Dialogue of Precision

After an extended hiatus without any direct engagement with a personal practice, I've begun experimenting and making again. Despite accumulating plenty of ideas, I struggled to settle on something that felt compelling enough to explore given limited time constraints. However before initializing any single project, I needed to understand the limits of the tools at my disposal. While awaiting an iDraw A1 plotter, I decided to start some diagnostic tests to evaluate the performance and limitations of my old Axidraw A3. The goal here would be to document mechanical inconsistencies, material interactions, and behavior/peformance under different speeds and preset conditions.

Early tests revealed some calibration issues, particularly with the y-axis. Notably, linear elements exhibited inconsistent line weights; circles failed to close precisely, and uniform grids revealed irregularities. These deviations from the expected mechanical precision were instructive, highlighting the practical limitations of the plotter’s mechanics. I loved these aberations; they lent otherwise simple experiments character and a sense of humor. I'll revisit these accidental interventions in the future, such as with custom print heads that more deliberately introduce variability.

You can see below, some of the first grid tests.

Heuristics

Informed by these initial experiments, I decided to develop a set of contact sheets. In formalizing a diagnostic toolset, direct inspiration was taken from Aurnaud Pfeffer's practice and Liz Melchor's explorations in plotting. The resulting contact sheets incorporate a range of procedural heuristics to document and measure machine performance and material response.

Radial and Linear Constructions

Bilaterial and radial forms work to expose axis calibration and mechanical lag. Depending on the gcode generating by Inkscape, certain pen nibs could cause ink to pool where it otherwise shouldn't, or in some extreme cases, the paper to degrade after so many passes of an intersecting path.

Overlapping Geometries

• Moire
• Hatching

Gradients

• Point Grids
• Lines

Materiality

Using varied pen nib, inks, and paper types/weights,

Resources & Further Reading

I've made the contact sheets available for download and appreciate feedback should anyone find them useful.