Custom Residential Architects Network

This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Custom Residential Architects Network and Small Project Practitioners .
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I have a small office with all Mac computers. Those of you who also have Mac's,
what equipment do you use to send drawings by email? I have found a HP Designjet T2300 scanner/plotter that is
compliant with Mac, but this is over 9 thousand $ and it is too big and too heavy.  I am now looking for separate pieces
of equipment, but I am finding that all the scanners seem to be PC formatted. This would require a PC computer to receive the image from the scanner.

Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated.
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Jeffrey Kline, AIA
Jeffrey Wyant Kline Architect
Oakmont PA
412-828-0288
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I'm also on Mac only systems. I don't have a large format scanner, but my colleagues who do use a computer dedicated to running the scanner. For you this could be an inexpensive Mac Mini running windows via bootcamp. A scanning application would not be so processor intensive - its likely you could use Parallels or another emulator instead. 

My fall back is scans from my print shop - its not expensive, and reimbursable.

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Gregory La Vardera
Gregory La Vardera Architect
Merchantville NJ
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Jeffery,
I do not know anything about macs,  IBM for that matter.
My office  just bought a Cannon Imageprograf IPF70. We paid around $9.6k which was a lot less than the next choice around 16K. The machine will scan, print, plot in b&w or color. That is nice for scanning relines and sending on.
It is large machine 4x6 plus walk space. We found it was the best value 36" roll paper.

The  machine has 17" monitor hung off the side as a touch screen to operate or a key pad. One needs a separate resting spot for it.
The Scanner device sits on top of the plotter. Space age, not in good way
It works ok, not great, We had some programming issues at first but have worked thru them.
The line weights are not as good as our old HP plotter, i miss if for that.The HP had great line weight.
 Scanning my pencil drawings is ok too. However I  get better results at our local print shop. But, it is convenient. So I except the results at 8am or 10pm.

Best of luck finding a good machine.




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Donald Duffy ArCH, AIA
Don Duffy Architecture
Charlotte NC
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Why do you want a large format scanner?  It is not required to make drawing files that can be sent electronically.  Just plot to a PDF driver and create PDF files directly from the drawing file.

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David Edrington AIA
David Edrington, Architect
Eugene OR
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David beat me to the punch. Jeffrey, the real solution today is to print, plot or export to a PDF. There are many ways to do that.

I assume you are talking about digital drawings and not hand drawings? Staples and your local print shop can scan drawings to a PDF if you're desperate with paper drawings.
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Lee Calisti AIA
Principal
lee CALISTI architecture+design
Greensburg PA
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-14-2014 17:45
From: David Edrington
Subject: Sending drawings electronically

Why do you want a large format scanner?  It is not required to make drawing files that can be sent electronically.  Just plot to a PDF driver and create PDF files directly from the drawing file.

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David Edrington AIA
David Edrington, Architect
Eugene OR
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You can often use a surplus PC that you can get cheap for next to nothing to be the print server. Some of these printers are also able to be used on a network and largely don't need a PC. In some cases, you could use a PC with the drivers and have all the software necessary for sharing a printer between a PC and a Mac. It can be inexpensive and sit off  to the side. It can even be a laptop or netbook. In a small office of 5 or less people using the plotter/scanner at a time, it could handle the data usually. Especially if the laptop doesn't computer doesn't have to run every software from every Tom, Dick and Harry software companies and pretty much set up for a dedicated use. It doesn't even have to be a new computer. A computer from a couple or so years ago is good enough for being that "print server".

I'm using an HP Designjet 130nr. It is still a good ol' plotter/printer... then again any of today's plotters are just glorified oversized inkjet printers but the one I have works nice for printing different size sheets to my choosing.

As for scanning, the PC... even a laptop is still good enough. Any from the last couple years. Even an Intel Atom laptop would work. Recommend an nVidia graphics GPU on-board. You don't need anything super fancy because you are not rendering anything on it. In theory, a 100 MHz Pentium has enough computing power to receive the scans and handle the print negotiations. The problem is the drivers aren't written for anything that old presuming the software devs of the drivers don't maintain old equipment and chuck them away every 3-5 years.

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Richard Balkins, Assoc. AIA
Building Designer / owner
Richard W.C. Balkins, Building Designer
Astoria, OR

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