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HP DesignJet 120
wide-format inkjet printer
- Model120
Authorized HP dealerGenuine hardware & ink
Manufacturer warrantyExtension plans available
Free shippingContinental U.S.
Plotter specialistsAEC experts, not just sellers
Analyst take
- A desktop-class color inkjet plotter built for low, irregular AEC volume, not production runs.
- User-replaceable HP 84 printheads mean a clog is a swap, not a service call.
- Roll capability requires the add-on HP Designjet 120/130 Auto Roll Feed — it's sheet-fed out of the box.
Not sure if the 120 is right for you?
Compare key specs and an AI analyst read-out against similar models.
Overview
Built for the work
HP DesignJet 120 Printer
Expert analysis
What you should know
Key takeaways
- A desktop-class color inkjet plotter built for low, irregular AEC volume, not production runs.
- User-replaceable HP 84 printheads mean a clog is a swap, not a service call.
- Roll capability requires the add-on HP Designjet 120/130 Auto Roll Feed — it's sheet-fed out of the box.
- Aqueous ink needs brief drying time before folding or stacking fresh plots.
- No integrated scanner or copy function — redlines and as-builts need a different class of machine.
- For plan sets, scanning, or deadline throughput, step up to a wider MFP-capable DesignJet like the T918.
The DesignJet 120 is the small end of the plotter world. It’s a desktop-class color inkjet built for D-size and smaller work, not a print-room workhorse. Picture a two-person design studio: someone needs a clean color check plot or a presentation board by 5 p.m., and the last thing they want is a machine that eats half the office.
That’s the job this printer was made for. Not a bid set of 200 sheets. A handful of drawings, a proof, a rendering. Know that going in and the rest of the page will make sense.
HP 11Ink systemcolor inks; the 120 uses a separate-tank layout
HP 82Black inkdedicated black cartridge
HP 84Printheadsreplaceable heads, not one-shot cartridges
HP Designjet 120/130 Auto Roll FeedRoll optionadd-on roll feed for unattended plotting
Line quality and the small-studio fit
For architectural line work and CAD output, the DesignJet 120 does the basic job: legible lines, readable dimension text, dependable geometry on bond. It’s an aqueous inkjet, so plan for a little dwell time before you fold or stack a fresh plot. That’s ink drying, not a defect.
Where it earns its keep is low, irregular volume. A civil office that plots a few check sets a week. A landscape architect running the occasional color rendering. An MEP consultant who needs a color coordination sheet now and then. The printheads are the HP 84 family, which are user-replaceable, so a clogged head on a Friday afternoon isn’t a service call — it’s a swap.
Media, rolls, and running it unattended
Out of the box it’s a sheet-and-cut-media machine. If you want roll capability — and most AEC users eventually do — the HP Designjet 120/130 Auto Roll Feed is the add-on that gets you there. That’s the difference between feeding sheets one at a time and letting a short run finish while you’re in a meeting.
Media choice is wide: bond, coated, and photo-gloss stocks are all supported through the compatible HP media lineup, including HP Universal Satin White and the HP Universal Semi-Gloss Photo Paper. For color proofing there’s dedicated HP Gloss Proofing A1 White stock. Keep the HP maintenance items on the shelf — a printer that idles between deadlines still needs its consumables current.
Where it runs out of road
Name the failure mode first: this is not a machine for a deadline crunch with a full bid set queued behind it. It’s narrow-purpose by design. If your day involves collated multi-size plan sets, roll switching, or an integrated scanner for redlines and as-builts, you’ve outgrown this class entirely.
That’s where a wider, faster, MFP-capable model in the same DesignJet family comes in — something like the HP DesignJet T918 36-in, which adds scan-copy and real production throughput. Worth a side-by-side if you’re on the fence: compare the 120 against the T918. And if you want to see where this machine sits against its class, the class ranking lays it out.
Related machines
The read
The DesignJet 120 is a right-sized answer to a specific problem: color-capable, small-format plotting for an office that doesn’t print much and doesn’t have room for more machine. Add the roll feed, keep the HP 11 and HP 82 inks and HP 84 heads stocked, and it’ll quietly handle check plots and presentation work for years. Ask more of it — plan sets, scanning, deadline volume — and it will let you down at 4:45 on the wrong day. Bottom line: buy it for the studio it fits, and step up to a wider dual-purpose machine the moment your volume argues 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.
Specifications
Full technical detail
Use caseCAD / Technical
Everything that fits the HP DesignJet 120
The full supplies hub lists every cartridge, printhead, roll and accessory verified against the manufacturer's own documentation for this machine.
10 ink cartridges · 7 printheads · 44 paper & media items · 4 accessories
HP DesignJet 120 ink and paper →Supplies
Compatible ink, printheads & media
Genuine consumables that fit the HP DesignJet 120 Printer — only the cartridges, printheads and media compatible with this model.
Ink Cartridges 10
HP 110/120/130 Auto Roll Feed
HP 84 ink cartridge 3 pc(s) Original Photo black
HP 11 Cyan ink cartridge
HP 11 Cyan ink cartridge
HP 82 69-ml Yellow Ink Cartridge
HP 84 69-ml Black Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP 84 69-ml Light Cyan Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP 11 Magenta Ink Cartridge (C4837AE)
HP 11 Magenta Original Ink Cartridge
HP 11 Cyan Original Ink CartridgePrintheads 7
Paper & Media 44
HP Premium Papier A4 printing paper
HP photo-quality paper, semi-glossy, two-sided, A4 (25 sheets)
HP C6951A photo paper
HP C6568B large format media 45.7 m
HP Q1408A plotter paper
HP Q1430A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q1420A photo paper Brown, White
HP Universal Satin White
HP C6821A printing paper A3 (297×420 mm) Gloss 50 sheets White
HP C6570C large format media 30.5 m
HP C6059A photo paper A3 Gloss
HP Semi-gloss Proofing Paper-50 sht/A3+/330 x 483 mm (13 x 19 in)
HP C6035A large format media 45.7 m
HP C6036A printing paper Matte White
HP C6567B plotter paper
HP Universal Semi-gloss Photo Paper
HP Q1421A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q1416A large format media 30.5 m
HP C6818A printing paper A4 (210×297 mm) Gloss 50 sheets White
HP C1853A printing paper A4 (210×297 mm) Matte 100 sheets White
HP Premium Paper 100 g/m²-A3/297 x 420 mm/100 sht printing paper
HP C6832A photo paper
Representative imageHP Heavyweight Coated Paper, 42 in x 100 ft (C6569C)
HP Universal Semi-Gloss Photo Paper
HP Q1961A large format media
HP Q1962A large format media
HP Gloss Proofing Paper-50 sht/A3+/330 x 483 mm (13 x 19 in)
HP Q1967A printing paper A3+ (330×483 mm) Matte 100 sheets White
HP Gloss Proofing A2 White
HP Gloss Proofing A1 White
HP Semi-gloss Proofing Paper-610 mm x 30.5 m (24 in x 100 ft)
HP Premium Inkjet 50 sht/A4/210 x 297 mm 50 sheets
HP Q2525A printing paper Gloss
HP Gloss Proofing Paper 173 g/m²-A1+/610 mm x 914 mm-20 sheets large format media
HP Q6579A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q1442A large format media 45.7 m
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 Q8662A printing paper A3+ (330×483 mm) High-gloss 50 sheets White
HP Premium Plus High-gloss Photo Paper-20 sht/A4/210 x 297 mm
HP Premium Plus High-gloss Photo Paper-20 sht/A4/210 x 297 mm
HP Premium Plus High-gloss Photo Paper-20 sht/A4/210 x 297 mm
HP Premium Plus High-gloss Photo Paper-20 sht/A4/210 x 297 mm
Questions
Straight answers
What size drawings can the DesignJet 120 handle?
It’s a small-format plotter built for D-size and smaller work — think check plots, single sheets, and presentation boards, not large collated plan sets.
Which inks and printheads does it use?
Color comes from the HP 11 ink cartridges with a dedicated HP 82 black, and the printheads are the user-replaceable HP 84 family.
Can it print from a roll?
Yes, but only with the add-on HP Designjet 120/130 Auto Roll Feed. Without it, the 120 is a sheet-and-cut-media machine.
Does it scan or copy?
No. There’s no integrated scanner. If you need to copy redlines or capture as-builts, you need an MFP-class machine such as the HP DesignJet T918 36-in.
What media works with it?
A wide range — bond, coated, satin, and photo-gloss stocks including HP Universal Satin White, HP Universal Semi-Gloss Photo Paper, and dedicated HP Gloss Proofing stock for color proofs.
Is it the right printer for a busy engineering department?
No. It’s built for low, occasional volume. High-volume plan-set production and deadline throughput call for a wider, faster model in the same DesignJet family.
Ready to put the HP DesignJet 120 to work?
Configuration, media and a quote tailored to your workflow — from AEC plotter specialists.