Which HP DesignJet Is Right for Your Team?

Five HP DesignJet and PageWide XL models cover almost every wide-format printing need, and they can look nearly identical on a spec sheet.

The real differences come down to three questions: does your team need color renderings alongside line work, does it need scanning built in, and how much volume are you actually printing?

For CAD and GIS line work without scanning, that's the T1600. Add scanning, and that's the T2600. For teams that need color renderings and construction documents from the same machine, the XL series is the right fit.

For production-level volume, that's the PageWide XL 4250. SBR carries all five, which is exactly why this comparison can be straightforward instead of steering toward one model over another.

What's the Difference Between the T-Series, XL-Series, and PageWide XL?

T-series (T1600/T2600): The T-series is built for CAD and GIS teams in IT-managed engineering and architecture offices, where precision and security matter as much as speed. Neither model is built around color-heavy rendering work. The XL series is the better fit for that. See our CAD & Engineering Printers page for the full use-case breakdown.

XL-series (XL 3600/XL 3800): The XL-series is built for teams that need color renderings and technical line work from the same machine, consolidating work that would otherwise need two separate devices.

Both use HP Click for driverless PDF printing, the same file-compatibility approach that runs across SBR's CAD-focused lineup. See our Architectural Printers page for the full use-case breakdown.

PageWide XL (4250): PageWide XL is built for production-level volume, not a single team's daily printing. It uses a genuinely different print technology than the DesignJet line: a stationary, full-width printhead that prints an entire page width in a single pass, instead of the scanning printhead that moves back and forth across the page.

That's why it reaches speeds the DesignJet line doesn't, and why it's positioned for large AEC firms, repro and print shops, and in-house print rooms rather than a typical single-team office. See our Blueprint & Construction Printers page, where the 4250 is part of the lineup.

T1600 or T2600: Which One Do You Need?

The only real difference between the T1600 and T2600 is scanning. They share the same print engine, speed, and security features.

If your workflow already has a separate scanner, or you don't need to digitize older drawings, the T1600 covers the same CAD and GIS printing at a lower cost. If you'd rather have print, copy, and scan on one secure device, the T2600 is the better fit.

Both come in PostScript and non-PostScript versions. The PostScript version adds Adobe PostScript 3 and PDF 1.7 support on top of the formats both share (HP-GL/2, HP-RTL, TIFF, JPEG, CALS G4). These are useful for teams printing multiple PDFs in sequence without converting them one at a time.

Street pricing for the HP DesignJet T1600 typically runs $5,000 to $8,600 depending on configuration. The HP DesignJet T2600 typically runs higher, around $11,000 to $12,000, reflecting the added scan hardware. Request a quote for exact current pricing on either model.

XL 3600 or XL 3800: Which One Do You Need?

The XL 3800 is faster. The XL 3600 costs the same per page whether you're printing mono or color. That's the real tradeoff between them.

The HP DesignJet XL 3800 delivers a first page out in 20 seconds and up to 6 color A1/D pages per minute, the fastest in the DesignJet lineup. It's built for teams that need color renderings and technical line work at real volume from the same machine.

The HP DesignJet XL 3600 trades some of that speed (29 seconds first page out) for a genuinely different cost structure: mono and color prints are priced the same, so running costs stay predictable regardless of what a job needs. It's commonly chosen to replace an aging KIP, Océ, Canon, or Ricoh plotter without paying for more speed than the team will use.

Street pricing runs roughly $14,500 to $16,500 for the XL 3600, and $20,500 to $26,600 for the XL 3800, depending on configuration and warranty. Request a quote for current pricing.

Where the PageWide XL 4250 Fits

The HP PageWide XL 4250 is built for teams printing roughly 300 to 800 large-format prints a month or more, not a single team's everyday volume.

It uses a stationary, full-width printhead that prints an entire page width in one pass, reaching up to 12 D/A1 pages per minute in both mono and color at the same speed. It also handles wider media than the rest of the lineup, up to 40 inches, with 2 rolls standard and expandable to 4.

Street pricing runs roughly $24,000 to $28,500. If your team prints below that volume threshold, a DesignJet model in this lineup is very likely the better fit on cost.

All Five Models at a Glance

Here's the full lineup side by side. Each row is a complete comparison point on its own.

Street prices above reflect general third-party market research, not SBR's own quoted pricing. Request a quote for current numbers on any model.

Already Own a Plotter? Trade It Toward Any of These

Any of these five models qualifies for SBR's trade-in program, regardless of brand or age. The same trade-in credit that applies to a KIP, Océ, Canon, or Ricoh plotter applies here too.

Flexible financing and lease options are also available on all five models. If you're weighing whether leasing or buying makes more sense for your situation, our companion piece on Should You Lease or Buy a Wide-Format Printer? walks through the real numbers.

See our trade-in program for details.

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