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HP · Wide-Format Plotter
42" wide-format inkjet printer
Analyst take
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Overview
HP Designjet 5500 Remarketed Printer (42 in)
Expert analysis
Key takeaways
It’s 4:45 on a Thursday and someone needs a full presentation set — color renderings, site plans, the works — before the client meeting Friday morning. That’s the job the HP Designjet 5500 was built for. A 42-inch, dye-and-UV-pigment workhorse from HP’s older DesignJet generation, still turning up in reprographics rooms and engineering departments that never saw a reason to rip it out.
This is a remarketed unit. It is not a current product. Buying one means buying into a proven, well-understood machine — and accepting that the industry has moved on around it. Both of those things are true at the same time.
The 5500 earned its reputation on color. With the HP 81 dye inks it lays down saturated renderings, presentation boards and marketing sheets that still look good on the wall. Firms that ran the UV pigment variant — via the HP UV Upgrade Kit with Ink/42 or the /60 kit — got better fade resistance for archival and displayed work.
Separate printheads and cartridges mean you replace only what runs dry. The HP 83 printheads and the various C4940A-through-C5005A head options were designed to be swapped by the operator, not a technician. That keeps a healthy machine running between service calls.
Be honest about the age. This is a discontinued platform. Parts come from the remarketed channel, service is find-your-own-technician, and there is no modern touchscreen, no cloud submission, no current security posture. If your IT director needs user authentication and network job accounting out of the box, this isn’t that machine.
It also has no scanner. If your workflow needs copy-and-scan of legacy drawings, look at an MFP like the HP DesignJet T918 36-in instead — though note that’s a narrower 36-inch device. For a current 44-inch color plotter with today’s ink chemistry, the Canon imagePROGRAF line is the obvious modern comparison: the Canon GP-4000 44-in on the current side, or the still-catalogued Canon iPF8300 44-in for photo-grade color. Worth a side-by-side before you commit — put the 5500 next to the GP-4000 and decide what your deadlines actually need.
Worth comparing before you buy
The read
The 5500 is a good machine having a second life, not a first one. If you already run one, or you can buy a clean remarketed unit with a dependable HP 81 ink supply and a technician who knows it, it will keep printing color plan sets and presentation boards for years. If you’re building a workflow from scratch — with scanning, network security and vendor support on the list — a current 44-inch Canon or a newer in-family MFP earns the money instead. Bottom line: buy it for what it still does, not for what a new plotter would.
Spec analysis
Overall performance
Individual dimensions are shown where the specs support them.
Specifications
Everything that fits the HP DesignJet 5500
The full supplies hub lists every cartridge, printhead, roll and accessory verified against the manufacturer's own documentation for this machine.
15 ink cartridges · 19 printheads · 139 paper & media items · 3 accessories
HP DesignJet 5500 ink and paper →Supplies
Genuine consumables that fit the HP DesignJet 5500 Remarketed Printer (42-in) — only the cartridges, printheads and media compatible with this model.
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 Cartridge
HP Cartouche d'encre magenta UV 83 (680 ml) print head Thermal inkjet
HP 83 Cyan UV Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 83 Yellow UV Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 83 Light Cyan UV Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP Cartouche d'encre cyan UV 83 (680 ml) print head Thermal inkjet
HP Cartouche d'encre cyan clair UV 83 (680 ml) print head Thermal inkjet
HP Cartouche d'encre magenta clair UV 83 (680 ml) print head Thermal inkjet
HP 81 Black Dye Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 81 Light Cyan Dye Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 83 Black UV 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 Cartouche d'encre UV noire 83 680 ml print head Thermal inkjet
HP 83 Magenta UV Printhead and Printhead Cleaner
HP 83 Light Magenta UV 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 inkjet
HP Cartouche d'encre jaune UV 83 (680 ml) print head Thermal inkjet
HP Q1733A printing paper Matte 1 sheets White
HP Two-view Cling Film
HP Two-view Cling Film
HP Q1408A plotter paper
HP Q1430A photo paper Brown, White
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
HP C6570C large format media 30.5 m
HP Matte Polypropylene 1372 mm x 22.9 m (54 in x 75 ft)
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 C6777A printing film
HP Clear Film 174 gsm-610 mm x 22.9 m (24 in x 75 ft)
HP C7950A large format media 30.5 m Matte
HP Q1904A printing film
HP Matte Polypropylene 1524 mm x 22.9 m (60 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 Q1416A large format media 30.5 m
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 Universal Semi-Gloss Photo Paper
HP Adhesive Vinyl 914 mm x 12.2 m (36 in x 40 ft)
HP Q1956A large format media 67.5 m
HP Heavyweight Coated 1524 mm x 68.5 m (60 in x 225 ft) large format media Matte
HP Q1961A large format media
HP Q1962A large format media
HP C7949A large format media 30.5 m Matte
HP Durable Scrim-1067 mm x 12.2 m (42 in x 40 ft)
HP Durable Scrim 550 g/m²-24"/610 mm x 12.2 m large format media
HP Durable Scrim 550 g/m²-36"/914 mm x 12.2 m large format media
HP Q1902B large format media
HP Q1898B large format media
HP Q1899B large format media
HP Universal Semi-gloss Photo Paper-1270 mm x 30.5 m (50 in x 100 ft)
HP Q6579A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q6580A photo paper Matte
HP Q6581A photo paper
HP Q6583A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q6578A photo paper Brown, White
HP Q6596A large format media Matte
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 Q7999A photo 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 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 Q8749A printing film
HP Q8750A printing film
HP Q8748A printing film
HP Q8834A printing film
HP Q8835A printing film
HP CG490A large format media 30.5 m Semi-gloss
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
HP CG463A large format media 30.5 m Semi-gloss
HP CG462A printing paper Semi-gloss White
HP Q1446A plotter paper 45 m 42 cm
HP Vivid White Glossy Polyester Film
HP PVC-free Banner-914 mm x 15.2 m (36 in x 50 ft)
HP CG816A large format media 15.2 m Matte
HP CG817A large format media 15.2 m
HP Vivid White Glossy Polyester Film
HP CG498A printing film
HP Cockle-free Heavyweight Coated Paper-914 mm x 30.5 m (36 in x 100 ft)
HP Cockle-free Heavyweight Coated Paper-1067 mm x 30.5 m (42 in x 100 ft)
HP CG822A large format media 22.9 m
HP CG884A large format media 45.7 m Matte
HP CG823A large format media 22.9 m
HP CG885A large format media 45.7 m Matte
HP Durable Banner w/ DuPont Tyvek 914 mm x 22.9 m (36 in x 75 ft) large format media Matte
HP Cockle-free Heavyweight Coated Paper-610 mm x 30.5 m (24 in x 100 ft)
HP Cockle-free Coated Paper-610 mm x 45.7 m (24 in x 150 ft)
HP CG892A large format media
HP CG889A large format media 45.7 m
HP CG890A plotter paper
HP CG891A large format media 45 m
HP Canvas Paper 180 g/m²-610 mm x 10.7 m (24 in x 35 ft)
HP Self-adhesive Indoor Paper-610 mm x 22.9 m (24 in x 75 ft)
HP Self-adhesive Indoor Paper-1067 mm x 22.9 m (42 in x 75 ft)
HP Q6620B printing film
HP C2T50A printing filmQuestions
No. It’s a discontinued platform, offered here as a remarketed unit. Support and parts come from the used-equipment and consumables channel rather than HP’s current lineup.
The HP 81 ink family, with HP 81 and HP 83 printheads plus the various C4940A–C5005A head options. Dye and UV Upgrade Kits with Ink (42 and 60 sizes) let you configure the machine for color vividness or fade resistance.
No. It’s a printer only. If your workflow needs to copy or scan legacy drawings, an MFP such as the HP DesignJet T918 36-in fits that role, though it’s a narrower 36-inch device.
It’s a 42-inch-wide roll-fed plotter, which covers standard D- and E-size architectural and engineering drawings comfortably.
If you value current vendor support, modern ink chemistry, scanning or network security, look at a current model like the Canon GP-4000 44-in or the color-focused Canon iPF8300 44-in. The 5500 makes sense mainly when you already own one or can source a clean remarketed unit with reliable ink supply.
Its rated speed puts it mid-pack for its class; use the plot-time estimator above with your own sheet counts to see whether a typical bid set clears before end of day rather than relying on a lab figure.
Configuration, media and a quote tailored to your workflow — from AEC plotter specialists.
