CAD paper typically refers to the wide-format rolls of uncoated and coated bond papers that architects, engineers, construction professionals, use to print drawings generated in Computer-Aided-Design software such as AutoCAD, SolidWorks, SketchUp, and CATIA.

CAD Paper can also refer to the wide rolls of inkjet vellum and clear overlay films that are used to preserve or enhance technical drawings.

Background

The CAD acronym originated in the 1980s to identify computer design software that empowered architects, scientists, and engineers to create and modify technical drawings on personal computers (PCs) instead of mainframe computers.

CAD papers are also known as “plotter papers” because these larger-format bond papers were first used with pen plotters. These devices used computer-guided pens to physically replicate the line drawings that had been generated by CAD software. But the pen plotters of the 1980s were slow. So, they were gradually replaced with 24-in. and 36-in. wide-format inkjet printers (“inkjet plotters”). Wide-format inkjet plotters could reproduce drawings and images without having a pen make contact with surface of the paper.

Inkjet printheads move above the paper to eject ink droplets in the patterns and densities defined by the printer’s firmware. As wide-format inkjet printers started being used for more than line drawings, some CAD papers were manufactured or coated to limit the absorption or spreading of the ink droplets spread on the paper.

Is CAD Paper the Same as Inkjet Plotter Paper?

Yes. Even though the modern wide-format inkjet printers used for CAD drawings are far more sophisticated than “pen plotters,” they are still sometimes referred to as “inkjet plotters” that use “inkjet plotter paper.”

The term “inkjet plotter paper” distinguishes the relatively small 300-ft. rolls of 24-in. and 36-in.-wide bond paper for technical drawings from the industrial-sized rolls of inkjet bond paper for industrial inkjet presses that digitally print thousands of pages for books, catalogs and direct-mail pieces at speeds that reach 1,000 ft./min.

Check Out Our Selection

In 2002, Freedom Paper was one of the first ecommerce-only sellers of wide rolls of CAD papers. We offer our own brand of papers, as well as inkjet CAD papers from Canon, HP, and Sihl.

Today’s CAD papers are available with different weights, thicknesses, and opacities. The coated, heavier-weight inkjet papers are popular for reproducing CAD drawings that include photorealistic renderings, colorful GIS maps, or construction site-survey photos.

Premium CAD inkjet papers can also be used to print posters and temporary indoor signs.

Check out the range of CAD papers available through the Freedom Paper website at: CAD Plotter Paper | Bond Paper Rolls | Inkjet Bond Paper

Call us at 1-866-310-3335 or chat with us online if you have questions.