This is the pen plotter I use (was AxiDraw). Get 5% off with the code DANCATT2026.

This is the other pen plotter I use (a bit cheaper, a bit faster, a bit less sturdy) and 10% off with the code revdancatt.

A fun and fancy wall hanging pen plotter, space saving and looks pretty awesome!

Build your own plotter. Feeling a bit handy, here's a system for building your own.

A free and open source vector graphics editor, this is what we'll be using to send the SVG design to the plotter. You can also use this to create designs if you don't want to code, see more on this topic in a blog post by Anna.

A JavaScript library for creating interactive visuals. You can use this to create the SVG designs and more (i.e. generative art).

A great python tool for generating SVG file to send to the plotter. Once you've finished this course using a tool like this should be a bit easier.

If you got the hang of vsketch, then this is the next step, a handy tool for doing a lot of different things with your SVG files once you've made them.

Don't want to tether your laptop to the plotter, stick this onto a Raspberry Pi and you'll be good to go. Handy for doing art installations when you get to that point.

Metal nib, refillable with lightfast ink probably the best pens to get tbh.

Metal nib, refillable with lightfast ink the same as above but different sizes (and a pencil that won't work that well in a plotter).

Black, lightfast, waterproof, fineliners - good for technical drawings on smooth paper.

Colourful(ish), lightfast, waterproof, fineliners - also good on smooth paper, comes in dullish colours.

Black, lightfast, waterproof, gel pens - good for technical drawings on smooth paper.

Painting With Plotters is a virtual course that introduces Licia He's method for making generatively-designed, plotter-rendered paintings using a variety of water-based paint. A great companion this this course.

One of the best sites on the internet for finding out more about drawing machines. They also have a Discord server full of people who know all sorts of things about drawing machines. Plus great advice for building and troubleshooting (you can also ping me @revdancatt).

This is the website for the YouTube course materials for the course "Drawing Machines for Artists, Coding Course" created by Daniel Catt.

Contains tutorials, plotter reviews, and more.

A bunch of useful tutorials, projects, and more from Michelle. Plus the yearly Plot Party, a week-long pen plotting art challenge, and postcard exchange. Find out more by following @penplotart on Instagram.

Everyone wants to plot with white ink on black paper, and it's always a pain in the ass, Michelle (again) has some answers.

A love letter to using fountain pens with pen plotters.

A subreddit for all things pen plotters.

A curated list of code and resources for computer-controlled drawing machines and other visual art robots.

Plotterfiles is a community artists sharing SVG files for plotters and other 2D CNC Machines.