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HP DesignJet 500

wide-format inkjet printer

Model500

Authorized HP dealerGenuine hardware & ink

Manufacturer warrantyExtension plans available

Free shippingContinental U.S.

Plotter specialistsAEC experts, not just sellers

Analyst take

A remarketed legacy D-size plotter built for single-sheet CAD line work, not deadline-volume bid sets.
Runs on HP 10 and HP 82 inks with HP 11 printheads — still obtainable, which is the reason to consider it.
Single roll only: no auto-switching, so mixed-size sets require standing at the machine.

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Overview

Built for the work

HP Designjet 500 Remarketed Printer

Expert analysis

What you should know

By Ray KowalczykSenior Technical Editor — CAD & Technical Printing

Key takeaways

A remarketed legacy D-size plotter built for single-sheet CAD line work, not deadline-volume bid sets.
Runs on HP 10 and HP 82 inks with HP 11 printheads — still obtainable, which is the reason to consider it.
Single roll only: no auto-switching, so mixed-size sets require standing at the machine.
Best as a back-up plotter or low-demand primary in a small studio or survey office.
Firms needing scanning or unattended runs should look at the step-up HP DesignJet T918 36-in instead.
Handles standard bond plus HP coated and matte roll media like the HP Matte 36 in x 75 ft.

Somebody in your office still has one of these. Maybe it’s under a stack of rolled-up as-builts in the corner, still printing check plots because nobody wants to retire it. The HP Designjet 500 was the workhorse D-size plotter of its era, and “remarketed” means exactly what it says: a refurbished unit from that installed base, sold to keep an old workflow alive or to fill a bench in a small shop.

Let’s be honest about what it is. This is legacy iron. It is not a machine you buy to future-proof a growing practice. It’s a machine you buy when you know precisely why you need it.

Who's standing at the tray

The Designjet 500 was built for CAD line work — architectural floor plans, civil site drawings, single-sheet check prints on bond. It runs on the older HP thermal inkjet system: HP 10 and HP 82 ink cartridges paired with HP 11 printheads. Those supplies are still findable, which is the whole reason a remarketed 500 makes sense today. When the supply chain for a legacy consumable dries up, the machine becomes a doorstop overnight. This one hasn’t crossed that line yet.

Media is the standard drill: roll and cut-sheet bond, plus HP’s coated and matte stocks like HP Matte 914 mm x 22.9 m (36 in x 75 ft). Load a roll, send a plan set, walk away for a coffee. It does one thing — put clean CAD lines on paper — and it did that job reliably for a very long time.

Where it earns its bench space

Single roll. One job at a time. That’s the shape of this machine, and it’s fine for the right room. A two-person survey office. A structural sole practitioner. A back-up plotter that only wakes up when the main unit jams during a permit-set crunch. In those jobs the 500 is exactly enough.

Where it falls down is volume and unattended runs. There’s no dual-roll auto-switching here, so a mixed-size bid set means you’re standing at the machine changing paper. First-plot-out on an old thermal head after idle time isn’t instant, either. When you’re feeding a 40-sheet set at 4:45 on bid day, that math stops being cute.

Fits: small studios printing occasional D-size check plots
Fits: a low-cost back-up next to a newer primary plotter
Fits: shops that already stock HP 10 and HP 82 supplies
Fits: archival reprint of legacy HP-GL/2 drawings

Estimate how long your typical plan set really takes on a single-roll machine — roll changes and all.

Sheets per set Sheet size Sets per week

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.

When to walk past it

If your firm produces full bid sets on deadline, needs a scanner for as-built capture, or wants to leave overnight jobs running unattended, this isn’t your machine. The obvious step-up in the same family is the HP DesignJet T918 36-in — a scanner/MFP-equipped, higher-capacity unit built for exactly that mixed-size, walk-away workload. It’s also discontinued, so you’d be buying it remarketed too, but it’s a different class of tool. Run the side-by-side on our Designjet 500 vs T918 comparison before you commit either way.

Buy the 500 for what it is: a known-quantity legacy plotter with supplies you can still get.

Keep reading

HP DesignJet T918 36-inThe MFP-class step-up in the same family for mixed-size, unattended sets.Compare 500 vs T918Single-roll legacy against a scanner-equipped workhorse.

The read

The Designjet 500, remarketed, is a narrow, honest purchase. It suits a small office that prints occasional D-size CAD work and can still buy HP 10 and HP 82 supplies without a scavenger hunt. Buy it as a back-up, an archive reprinter, or a low-demand primary — and go in knowing you’re inheriting an aging thermal-inkjet platform, not building for the next decade. If deadlines, dual rolls or scanning enter the conversation, you’ve outgrown it before you’ve plugged it in. Bottom line: right machine for a small, defined job — wrong machine for a growing one.

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

How it scores

Media HandlingNot enough spec data

Print Quality77

Print CostNot enough spec data

Color27

Speed21

ConnectionsNot enough spec data

WorkflowNot enough spec data

Size / Fit94

WarrantyNot enough spec data

Graded on a curve against the best published spec among the wide-format printers we track — 100 = the catalog’s gold standard for that metric (the finest droplet, the longest warranty, the fastest rated speed actually on the market). Every input is a manufacturer-published spec; rated speeds are shown as listed, not timed throughput. Ticks mark the class best. How we grade →

Specifications

Full technical detail

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 (Remarketed) — only the cartridges, printheads and media compatible with this model.

Questions

Straight answers

Can I still get ink and printheads for the Designjet 500?

Yes — it uses HP 10 and HP 82 ink cartridges with HP 11 printheads, which remain available. That supply situation is the main reason a remarketed unit is still worth considering today.

Does it handle 36-inch rolls?

It runs standard roll and cut-sheet bond plus HP coated and matte stocks, including the HP Matte 914 mm x 22.9 m (36 in x 75 ft) roll. It’s a single-roll machine, so you swap media by hand between jobs.

Is this a good fit for producing full bid sets?

Not really. With one roll and no auto-switching, mixed-size sets mean manual paper changes, and first-plot-out after idle isn’t instant. For deadline-volume sets, the step-up HP DesignJet T918 36-in is the better tool.

Does it scan or copy?

No. The base Designjet 500 is a plotter, not a multifunction device. If you need integrated scanning for as-built capture, look at a scanner-equipped model like the HP DesignJet T918 36-in.

Should I buy one as my only office plotter?

Only if your print volume is low and your work is mostly single-sheet CAD check plots. It shines as a back-up unit or in a small studio — it’s not built to be a busy shop’s sole machine.

What maintenance supplies does it need?

It uses a range of HP maintenance and media items compatible with this generation of Designjet hardware. Confirm the specific service parts for your unit’s configuration before you buy, since remarketed machines vary.

Resources

Brochures, datasheets & video

Documents

BrochurePDF

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