Geographic information systems (GIS) are used to store and analyse spatial data. These are powerful tools for anyone who works with geographic or other spatial data. Often, specialists and companies need to print that data for spatial data visualisation applications, not just house it digitally. When it does, the nature of the data requires a large format and a high print quality. Plotter printers are the ideal tool for these needs.

GIS is a tool used by researchers for the analysis of geographic or spatial data. With this data, researchers can link and analyse data based on spatial positioning. GIS makes it easy to understand relationships, patterns, and trends that exist within the data. GIS can aid in urban planning, manage natural resources more effectively, improve public health, and more.

As the data is spatial in nature, being able to visualise it provides an easy avenue for researchers to analyse it. Researchers can quickly see patterns and trends through maps, charts, and graphs. They can also easily share their findings with other stakeholders in a way that makes it easy for them to understand.

Organisations using GIS use plotter printers to produce high-quality, large-format prints of spatial data. The printers' design features overlap well with the related spatial data visualisation requirements.

Plotter printers are designed specifically to create large-scale, high-quality prints and drawings. They can handle larger paper sizes and print at very high resolutions. This focus on both size and quality has made them the go-to printer choice for a variety of technical and professional fields, including GIS.

The two types of plotters most commonly used in GIS applications are inkjet plotters and electrostatic plotters. The choice comes down to a tradeoff of their capabilities.

Inkjet printers spray droplets of ink onto the paper. They can produce detailed and colourful maps but operate more slowly. Electrostatic printers use a charge to deposit toner onto the paper. They print very fast and work best for monotone prints.

There are several features of plotter printers that make them the ideal choice for spatial data visualisation:

Plotter printers are industrial-grade machines. They can print at the highest quality, so even the most demanding GIS applications can be represented visually.

The smaller the page being printed on, the harder it will be to make out the details. Proper spatial analysis in GIS requires the represented data to be as clear as possible. The larger print format of plotter printers makes this possible.

Spatial data in GIS is often very granular. Representing it accurately requires precise colour representation to ensure the values are properly distinct from one another. With their highly precise colour reproduction, plotter printers can capture the most minute of details.

In addition to larger paper sizes, plotter printers can print on a wide array of paper types. This makes it easy for anyone using them for GIS visualisation to find the material that best suits their needs.

Some traditional printers with less professional applications in mind come with a limited set of customisation features. Plotter printers, on the other hand, offer a high degree of customisation to get the best results for the job.

Spatial data can be presented visually in a number of ways. The most common techniques include:

• Choropleth Maps: These maps use colour or patterns to represent spatial variations. For example, an election map shows how each locality voted.
• Dot Density Maps: These use dots to represent data in a given location. For example, a population map with larger or more numerous dots for populated areas.
• Heat Maps: This type of map uses colour gradients to represent the data points. For example, a traffic map shows the density of vehicles in a given area.

Accurate and high-quality spatial data visualisation is a requirement to gain a meaningful understanding of the data. So having accurate and easy-to-understand visualisations makes the data easier to analyse.

In addition to making the data easier to interpret, it aids in effectively communicating that data to others. With high-quality visual aids, GIS users can make more persuasive arguments and more efficiently transfer knowledge.

Plotter printers minimise the challenges in achieving high-quality visualisations of spatial data but don't eliminate them. Users must be careful to avoid these common pitfalls:

• Data Quality: High-quality output can not come from low-quality data. The data itself must be complete and accurate.
• Data Complexity: The more complex the data is, the greater the requirements to accurately display it. Even plotter prints can be overwhelmed by extremely complex data.
• Scalability: The other side of overly complex data is an overly large spatial area. Even large plotters have limits to the size they can print at and the area of coverage they can provide.

Printing technology has come a long way in recent years and will continue to improve. In the future, we'll likely see advancements in plotter printers that allow for greater resolutions, faster speeds, and better colour reproduction. Each of these improvements will help minimise some of the challenges listed above.

In addition, changes on the software front are also likely. New tools for spatial analysis in GIS will appear, and plotter printers will then integrate with them more tightly.

Below are some ways plotter printers can be used with other visualisation technologies. As technology evolves, these types of integrations will become even more powerful. Using these tools to increase immersion will help improve stakeholder engagement.

• Augmented Reality: AR technology is already capable of detecting 2D printed material and projecting 3D data on top of it. This can add greater depth and increased capabilities to spatial data printed with plotter printers.
• Interactive Displays: With the ability to zoom and scroll with the pinch of a finger or flick of a wrist, interactive displays have already made navigating spatial data easier. Once users have the exact data they want on the display, a connection to a plotter printer will allow them to make a customised print.
• Traditional Audio-Visual Tools: Data visualised through a plotter printer can also be augmented in more traditional ways. Video and audio aids can add useful context to the data presented and then help drive a presentation home.

From our extra large DesignJet Z9 Pro to our more compact T130, HP has a plotter printer that will fit the needs of your GIS applications. We'd love the opportunity to show you how our technology can help you engage better with stakeholders and analyse your GIS data more effectively. When you want to learn more, reach out for a live product demo.