Top 5 Wide Format Printers for High-Volume Users
This guide is for higher-volume users and for those who require quick printing of large-format print jobs to meet project deadlines. It is ideal for busy AEC businesses, Government, Education and Print Service Providers (PSP’s).
The following recommendations consider functionality, speed, quality and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). When we review machines, we also consider environmental impact and highlight where a product is more ‘green’ – vital for those who need to meet strict sustainability requirements.
1. HP XL 3800
Our top pick, as it meets all of our criteria. It’s relatively new to the market and hits those desired green requirements as well as being one of the quickest products amongst our choices. It is multifunctional as standard, with Postscript also included out of the box. It’s pigment ink set means it’s a great all rounder for technical drawings, blueprints, maps, presentations and posters.
Green Credentials & Ink – The XL3800 is highly sustainable in all regards and meets HP’s stringent requirements for green design in all new products. The highlight is the cardboard ink cartridges – it’s like a wine box but with ink, so you’re literally disposing of a cardboard outer and an internal bag. Furthermore, the ink details are printed directly to the carton rather than a separate stuck on label which in itself reduces waste massively when you consider worldwide consumption. Cartridges are 500ml, so bigger than the norm further reducing waste and operator interactions & the per millilitre cost of ink also comes down.
Speed – it’s quick, at 6 A1s per minute for CAD Drawings – that’s four times faster than most inkjet products, making it ideal for production or fast turnaround print environments. The addition of the optional dedicated folder also increases productivity as prints can be ready to distribute much more quickly.
Print heads are staggered on the basis of 2 per colour, which is where the speed comes from as a double swathe of ink can be laid down. Heads are snap fit, operator replaceable, and you don’t waste ink when disposing as they hold only a minimal amount.
Paper and Media – The XL3800 is an aqueous inkjet and can use low-cost bond or coated including photo paper, but it does slow down slightly in this mode to ensure greater ink adhesion and increased quality.
Media – The XL3800 is also happy printing on films such as drafting, polypropylene or crystal clear offering flexibility to print rooms or copy shops. Featuring 2 online roll feeds, you can interchange media or sizes so an 841mm bond and a 420mm will provide A0, A1, A2 and A3 prints automatically and cut to size.
Tools – The NEW HP Click Print Driver and the already popular HP Click Printing app makes job submission easy, avoiding print errors even before you know you have them. We have some snapshot videos if you’d like to see key features. The NEW DesignJet range also includes access to cloud based Raster to Vector scan conversion offering CAD / BIM professionals a hugely valuable additional work tool, reducing work time on manual conversion of paper based drawings.
Suitable for – It’s pigment ink set means it’s a great all rounder for technical drawings, blueprints, maps, presentations and posters.
Cost per millilitre – 30p ex vat
2. Canon TZ-3200
This is the Flagship of Canon’s imagePROGRAF wide-format printer range offering quick output from two large online roll feeds and low TCO. It’s available at a very attractive price point giving it an extremely positive ROI for volume users.
The TZ-32000 is ideal for those wishing to step off the more expensive Colorwave platform (& it’s costly TAC charges) & is an ideal replacement for Canon Plotwave users looking to move to colour without compromising speed or build quality. The industrial feel of the TZ underlines it’s productive nature and target market of fast CAD output.
Fast at up to 4 A1s per minute, it offers above average speed output over the majority of inkjet devices (our No 1 choice aside) and can benefit from the addition of a scanner to give multifunction benefits of copy and scan. You can also add a folder which offers full cross-folding, the only downside for us on this is that the folder is on the front and as such it impedes media change with the bridge having to be lifted. This is a small inconvenience, though, given that otherwise it’s very well-rounded, functional product.
A single, customer changeable print head is used on the TZ-32000. These tend be extremely robust in busy environments. When not in use the machine will regularly maintain the head to ensure optimum uptime by firing a small amount of ink into an easily replaceable maintenance cassette (a consumable item).
Featuring 2 online roll feeds offering a wide range of medias similar to our top pick, bond media can be up to 200 meters long, providing 336 A1 prints before you change the roll.
Suitable for – technical drawings, blueprints, maps, presentations and posters.
Cost per millilitre – 43p ex vat (a choice of 330ml or 700ml, if mostly printing monochrome, then simply opt for a large black)
3. HP PageWide XL
We’ve not been specific on the exact model from the Pagewide XL range as this would depend on printing applications and volume needs. It is the fastest of all the range prints at up to 30 A1s per minute and is lightning fast when fully configured.
PageWide XL offers fast A0+ output for CAD / Technical drawings, GIS Maps and Chart Production. The Pro models are also suitable for Graphics including POS and many more applications including direct to board (up to 10mm), Gift Wrap, Blue Back, Polyprop, Scrim – the list is endless.
Accessories include a choice of folders, rear stacker for flat delivery of prints and with up to 6 rolls online, MFP variants are also available. A Take-up Reel option, Inline XY Trimmer & Cut Sheet Delivery Tray, (for double sided print options) are also available for some models and our experts can talk you through the right configuration.
Media – there are hundreds of medias available for this range and we have sample packs if you’ve a specific application in mind. It’s the widest printer in our lineup at 40 inch print width, and with up to 6 rolls you can cover a lot of sizes or print mixes.
HP PageWide XL utilises 8 print heads, that are fixed rather than moving side to side on a carriage like most inkjets and that’s where this innovative product gains it’s speed. To ensure optimum speed, both a cleaning cassette and a maintenance cartridge are incorporated.
Suitable for – Those requiring lightening fast output for technical drawings, blueprints, maps, presentations and posters.
Cost per millilitre – between 6p – 30p ex vat (Cost per ml drops considerably dependant on model with the largest ink cartridge being a whopping 5 litres!)
4. EPSON SC-P8500DL STD
EPSON describe this 44” inch width product as a 6 colour Photo Printer but it’s also very happy producing CAD / Technical drawings too due the six colour ink set which incorporates a grey ink. Grey ink is ideal for construction/manufacturing drawings when the majority of throughput is black and white, equally the SC-P8500DL STD is happy producing Full colour renders or graphics.
Speed – it’s slower than other picks at 2 A1s per minute but it has some strong additional features which places it on the list.
Key Points – The EPSON SureColor SC-P8500DL STD features very large inks at 1.6 litres per cartridge (only surpassed by selected HP PageWide XL) keeping cost per millilitre down, and also great for continuous printing from two large online roll feeds.
The Two Year included warranty also covers the printhead which is changeable by an EPSON technician and when purchasing an extended 3 or 5 year warranty option, the head continues to be covered (Subject to T&C’s). A flat front stacker can be added for volume printing as an option. Notably, this is the widest width printer in the selection at 44” (1118mm) and is ideal for Cartographers, Civil Engineering, Educators, Manufacturing and Educators. It’s also very compact & slim, has a flat top that acts as a table, and can be pushed agains a wall.
Media – As it’s an Aqueous inkjet like other options there is an extensive range of both EPSON branded and third Party paper and films.
Suitable for – the widest width printer in the selection at 44” (1118mm) and is ideal for CAD prints, Cartographers, Civil Engineering, Educators, Posters & Photos.
Cost per millilitre – 21p ex vat
5. Canon Colorwave T60
Highly successful for over a decade, the Canon Colorwave offers robustness and reliability with the use of a toner-based system where toner is melted before being propelled like an inkjet molecule to the media (Canon Crystal Point Technology).
Speed wise it’s on par with the cheaper TZ-32000 at 4 A1s per minute. Productivity can be increased with the addition of a folder like the new Canon Express Folder which has the benefit of a very small footprint. Like other our others in the top 5, you can choose between print only or multifunctional.
Media – The Colorwave has the widest selection of media, largely down to its toner-based technology. You can check with us for anything specific you may require.
Suitable for – technical drawings, blueprints, maps, presentations and posters.
Cost per millilitre – This is worked out differently as there are multiple elements to consider. The Toner Pearls are sold as 500 gram units and in addition the Canon service contract also includes a mandatory charge for something called Total area Coverage (TAC). We can calculate running cost prior to proceeding to purchase for you.
Ink cartridges themselves are made from heavy ABS so they’re not the most environmentally friendly and a 500 gram Cartridge costs £220.00 ex vat
Ink pricing is based on the best value ink cartridges for each model such as lower cost per ml High capacity units or multi-packs, for example the HP Pagewide cost per ml is priced on XL 5 litre to smaller 500ml cartridges. Some machines are more ink efficient than others so it is not always the case that a like for like comparison of cost per ml is a fair representation of running cost, however pricing is published as a guide to what you can expect to pay for a cartridge.
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