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HP DesignJet 5500 MFP
42" wide-format inkjet printer
- Model5500 MFP
- Prints42" wide
Authorized HP dealerGenuine hardware & ink
Manufacturer warrantyExtension plans available
Free shippingContinental U.S.
Plotter specialistsAEC experts, not just sellers
Analyst take
- The HP DesignJet 5500 MFP is a legacy dye-ink wide-format printer with an integrated scan-copy front end.
- It runs on HP 81 inks and printheads plus the HP C4993A printhead, with a deep supported media list.
- Dye ink limits lightfastness and water resistance, so it's a poor fit for field as-builts and weather-exposed permit sets.
Not sure if the 5500 MFP is right for you?
Compare key specs and an AI analyst read-out against similar models.
Overview
Built for the work
HP Designjet 5500 MFP
Expert analysis
What you should know
Key takeaways
- The HP DesignJet 5500 MFP is a legacy dye-ink wide-format printer with an integrated scan-copy front end.
- It runs on HP 81 inks and printheads plus the HP C4993A printhead, with a deep supported media list.
- Dye ink limits lightfastness and water resistance, so it's a poor fit for field as-builts and weather-exposed permit sets.
- It still fits color coordination drawings, GIS maps, legacy-sheet copying and overflow printing where documents stay indoors.
- The closest in-family successor, the HP DesignJet T918 36-in, is also discontinued; current buyers should look at Canon GP-4000, GP-4600S or iPF8300 44-in.
- Own one already and can still get parts and consumables? Keep it running; buying new today means replacing it, not choosing it.
Somebody in your office is standing in front of an HP DesignJet 5500 MFP right now, and the odds are good the machine is older than the intern feeding it. This is a legacy wide-format system built around the HP 81 dye-ink platform, and for years it was a workhorse in reprographics rooms and larger engineering departments that needed color plots and integrated scan-copy in one footprint.
It still runs. That’s the point. But running and being the right buy in the current year are two different conversations, and I’d rather have the honest one with you.
What this machine actually is
The 5500 MFP is a dye-based wide-format printer paired with a scanner and copy front end. It uses HP 81 inks and HP 81 printheads, with the additional HP C4993A printhead in the mix, and it feeds from a deep media catalog — bond, coated, film, photo stock, the works.
In its day it handled the full AEC menu: monochrome plan sets, color-coded coordination drawings, GIS maps and presentation boards. The dye ink laid down saturated color. The scanner meant you could copy an existing D-size sheet without leaving the room. For a firm that lived on both black-line drawings and color renderings, that combination earned its floor space.
HP 81Ink platformdye-based ink and printheads
HP C4993ASecond printheadpart of the printhead set
HP Matte 914 mm x 22.9 m (36 in x 75 ft)Maintenance mediaone of the supported rolls
Where it still earns its keep
If you already own one, it’s paid for, and the consumable supply chain hasn’t dried up on you, there are real jobs it still does well.
- Color coordination drawings and GIS work where dye saturation reads clearly.
- Copy-and-reprint of legacy D- and E-size sheets without shipping them out.
- Presentation boards on photo and film stock — the media list here is long.
- A backup device that shares the load when your main plotter is buried before a bid deadline.
Dye ink is the catch. It’s less lightfast and less water-resistant than the pigment inks in current machines, so as-builts headed for a job trailer or a permit set that has to survive a rainy site visit are asking for trouble.
When it's time to stop nursing it
Every legacy machine reaches a point where the service call costs more than the plot. Parts get scarce. The one tech in your county who knows the scanner retires. When that day comes, the honest replacement conversation points at current pigment-ink hardware.
Inside HP’s own line, the HP DesignJet T918 36-in is the closest scanner/MFP-style successor, though it’s also discontinued now. If you’re shopping current iron, the cross-brand field is where the volume is: the Canon GP-4000 44-in and the Canon GP-4600S 44-in cover a wider 44-inch roll with modern pigment ink, and the Canon iPF8300 44-in remains a strong color-graphics option. Worth a side-by-side — put the 5500 MFP next to the GP-4000 before you commit.
Keep reading
The read
The HP DesignJet 5500 MFP is a legacy machine, and I won’t pretend otherwise. If it’s already on your floor, running, and you can still source HP 81 inks and printheads, keep it working — for color coordination sheets, in-house copy jobs and overflow it still pulls its weight. Just don’t route rain-bound as-builts through dye ink. And if you’re buying anything today rather than maintaining what you have, this isn’t the purchase; it’s the thing your new pigment plotter replaces. Bottom line: a good soldier near the end of its tour — respect the service, but plan the handoff.
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 | 42 in |
|---|
Specifications
Full technical detail
Use caseCAD / Technical
Everything that fits the HP DesignJet 5500 MFP
The full supplies hub lists every cartridge, printhead, roll and accessory verified against the manufacturer's own documentation for this machine.
15 ink cartridges · 7 printheads · 83 paper & media items · 3 accessories
HP DesignJet 5500 MFP ink and paper →Supplies
Compatible ink, printheads & media
Genuine consumables that fit the HP DesignJet 5500 MFP 42-in — only the cartridges, printheads and media compatible with this model.
Ink Cartridges 14
HP 81 Value Pack 680-ml Light Cyan Dye Ink Cartridge and Printhead print head Thermal inkjet
HP 81 Value Pack 680-ml Light Magenta Dye Ink Cartridge and Printhead print head Thermal inkjet
HP Matte 914 mm x 22.9 m (36 in x 75 ft)
HP 81 Value Pack 680-ml Black Dye Ink Cartridge and Printhead print head Thermal inkjet
HP 81 Value Pack 680-ml Cyan Dye Ink Cartridge and Printhead print head Thermal inkjet
HP 81 Value Pack 680-ml Magenta Dye Ink Cartridge and Printhead print head Thermal inkjet
HP RC Matte White
HP Dye Upgrade Kits with Ink/42
HP 81 3-pack 680-ml Light Magenta Dye Ink Cartridges
HP Dye Upgrade Kits with Ink/60
HP UV Upgrade Kit with Ink/60
HP UV Upgrade Kit with Ink/42
HP 81 680-ml Light Magenta Dye Ink Cartridge
HP 81 680-ml Light Cyan Dye Ink CartridgePrintheads 7
HP 81 Black Dye Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 81 Light Cyan Dye Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 81 Cyan Dye Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 81 Magenta Dye Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 81 Light Magenta Dye Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 81 Yellow Dye Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 81 3-pack 680-ml Light Cyan Dye Cartridges print head Thermal inkjetPaper & Media 71
HP Q1733A printing paper Matte 1 sheets White
HP Two-view Cling Film
HP Two-view Cling Film
HP C6568B large format media 45.7 m
HP C6964A photo paper White Gloss
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
Representative imageHP Bright White Inkjet Paper, 36 in x 300 ft (C6810A)
HP Reverse Print Matte Backlit Film
HP C6035A large format media 45.7 m
HP C6036A printing paper Matte White
HP C6567B plotter paper
HP White Glossy Opaque Polyester Film-1067 mm x 15.2 m (42 in x 50 ft)
HP Universal Semi-gloss Photo Paper
HP Clear Film 174 gsm-610 mm x 22.9 m (24 in x 75 ft)
HP Q1904A printing film
HP Q1421A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q1757A printing paper Matte Yellow
HP Q1724A large format media 10.7 m Matt
HP Photo Imaging Gloss White
HP Q1745A large format media 10 m Matte
HP Q1743A printing paper Matte 1 sheets WhiteRepresentative imageHP Heavyweight Coated Paper, 42 in x 100 ft (C6569C)
HP Q1730A large format media 30.5 m
HP Q1908A printing film
HP C6959A photo paper White
HP C6960A photo paper Satin
HP Adhesive Vinyl 914 mm x 12.2 m (36 in x 40 ft)
HP Q1956A large format media 67.5 m
HP Q1961A large format media
HP Q1962A large format media
HP C7949A large format media 30.5 m Matte
HP Q1898B large format media
HP Q1899B large format media
HP Q6579A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q6580A photo paper Matte
HP Q6581A photo paper
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 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 Q8677A printing film
HP Universal Adhesive Vinyl 914 mm x 20 m (36 in x 66 ft)
HP Q8673A large format media 6.1 m
HP Collector Satin Canvas-610 mm x 6.1 m (24 in x 20 ft)
HP Q8713A photo paper Matte
HP Q7990A photo paper Gloss
HP Premium Instant-dry Satin White
HP Q7991A photo paper
HP Aquarella Fine Art Paper-914 mm x 10.7 m (36 in x 35 ft)
HP Aquarella Art Paper-610 mm x 10.7 m (24 in x 35 ft)
HP Hahnemühle Smooth Fine Art Paper 265 g/m²-1067 mm x 10.7 m (42 in x 35 ft)
HP Hahnemühle Textured Fine Art Paper 265 g/m²-1067 mm x 10.7 m (42 in x 35 ft)
HP Q8916A photo paper
HP Q8917A photo paper
HP Q8918A photo paper
HP Q8919A photo paper
HP Q8920A photo paper
HP Q8921A photo paper
HP Q8922A photo paper
HP Q8923A photo paper
HP CG459A photo paper Matte
HP Premium Matte Photo Paper-914 mm x 30.5 m (36 in x 100 ft) large format media
Questions
Straight answers
Is the HP DesignJet 5500 MFP still made?
No. It’s a legacy machine that survives mainly in the installed base. If yours runs and consumables are still available, it can stay in service, but it’s no longer a new-purchase option.
What ink and printheads does it use?
It runs on the dye-based HP 81 ink and HP 81 printheads, along with the HP C4993A printhead. Confirm your supply source before you rely on it for deadline work.
Can I use it for as-builts and permit sets headed to a job site?
I’d be cautious. The dye ink is less water- and light-resistant than the pigment inks in current plotters, so documents exposed to sun or moisture at a trailer can fade or smear. It’s better kept to indoor color and coordination work.
What replaces it if I need current hardware?
The nearest in-family scanner/MFP successor is the HP DesignJet T918 36-in, though it’s also discontinued. For current pigment-ink machines on a wider 44-inch roll, look at the Canon GP-4000, GP-4600S or iPF8300.
What can this machine still do well?
Color-coded coordination drawings, GIS maps, presentation boards on its wide range of supported media, and in-house copying of legacy D- and E-size sheets thanks to the built-in scanner. It also serves as useful overflow behind a main plotter during a crunch.
Ready to put the HP DesignJet 5500 MFP to work?
Configuration, media and a quote tailored to your workflow — from AEC plotter specialists.