or graphics printing. In this case, two of the top contenders are the Canon iPF770 and the HP Designjet T520. They both have their strengths, but let’s see why the Canon ultimately comes up the winner when compared to the T520.

It’s no secret that government (city, county, state, and federal) agencies do not run like well-oiled machines. Likewise, many people would rather take a beating than make the trip to a local government office to take care of business. But, why does this continue to be such a problem? Old school pen and paper workflow in largely to blame. This system is wildly inefficient and could certainly use a refresh to simply things to get stuff done faster. Take for instance the activity of submitting building permits. In this case, a powerful and easy to use PDF solution would be game changer. Check out how Bluebeam Revu software is improving the ways agencies handle their final plan submittals.

As you know, over 1 million AEC professionals rely on Bluebeam Revu software for editing PDF files, markups, and collaboration. It truly is an impressive tool that has taken many AEC workflows more digital. And now, it is even better than ever. That is because Bluebeam, Inc, just released the highly-anticipated Bluebeam Revu 2017 version that is packed with some incredible new features that you have to check out.