HP DesignJet T610

The T610 is a 24-inch aqueous inkjet plotter aimed at the everyday output an AEC office chews through: bond-paper check sets, redlines, small bid packages, the occasional coordination drawing with color linework. On plain bond it lays down crisp black lines and readable small text — the stuff that matters when a field crew is squinting at a dimension callout.

It runs on HP 72 inks and HP 72 printheads, with the HP 72B 130-ml Gray DesignJet Ink Cartridge handling neutral grays for monochrome work. That’s the first thing to know if you’re keeping one alive: the supply chain still exists, but it’s a mature cartridge line, so buy from sellers who move stock and check dates.

If it’s paid for and it works, a T610 is a perfectly reasonable check-plot machine for a small studio. It handles a wide range of media, from bond rolls like HP CG890A plotter paper to matte film such as HP Matte Film 610 mm x 38.1 m (24 in x 125 ft) for the odd presentation piece. For IT shops that care, the HP Jetdirect 635n IPv6/IPsec print server adds authenticated network printing rather than a bare Ethernet drop.

The limits are the limits of its generation. One roll means a manual swap when a mixed-size set crosses paper widths — that’s the failure mode that keeps you at the office. There’s no built-in scanner, so copying as-builts means a separate device. And parts and service for a discontinued unit depend entirely on your local dealer’s shelf.

• Small architecture or design studio running daily check sets on bond.
• A backup plotter behind a newer primary — redundancy for deadline weeks.
• Offices with an existing media stockpile and a trusted service tech.
• Monochrome-heavy engineering output where the gray cartridge does real work.

Don’t buy another old one just to match the shelf. The obvious modern step across is the HP DesignJet T620 24-in, the direct successor in the line. For a current-generation single-roll office plotter, the HP DesignJet T650 24-in and its shorter sibling the HP DesignJet T630 24-in are where HP’s 24-inch attention has moved. Need to copy and scan as-builts without a second machine? The HP DesignJet T830 24-in is the MFP answer. And if your problem is that single roll — if mixed D- and A-size sets keep stalling you — step up to a dual-roll body like the HP DesignJet T1600dr 36-in. Worth a side-by-side: T610 vs T650 before you commit.