Writing Postcards with a 3D Printer (opens in new tab)

While I love the curiosity and creativity that has recently emerged around digital pen plotting, many people may not realize this was the workhorse technology for producing technical drawings for several decades in the late 20th century.[0]

Large format pen plotters with up to 8 separate pens were available for different line weights. Color was mostly avoided because the reproduction process of the time was still centered around diazotype[1], or monochromatic ammonium blue printing.

[0]https://piratefsh.github.io/2019/01/07/computer-art-history-...

[1]https://drawingmatter.org/a-blueprint-is-blue/

If this appeals to you, also check out the Plotter Art subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/PlotterArt/

This makes me think of this guy : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhUuhl9iWpQ&t=83s

But you made it much more "leaner". I will try it on my Prusa

About 15 years ago I used to have a Silhouette cutter printer. You could get a cutting blade and it would cut shapes out of paper and card. I remember putting a pen in there and using it to write with it on paper. It was cool.

I've also used 3d printer to straight up print on top of a greeting card (the print was 1 layer).

The print might not fare that well though the post system, though, so maybe it wouldn't be suitable for postcards. But it can be a nice touch.

Great idea!!

I've had a post card based business idea for ages. Can anyone recommend a printer that prints quality postcards? I'm looking for something in the sub $2,000 range. I pulled that number out of thin air so I have no idea of that's a too much or too little.

So does this mean if you give it a swivel knife it can also be a vinyl cutter?

Not a 3D printer but really cool video by Stuff Made Here explaining how he tried to make 'realistic' handwritten forgeries with a pen plotter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQO2XTP7QDw

The Z-axis homing problem could be solved by adding a "pause" command (gcode M0, I reckon) at the very start.

The printer calibrates, pauses, you attach the pen, press continue, and it'll do the plot without zeroing the Z-axis again.

Very nice! I used the same trick to make a PCB by making the printer use a marker to draw on the parts that I didn't want to etch:

https://www.stavros.io/posts/make-pcbs-at-home/