Plot over the network.
Plotter Hub turns a Raspberry Pi into a networked plot server for your AxiDraw-compatible pen plotter. Submit SVGs from your computer, then let the Pi handle the plot locally from start to finish.
Requires Raspberry Pi OS
A small server for your pen plotter
Plotter Hub is for AxiDraw-class plotters, like the iDraw H SE A3, that should not need a computer plugged in for every job. Connect the plotter to a Raspberry Pi once, then submit plots from any device on your local network. Drag in an Inkscape-layered SVG and Plotter Hub plots it layer by layer — or send work through its HTTP API. That API is how GD Studio, Synendo's generative drawing app for Mac, plots straight from the canvas to your pen plotter.
Features
Plotter Hub gives you the controls you need for everyday SVG plotting without turning the page into a control panel.
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Drag-and-drop SVG upload
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Inkscape layer selection
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Pause between layers for pen changes
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Paper presets, orientation, margins, and fit-to-page
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Pen-up and pen-down speed controls
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Optional vpype optimization
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Live progress, time estimate, and pen-position preview
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Pause, resume, cancel, and physical pause-button support
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Runs as a background service — starts on boot
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One-click in-app updates
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HTTP API for companion apps and scripts
Requirements
You need:
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Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, 3B+, or newer
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Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm or Trixie — Lite (no desktop environment) recommended
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An AxiDraw-class USB plotter, like the iDraw H SE A3
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A trusted local network
A Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W works well as an always-on plot server. A Raspberry Pi 3B+ gives snappier previews and setup. A Pi 4 or 5 is usually unnecessary if Plotter Hub is the only thing running. A clean install is easiest with Raspberry Pi Imager.
How it works
SSH into your Raspberry Pi, clone the repo, and run ./install.sh. It sets up a virtual environment, installs the AxiDraw API and vpype, registers Plotter Hub as a systemd service, and prints the URL to open when it is done.
Browse to http://plotterhub.local, or your Pi’s hostname, from any device on your network. There is no login and no desktop app to install — it works like a network printer’s web page.
Drag and drop your SVG, select which Inkscape layers to plot, choose a paper preset and margins, and optionally enable vpype optimization. Before plotting, Plotter Hub estimates time, drawing distance, travel distance, and pen lifts.
Follow the plot live in the web UI — the pen cursor and progress bar update as it draws — and pause, resume, or cancel from there. Once the job is submitted, your computer no longer needs to stay connected. And if your plotter has a physical pause button, you can use that too, for example to resume after a layer change.
Companion app
Design with GD Studio
Plotter Hub gets your art onto paper. GD Studio is where you create it — Synendo's macOS app for generative pen-plotter art. Choose from 50 patterns across 8 families, shape them with live controls, and layer in text and imported SVG. Every design is built from continuous strokes, so the canvas shows exactly what the pen will draw. Best of all, GD Studio sends your work straight to Plotter Hub over your network — no exporting, no files to move.
Explore GD Studio
