Guides
Learn to plot, end to end
From your first plot to advanced generative workflows — practical, jargon-light guides written by people who plot.
- dark paper
Plotting on Dark and Black Paper: A Complete Guide
How to plot light on dark — pen selection, speed settings, paper choice, design considerations, and the mistakes to avoid when working with gel pens on black stock.
- color
How to Plot in Multiple Colors with a Single-Pen Plotter
A practical guide to multi-color pen plotter art: how to separate layers, plan pen changes, manage registration, and choose the right pens and paper.
- generative art
Getting Started with Generative Art for Pen Plotting
How to make generative art for your pen plotter: the best tools to start, core concepts like noise and flow fields, the screen-to-SVG-to-pen pipeline, and a first project.
- troubleshooting
Pen Plotter Troubleshooting: Fix Skipping, Registration & Messy Lines
Diagnose and fix the most common pen plotter problems — skipping pens, shifting paper, wobbly lines, ink pooling and double-drawn paths — with practical, tested fixes.
- paper
How to Choose Paper for Pen Plotting
Paper makes or breaks a plot. How weight, surface, sizing and color affect your lines and pen tips — plus recommended starting papers and a quick test routine.
- workflow
How to Prepare an SVG for Pen Plotting
Turn any SVG into a clean, plot-ready file: paths not fills, correct scale, layers for multi-pen color, and optimizing with vpype and Inkscape before you draw.
- beginner
What Is a Pen Plotter? A Beginner's Guide
What pen plotters are, how they turn code into ink on paper, what you need to start, and why a 1960s technology is having a generative-art renaissance.