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HP DesignJet 1050cm Plus
36" wide-format inkjet printer
- Model1050cm Plus
- Prints36" wide
Authorized HP dealerGenuine hardware & ink
Manufacturer warrantyExtension plans available
Free shippingContinental U.S.
Plotter specialistsAEC experts, not just sellers
Analyst take
- Four-color aqueous plotter using HP 80 inks and printheads — CMYK only, no light-density colors.
- Strong on monochrome and color-coded CAD line work on bond; weak on photographic renderings.
- Single-roll, single-operator design with no automatic roll switching and no built-in scanner.
Not sure if the 1050cm Plus is right for you?
Compare key specs and an AI analyst read-out against similar models.
Overview
Built for the work
HP Designjet 1050cm Plus Remarketed Printer
Expert analysis
What you should know
Key takeaways
- Four-color aqueous plotter using HP 80 inks and printheads — CMYK only, no light-density colors.
- Strong on monochrome and color-coded CAD line work on bond; weak on photographic renderings.
- Single-roll, single-operator design with no automatic roll switching and no built-in scanner.
- Discontinued hardware — consumables still available, but parts sourcing is the real long-term risk.
- Aqueous printheads clog if the machine sits idle; run it weekly to avoid nozzle dropout.
- For a current-production replacement, the Canon iPF760/iPF765/iPF770 36-in models cover the same duty.
It’s 4:30 p.m. The permit set is due tomorrow, and the HP Designjet 1050cm Plus in the corner is still holding the line. That’s the story of this machine. It was built in an era when a wide-format plotter lived in the print room for a decade, and plenty of them are still running.
This is a remarketed 36-inch aqueous inkjet plotter — a legacy DesignJet from HP’s thermal-inkjet generation. If you own one, or you’re buying one to keep an existing workflow alive, the question isn’t whether it’s new. It isn’t. The question is whether it still earns its floor space.
What this machine actually is
The 1050cm Plus is a four-color aqueous plotter that drinks HP 80 inks through HP 80 printheads. Cyan, magenta, yellow, black. That’s the whole palette. It was designed for the bread-and-butter of AEC work: monochrome CAD line drawings on bond, with occasional color coordination sheets and the odd presentation board.
On bond paper, the ‘cm’ in the name matters — this is a color machine, not a mono-only unit. Line work is clean, small text stays legible, and the four-ink set handles color-coded MEP overlays and civil site plans without drama. Where it strains is photographic work. Four inks and no light-density colors means gradients and renderings look like what they are: a plotter doing a printer’s job.
HP 80Ink setCMYK aqueous, four-color
HP 80Printheadsuser-replaceable at the front
HP Matte 914 mm x 22.9 m (36 in x 75 ft)Media rollone of many supported 36-in rolls
Living with a legacy machine
Here’s the honest part. This is a single-roll, single-operator plotter. There’s no automatic roll switching, no MFP scanner bolted on, no cloud submission out of the box. On a heavy bid day you feed it, you watch it, and you swap rolls by hand. That’s fine for a firm running a few dozen D-size sheets a week. It’s a slog if you’re pushing hundreds.
Consumables are the real risk, not the machine. HP 80 inks and printheads still turn up, and there’s a deep catalog of supported bond, coated, and film media — the HP C6019B coated stock and the HP Matte 914 mm x 22.9 m (36 in x 75 ft) roll among them. But this is discontinued hardware. When a carriage belt or a service station finally quits, you’re hunting parts, not calling a dealer for a same-day fix. Budget for that.
Failure mode to name before the feature: printhead nozzle dropout after long idle periods. Aqueous heads clog if the machine sits. Run it weekly or don’t be surprised.
If you're shopping instead of maintaining
If your 1050cm Plus is on its last legs and you want to stay in the HP family with modern scanning, the HP DesignJet T918 36-in is the closer relative — it adds an integrated scanner and MFP workflow, though it’s also discontinued now. For a current-production 36-inch replacement, the Canon side of the catalog is where the live inventory sits: the Canon iPF760 36-in and its sibling Canon iPF765 36-in cover the same CAD-on-bond duty at 2400 x 1200 DPI, and the Canon iPF770 36-in adds a scanner if you copy old drawings. Worth a side-by-side before you commit.
Keep reading
The read
The HP Designjet 1050cm Plus is a workhorse from a previous generation, and it still does one thing well: clean, legible CAD line work in color on bond, one sheet at a time. If you already own one, running it and feeding it good media is cheaper than replacing it — provided you can still source parts. If you’re buying one to bridge a workflow, go in clear-eyed: it’s a single-roll, manual machine with no scanner and no network conveniences, and it’s discontinued. Bottom line: keep it alive if it’s paid for and running, but if you’re spending money to modernize, start with a current 36-inch Canon and don’t look back.
Spec analysis
How the specs grade
Overall performance
—Not enough data for an overall score
Individual dimensions are shown where the specs support them.
Verified specifications
The specs that decide it
| Maximum print width | 36 in |
|---|
Specifications
Full technical detail
Use caseCAD / Technical
Everything that fits the HP DesignJet 1050cm Plus
The full supplies hub lists every cartridge, printhead, roll and accessory verified against the manufacturer's own documentation for this machine.
8 ink cartridges · 4 printheads · 41 paper & media items · 1 accessory
HP DesignJet 1050cm Plus ink and paper →Supplies
Compatible ink, printheads & media
Genuine consumables that fit the HP DesignJet 1050cm Plus 36-in (Remarketed) — only the cartridges, printheads and media compatible with this model.
Ink Cartridges 8
HP 80 175-ml Magenta Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP Matte 914 mm x 22.9 m (36 in x 75 ft)
HP 80 175-ml Yellow Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP 80 350-ml Cyan Ink Cartridge
HP 80 350-ml Magenta Ink Cartridge
HP 80 350-ml Yellow Ink Cartridge
HP RC Matte White
HP 80 350-ml Black Ink CartridgePrintheads 4
Paper & Media 41
HP Q1733A printing paper Matte 1 sheets White
HP C3868A plotter paper 45.7 m 91.4 cm
HP C3869A plotter paper
HP White Matte Polyester Film
HP RC Satin Proofing Paper-914 mm x 22.9 m (36 in x 75 ft)
HP Q1420A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q1760A large format media 45.7 m Matte
HP Matte Film 610 mm x 38.1 m (24 in x 125 ft)
Representative imageHP Bright White Inkjet Paper, 36 in x 300 ft (C6810A)
HP C6035A large format media 45.7 m
HP C6036A printing paper Matte White
HP Clear Film 174 gsm-610 mm x 22.9 m (24 in x 75 ft)
HP Q1421A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q1757A printing paper Matte Yellow
HP Q1724A large format media 10.7 m Matt
HP Q1730A large format media 30.5 m
HP Q1908A printing film
HP Adhesive Vinyl 914 mm x 12.2 m (36 in x 40 ft)
HP Q1961A large format media
HP Q1962A large format media
HP Q1967A printing paper A3+ (330×483 mm) Matte 100 sheets White
HP Q1968A large format media 30.5 m Matte
HP Q6579A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q6580A photo paper Matte
HP Q6588A large format media Matte
HP Q6596A large format media Matte
HP Durable Display Film
HP Q1441A large format media 45.7 m
HP Q1442A large format media 45.7 m
HP Q1444A printing paper Matte
HP Q1445A printing paper Matte
HP Q7897A large format media 45.7 m
HP Matte Proofing 458 mm x 30.5 m (18 in x 100 ft) printing paper
HP Universal Bond Paper 841 mm x 91.4 m large format media 3598.4" (91.4 m)
HP Q8004A large format media 91.4 m
HP CG490A large format media 30.5 m Semi-gloss
HP Premium Semi-gloss Proofing Paper-50 sht/A3+/330 mm x 483 mm (13 x 19 in)
HP CG459A photo paper Matte
HP Premium Matte Photo Paper-914 mm x 30.5 m (36 in x 100 ft) large format media
HP CG463A large format media 30.5 m Semi-gloss
HP CG462A printing paper Semi-gloss WhiteAccessories 1
Questions
Straight answers
Is the HP Designjet 1050cm Plus still made?
No. It’s a legacy DesignJet that’s been discontinued, though remarketed units and a large installed base keep it in service. Buy it to sustain an existing workflow, not as a long-term new investment.
What inks and printheads does it use?
It runs the four-color HP 80 ink set (CMYK) through HP 80 printheads. Both are still available through the aftermarket and supply channels.
Can it scan or copy old drawings?
No. This is a print-only plotter with no integrated scanner. If you need scan-to-copy for as-builts, look at the HP DesignJet T918 36-in or a current Canon iPF770 36-in, both of which offer MFP configurations.
What media can I run on it?
A wide range of 36-inch rolls — plain bond, coated stocks like HP C6019B, matte and semi-gloss papers, and films. The HP Matte 914 mm x 22.9 m (36 in x 75 ft) roll is a common everyday choice.
How does it handle high-volume bid days?
Not gracefully. It’s a single-roll machine with no automatic switching, so an operator feeds and reloads it by hand. It suits a few dozen D-size sheets a week, not hundreds per deadline.
What's the biggest reliability concern?
Printhead clogging from disuse and parts availability. Aqueous heads need regular use to stay clear, and because the hardware is discontinued, a mechanical failure means hunting for parts rather than a quick service call.
Ready to put the HP DesignJet 1050cm Plus to work?
Configuration, media and a quote tailored to your workflow — from AEC plotter specialists.