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HP DesignJet 500
42" wide-format inkjet printer
- Model500
- Prints42" wide
Authorized HP dealerGenuine hardware & ink
Manufacturer warrantyExtension plans available
Free shippingContinental U.S.
Plotter specialistsAEC experts, not just sellers
Analyst take
- A remarketed 42-inch roll plotter aimed at monochrome and color line drawings on bond.
- Runs HP 10 and HP 11 inks with an HP 82 option, and separate cartridges mean you replace only the color that's empty.
- Single roll with no automatic switching — reloads happen by hand, which slows a busy print room.
Not sure if the 500 is right for you?
Compare key specs and an AI analyst read-out against similar models.
Overview
Built for the work
HP Designjet 500 42-in Roll Remarketed Printer
- 42″Max print width
- 118 ft²/hRated speed
- 4Ink channels
Expert analysis
What you should know
Key takeaways
- A remarketed 42-inch roll plotter aimed at monochrome and color line drawings on bond.
- Runs HP 10 and HP 11 inks with an HP 82 option, and separate cartridges mean you replace only the color that's empty.
- Single roll with no automatic switching — reloads happen by hand, which slows a busy print room.
- No built-in scanner or copy function, so scan-to-file and redline-capture workflows need a different machine.
- Broad media support including bond, coated stock, semi-gloss and matte film.
- Best for a small studio printing its own check and permit sets, not for production volume.
Somebody in your office still needs a check plot at 4:45 on a Thursday, and they don’t need it framed. They need it legible, on bond, before the reviewer leaves. That’s the job the HP DesignJet 500 42-in was built for, and that’s the job it still does in plenty of shops that never saw a reason to replace it.
This is a remarketed unit — a used machine, refurbished and sold again. So let’s be honest about what that means. You’re buying a well-understood, older 42-inch roll-fed plotter for straightforward monochrome and color line work. Not a production engine. Not a color-proofing rig. A workhorse for drawings.
42-inRoll widthHandles D and E sheets off the roll
HP 10 and HP 11Ink setSeparate cartridges by color, so you replace only what runs dry
HP 82Photo optionAvailable cartridge for color work
What it's genuinely good at
Line drawings on bond. Full stop. Feed it a set of civil sheets, MEP coordination plans or a permit set, and it lays down clean, readable line work at a size architects and engineers actually work in.
The four-color system runs on HP 10 and HP 11 inks, with the HP 82 cartridge available for color duty. Separate cartridges matter more than people think — when the black runs dry mid-set, you swap black, not a whole tank of color you never touched. On a deadline that’s a two-minute fix instead of a full reload.
Media support is broad. Bond, coated, heavyweight coated, matte film — the compatible roll list covers the usual AEC stock, so you’re not hunting for exotic paper.
Where it falls short
Name the failure mode first: this is single-roll, no automatic switching, no built-in scanner. When roll one runs out mid-bid-set, someone walks over and reloads. That’s fine for a small studio. It’s a bottleneck in a print room pushing sets all afternoon.
There’s no MFP capability here either. If your workflow lives on scan-to-file, redline capture and copying old drawings, this isn’t your machine — look at a scanner-equipped unit like the HP DesignJet T918 36-in instead, keeping in mind that one is discontinued too.
And if you need real production speed and dual rolls, the current 44-inch field is where you shop. The Canon GP-4000 44-in and Canon GP-4600S 44-in are current machines built for volume. Put them side by side before you decide the 500 is enough.
Rough out how long a bid set takes on this machine — sheet count in, minutes out. Remember: single roll means reload time isn't in the math.
One set: – · Weekly plotting time: –
Computed from the manufacturer's rated 118 ft²/h. Real-world mixed sets run slower — treat this as a best case for comparing machines, not a promise.
Consumables and keeping it fed
Plan your consumables before the machine arrives, not after. Inks are HP 10, HP 11 and the HP 82 option. On the maintenance and media side you’ve got a long compatible list — including HP Matte Film 610 mm x 38.1 m (24 in x 125 ft) for the occasional film job and semi-gloss stocks like HP CG463A large format media 30.5 m Semi-gloss. Stock a spare black and a roll of bond and you’ll rarely stall.
Worth a look before you commit
The read
The DesignJet 500 42-in remarketed is a sensible buy for one reader: a small architecture or engineering shop that prints its own check sets and permit drawings, doesn’t scan, and doesn’t run all afternoon. For that reader, it’s a low-fuss way to get 42-inch line work out the door. Everyone else — print rooms, high-volume engineering departments, anyone leaning on scan-to-file — has outgrown it before they’ve plugged it in. Buy it for what it is: a reliable single-roll drawing plotter, sold a second time, doing honest work. Bottom line: right machine, narrow use case — know which one you are before you sign.
Spec analysis
How the specs grade
Overall performance
—Not enough data for an overall score
Individual dimensions are shown where the specs support them.
- This printer
Verified specifications
The specs that decide it
| Maximum print width | 42 in |
|---|
Specifications
Full technical detail
Max print width42"
Use caseCAD / Technical
Everything that fits the HP DesignJet 500
The full supplies hub lists every cartridge, printhead, roll and accessory verified against the manufacturer's own documentation for this machine.
9 ink cartridges · 4 printheads · 133 paper & media items · 5 accessories
HP DesignJet 500 ink and paper →Supplies
Compatible ink, printheads & media
Genuine consumables that fit the HP DesignJet 500 42-in (Remarketed) — only the cartridges, printheads and media compatible with this model.
Ink Cartridges 3
Printheads 4
Paper & Media 34
Representative image11 Mil Water-Resistant Synthetic BannerRepresentative image180gsm Solvent Satin PE PaperRepresentative image5 Mil Polycarbonate LaminateRepresentative image230gsm Special Matte Photo PaperRepresentative image200gsm Special Matte Photo PaperRepresentative image10 Mil Water-resistant Blockout Display FilmRepresentative image10 Mil White Opaque BackerRepresentative image5 Mil Water-Resistant Self-Adh Vinyl (3" AC)Representative image8mil Poster Paper Satin (514)Representative image20LB Engineering Vellum (471)Representative imageWSL 28LB Simple Inkjet Coated Matte Paper (C2S) (448)Representative imageWSL 24LB Simple Inkjet Coated Matte Paper (C2S) (446)
HP C6033A photo paper High-gloss
HP C3869A plotter paper
HP Q1420A photo paper Brown, White
HP Matte Film 610 mm x 38.1 m (24 in x 125 ft)
HP C6035A large format media 45.7 m
HP Clear Film 174 gsm-610 mm x 22.9 m (24 in x 75 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 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 Q8664A printing paper High-gloss 1 sheets White
HP Q8662A printing paper A3+ (330×483 mm) High-gloss 50 sheets White
HP Q8663A large format media 30.5 m High-gloss
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 CG463A large format media 30.5 m Semi-gloss
HP CG462A printing paper Semi-gloss White
Questions
Straight answers
What size drawings can it print?
It’s a 42-inch roll-fed plotter, so it handles standard D and E architectural and engineering sheets straight off the roll without folding.
What inks does it use?
It uses HP 10 and HP 11 inks, with the HP 82 cartridge available for color work. The colors are separate cartridges, so you replace only the one that runs out.
Does it scan or copy?
No. This is a print-only plotter. If your workflow depends on scanning old drawings or capturing redlines, look at a scanner-equipped model such as the HP DesignJet T918 36-in instead.
Can it switch rolls automatically for a mixed bid set?
No. It’s a single-roll machine, so someone reloads by hand when the roll runs out. That’s manageable in a small office but a bottleneck in a high-volume print room.
What does 'remarketed' mean here?
It’s a previously owned unit that has been refurbished and offered for sale again — a well-understood older machine rather than a current production model.
What media can I run on it?
A broad range, including bond, coated and heavyweight coated stock, semi-gloss papers like the HP CG463A large format media, and HP Matte Film for occasional film output.
Ready to put the HP DesignJet 500 to work?
Configuration, media and a quote tailored to your workflow — from AEC plotter specialists.