What do I need to plot with HP Designjet 500?

Hi, I am new to using a plotter. I am very much interested in buying the HP Designjet 500 (42 inch) and wondering what I need to buy to accomplish the following running on Windows XP Pro.

I would like to print large (approximately 42" X 42") wall maps from Microsoft Streets and Trips and/or Delorme Street Atlas so my drivers can review the map before making their delivery.

Can this be done this way directly out of Windows and one of the mapping programs listed above? Do I need to purchase and other software? I heard of Zoom Smart software but will I need it?

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Gary

Reply to
Gary
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Large format printers (plotters) are essentially just like ordinary printers, except that they permit larger paper sizes. You should be able to print from just about any recent Windows application, to any size sheet that the plotter can handle. ___

Reply to
Paul Turvill

Thanks Paul. That is kind of what I thought. Here is the second part of scenario/question. How or what software can you use to get the amount of information on the page. For example in my case. I would like to zoom in the map I would like to print to get detailed streets, but I can not get it to display very much area on my monitor so it would be just a small area printed large. Not sure I am explaining this right but I hope you or someone else can give me some directions on how to get this accomplished. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks again.

Reply to
Gary

Hagstrom Maps (and many other commercially available maps) have all the detail you want (right down to street level) and cost far less than the plotter you are looking at. I would imagine you could buy a complete set of maps for each driver and still come nowhere close to the cost of a plotter. Consider your R O I, or are you just looking to buy a new toy for yourself ?

Reply to
Brian Spillane

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