Key takeaways
- The Canon imagePROGRAF TM-500 is our No 1 A1 plotter for 2026, with the TM-510 our pick for busier teams.
- Both TM models ship with far more ink than rivals and take long rolls on 3-inch cores, keeping running costs low.
- On a tight budget, the Epson SC-T2100, HP T230 and Canon TC-21 all come in under £500.
- If you need to scan and copy too, the HP T830 MFP and Canon TM-510M are the A1 multifunction printers to look at.
Our top A1 plotter for 2026 is the Canon imagePROGRAF TM-500 – or the TM-510 if you print more often. Both ship with far more ink than their rivals, take longer rolls on 3-inch cores and cost less to run. Below are our ten top A1 printers for CAD drawings, building plans and renders, all of which also print A2, with prices, ink costs and who each one suits.
View our A1 printer range
How we chose our top A1 plotters
This round-up covers A1 printers for CAD building plans, construction and engineering drawings and architectural renders – and, in some cases, posters, point-of-sale and signage. Every printer here also prints A2.
Ultra low volume
Our first four picks are what the manufacturers call “ultra low volume” printers. They’re the lowest priced, sell in the biggest numbers and are aimed at 1–2 users or occasional printing. The Canon TM-500 takes our No 1 spot for its strong features, budget-friendly price and low running cost. The Epson SC-T2100 follows for anyone who wants a compact desktop option that’s still a feature-rich A1/A2 printer. At No 3, the HP DesignJet T230 has the strongest green credentials with a low capital cost, and at under 30kg you can put it almost anywhere.
Mid volume
For mid-volume customers, we’d point you to the Canon TM-510, our joint No 1, which has best-in-class functionality and running cost. The HP DesignJet T870 offers industry-leading security, a low running cost and convenient print collection.
We’ve ranked these on popularity, overall investment cost and our own opinion. There’s far more to consider than price, so think about what matters most for your team – and ask us if you’d like a recommendation.
No 1
Canon imagePROGRAF TM-500 7448C003AA
A great-value, multi-purpose A1 printer. New for Q4 2026, Canon have significantly updated their imagePROGRAF TM range, with four A1 versions of this robust, flexible printer. The TM-500 sits in the ultra-low-volume category, so it’s designed for workgroups of 1–2 or light users who need occasional A1/A2 prints – CAD drawings, posters or graphics. For larger teams and heavier volumes, choose the TM-510.
We’ve chosen the TM-500 and TM-510 as our joint No 1 for 2026/2027 for three reasons. First, both ship with much more ink than competitors – 300ml with the TM-500 and 490ml with the TM-510 – which narrows your capital investment.
Second, larger inks reduce your running cost. The TM-500’s 80ml black matches rivals such as the HP T230, but its CMY inks are 55ml each, a step up from the 29ml maximum on alternatives. The TM-510 takes 130ml and 300ml inks, and it’s a Plot it team favourite because they give a best-in-class cost per print.
Third, every TM-500 series printer handles longer rolls and accepts 3-inch cores (an optional adapter, around £45, on the TM-500; included on the TM-510). That opens up 90gsm 594mm x 110m and 80gsm 594mm x 175m rolls, 260gsm satin and gloss on 3-inch cores, plus polypropylene and banner materials. That’s why we call it a multi-purpose A1 printer – it goes beyond a simple A1 plotter.
Tip: if you’re likely to print often, choose the TM-510. The extra ink in the box recoups the difference before you’ve even printed your first drawing.
- Suited to TM-500: 1–2 users · TM-510: 3+ users
- Price guide Around £800–£1,000
- Ink cost Ask us for current pricing
View the TM-500
No 2
Epson SureColor SC-T2100 C11CJ77301
A great-value, feature-rich plotter, and the lowest-priced A1 printer on the market. All its inks are light fast and water resistant, so prints can take the wear and tear of busy site work in all weathers.
That ink set also lets it go beyond CAD drawings to posters, infographics, site signage and renders for long-term display. We wouldn’t suggest it as an everyday graphics printer, as there are better choices for that. But it’s a great A1/A2 CAD printer that can handle occasional graphics or even photos (not on canvas).
Its white and black styling looks good on a desktop or on the optional stand, and you can add an A3/A4 sheet feeder at very low cost.
Tip: buy it with the 3-year or, better still, 5-year extended warranty. It’s the only printer here where the printhead is included in the warranty extension, and it’s an engineer fit, so they’ll come and replace it for you.
- Suited to Entry level, 1–2 users
- Price guide Under £500
- Ink cost Black 75p, CMY 84p per ml
View the SC-T2100
No 3
HP DesignJet T230 5HB07D
The 200 series has two desktop models, the T250 and the lower-priced T230. Both are great choices and hugely popular with people who’ve owned an HP before. The T230 directly replaces the HP T120/T125, which held our top spot for five years running, and comes from a platform that has dominated for 25 years.
It’s been a hit since its Q4 2020 launch. The 2025 refresh made it from over 40% recycled plastic and 5% recycled metal, with fully fibre-based packaging using 73% less plastic than before. Ink maintenance routines use up to 96% less ink, and the built-in on/off scheduler saves up to 65% in energy. It now includes HP Wolf Security to protect against unauthorised access and cyber threats.
It’s compact enough to sit on its optional stand and basket, a bench, a plan chest or even a sturdy wall shelf – and with reliable Wi-Fi, the power cable is the only one you need. The roll feed takes A1/A2 rolls of up to 50 metres, and options include an A3 or A4 cassette tray and a dust cover to protect your media.
Tip: if you’re buying an extended warranty, choose the T250. Its warranty extensions cost less, so it’s better value, and it’s 5 seconds quicker per A1. If you’re adding the stand or sheet feeder, choose the T630 instead.
- Suited to Entry level, 1–2 users
- Price guide Under £500
- Ink cost Black 60p, CMY 64p per ml
View the T230
No 4
HP DesignJet T870 AM0X9A
The T870 is a multi-purpose printer, not just an A1 plotter: it comfortably produces A1 and A2 posters as well as construction drawings. As well as printing from the roll, it has a built-in A3/A4 sheet feeder. With the optional collection tray, it stacks smaller sizes separately instead of dropping them into the basket with large formats – a feature we haven’t seen anywhere else.
Its four-colour pigment inks give UV stability and water resistance, whereas the T230/T630 line-up uses dye-based CMY ink that can’t match that longevity. With 300ml or 130ml inks, the T870 has a lower cost per print than other HP T-series models.
With a top speed of 21 seconds per A1 and HP’s class-leading HP Click driver, it packs a lot into a small package.
Tip: the T870 is limited to 50-metre bond paper rolls, or 30 metres for graphics papers. If longer rolls matter to you, the HP Z6 or Canon TM-510 is a better choice. It also doesn’t print borderless, so for posters consider the Canon options.
- Suited to Mid volume, busier workgroups
- Price guide Around £1,400
- Ink cost From 50p per ml
View the T870
No 5
Canon imagePROGRAF TM-510M 7446C003AA
The TM-510M adds a built-in CIS wide format scanner to the TM-500 series. It’s widely acclaimed for the best scan quality on the market: a dual light source lights originals from both sides as they scan, which significantly improves image capture and removes fold marks and other background noise.
It gives you full-colour print, copy and scan at A1, A2 and A3, plus everything the print-only model offers, including larger inks, extended media options and good-value extended warranties.
- Suited to Mid volume teams needing scan, copy and print
- Price guide Around £2,500
- Ink cost From 34p per ml
View the TM-510M
No 6
Epson SureColor SC-T3405 C11CJ55301A1
A difficult one to place. It isn’t hugely popular and doesn’t fare as well in sales data as the others, but it ranks highly because it ticks so many of our boxes – especially on value for money. It’s unique in offering 110ml, 350ml and even 700ml ink cartridges, with a cost per ml from as little as 29p.
Its pigment ink has UV (light-fast) stability and water resistance, so it’s great for on-site CAD drawings, architectural renders and posters. It even prints borderless, which cuts down on trimming and manual work.
It handles longer rolls, making it ideal for busy design and construction teams.
Tip: it comes with a 2-year Epson warranty that covers the printhead, which is an engineer fit only. We recommend Epson’s 5-year warranty, which gives on-site parts, labour and printhead cover for the full term. We’d also suggest our installation service, as it’s a bulky unit. And skip the “N” model – it’s best bought with the stand.
- Suited to Mid volume, busy workgroups
- Price guide Under £1,400
- Ink cost From 29p per ml (black + CMY)
View the SC-T3405
No 7
HP DesignJet T830 MFP F9A28D
A brilliant multifunction printer for anyone who wants to copy and scan as well as print construction drawings.
This compact all-in-one has a roll feed and a sheet tray for A3 or A4. It’s ideal for lower-volume users who want more flexibility and bigger, more economical inks, as the T830 takes 130ml and even 300ml cartridges.
It’s by far the most popular A1 MFP on the market. Even if you only plot, the bigger inks, built-in hard drive and HP Click software make it an excellent choice – it’s exceptionally robust and comes with a decent software suite.
Need something bigger? Read our best A0 plotters round-up.
- Suited to Entry level, workgroups of 1–5
- Price guide Around £1,650
- Ink cost 51p per ml (black + CMY)
View the T830
No 8
Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21 7055C003AA
We love that it ships with £199 of free ink, and it’s the first entry-level A1/A2 printer to use bottled ink refills. It’s Canon’s response to a changing market, bringing down their entry-level price point. It uses 70ml bottles rather than chipped cartridges, and the empty bottles can go in normal plastic recycling.
As well as the roll feed, the A3/A4 paper tray comes as standard rather than as an option, unlike other brands.
Print quality is great for CAD drawings and posters, with all the benefits of light-fast, water-resistant ink. Options include a stand and basket if you want it freestanding, or an industry-first clip-on desk basket that’s ideal for bench or plan chest mounting.
What we don’t like: unlike every other imagePROGRAF, the TC-21 is limited to 50-metre rolls for bond paper and 30 metres for coated, and only on 2-inch cores. The TM-500 and TM-510 are much more flexible, and they’re our preference.
- Suited to Entry level, 1–2 users
- Price guide Under £500
- Ink cost 68p per ml (black + CMY)
View the TC-21
No 9
HP DesignJet T630 / T650 5HB09D | 5HB08D
Definitely one not to ignore. You can be forgiven for thinking the T630 and T650 look like the T200 series and even the DesignJet Studio – they’re built on exactly the same platform.
They had the same 2025 refresh and green credentials as the T230, and the T600 series comes with the stand in the box rather than as an option. With extra memory and quicker processing, it can support more than a couple of users. It’s still aimed at low-volume environments, but it plots quickly. The T650 is fully loaded with stand, sheet tray and roll dust cover, and comes with a 2-year warranty, so it’s our preferred option.
HP’s bundled HP Click software makes it easy to print on the go or from your desktop, and to submit a range of file types including PDF – a driverless option for Mac and Windows users.
Unlike the T230 and T250, the T600 series comes in both A1 and A0 versions.
- Suited to Entry level, 1–3 users
- Price guide From around £850
- Ink cost Black 60p, CMY 64p per ml
View the T630
No 10
Epson SureColor SC-T3700 C11CH79301A1
What a printer. It’s the only high-volume option in our line-up, so it isn’t as popular as the others – but if you print heavy volumes, it’s a must to consider.
Epson shook up the market with a completely new design that’s attractive as well as robust and functional. It’s designed to sit close to a wall, with everything accessible from the front, and built for productivity.
It takes 700ml, 350ml and 160ml inks, so the cost per page stays low, and handles 175-metre rolls on 3-inch cores. As well as black and CMY, it has a red ink. That’s a great addition for renders, logos and posters, widening the colour gamut and giving brilliant solid red fills for sale posters or construction site signage.
It comes in three versions: single roll, dual roll, and dual roll with PostScript.
Tip: buy it with Epson CoverPlus. It’s the only warranty that includes printheads and sends an engineer to fit them, and it’s great value over five years.
- Suited to Mid to high volume, busier workgroups
- Price guide Under £2,000 (basic model)
- Ink cost From 28p per ml (black + CMY)
View the SC-T3700
Which A1 plotter should you choose?
1–2 users or occasional printing
- Canon TM-500 for the best all-round value
- Epson SC-T2100 for the lowest purchase price
- HP T230 / T250 if your office already runs HP
- Canon TC-21 for bottled ink and a sheet tray as standard
Busier teams and higher volumes
- Canon TM-510 for the lowest cost per print
- HP T870 for security and print collection
- HP T830 or Canon TM-510M if you need to scan and copy
- Epson SC-T3700 for heavy volumes and 700ml inks
Plot-It tip: whichever printer you choose, add the extended warranty when you order. On several of these models it also covers the printhead with an engineer fit, and that's where the real cost of a breakdown lies.
