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HP DesignJet T870
24" color graphics & photo printer
- ModelT870
- Prints24" wide
- Score66/100
Authorized HP dealerGenuine hardware & ink
2-year warranty includedExtendable to 5 years
Free shippingContinental U.S.
Plotter specialistsAEC experts, not just sellers
Analyst take
- A 24-inch single-roll, print-only plotter sized for small-office corners at 43.3 inches wide.
- Four inks (HP 712 or HP 738) and one HP 713 printhead keep the consumable setup and operator workload simple.
- HP rates it at 120 A1 prints per hour in normal quality — a burst figure, not sustained set throughput.
Not sure if the T870 is right for you?
Compare key specs and an AI analyst read-out against similar models.
- Wide-format reach Prints up to 24" wide on rolls and sheets.
- Fine detail 2400 x 1200 DPI maximum resolution for crisp line work.
- Productivity Rated at 21 sec/page on A1/D, 120 A1/D prints/hour.
- Ink platform Cyan, Matte black, Magenta, Yellow.
- Connectivity Wi-Fi + Ethernet for shared team printing.
- Verified specs 8 specs checked against the manufacturer datasheet.
Overview
A 24-inch color plotter built for tidy, self-serve plan output
The HP DesignJet T870 is a current 24-inch, four-color thermal inkjet plotter aimed at the small studio or project team that needs clean drawings without a print operator standing by. It handles rolls up to 24 inches, cut sheets, and an auto sheet feeder for smaller pages, with a maximum single-sheet size of A1. HP rates it at 120 A1 prints per hour in normal quality — a peak figure, not a sustained one; real throughput depends on file processing, ink laydown and roll changes.
Where color matters, the four-ink set (cyan, magenta, yellow and matte black) at up to 2400 x 1200 dpi renders coordination drawings and site maps with legible line separation. The last five percent of a saturated fill won’t rival a photo machine, but for hatched MEP layers and GIS color-coding it holds up on the bond and coated stocks this class is built for.
- Small architecture or MEP studios producing bid and permit sets in-house
- Survey and civil teams needing occasional A1 color output
- GC field offices wanting Wi-Fi and mobile submission
- Firms replacing an aging 24-inch aqueous plotter
It is not the tool if you need scan-and-copy — look to the T830 24-in or T850 36-in MFPs — or true 36-inch sheets, where the T920 36-in fits better.
- 24″Max print width
- 808 ft²/hRated speed (burst)
- 4Ink channels
- 2,400 dpiMax resolution
- 24 moIncluded warranty
Spec Analysis
overall
overall
Where it performs best
Connections
100
Size / Fit
95
Print Quality
82
Class best is 81. How we grade →
At a glance
- Print width
- 24 in (61 cm) maximum roll
- Maximum sheet size
- A1, 23 x 33 in (594 x 841 mm)
- Ink set
- 4 colors — cyan, magenta, yellow, matte black
- Resolution
- Up to 2400 x 1200 dpi
- Rated speed
- 120 A1 prints/hour, normal quality (HP-rated peak)
- Connectivity
- Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, USB
- Scan/copy
- No — print only
- Consumables
- HP 712 and HP 738 inks; HP 739 printhead
Ideal for: small AEC studios and field offices that need in-house 24-inch color plans without an operator. Not the tool for: teams needing wide-format scanning/copying or 36-inch sheet output.
Expert analysis
What you should know
Key takeaways
- A 24-inch single-roll, print-only plotter sized for small-office corners at 43.3 inches wide.
- Four inks (HP 712 or HP 738) and one HP 713 printhead keep the consumable setup and operator workload simple.
- HP rates it at 120 A1 prints per hour in normal quality — a burst figure, not sustained set throughput.
- 2400 x 1200 DPI holds fine lines and small keynote text cleanly on ordinary bond.
- No scanner or copier; the HP DesignJet T830 24-in in the same family adds those functions.
- For D- and E-size work, the 36-inch HP T920 or dual-roll HP DesignJet T1600dr 36-in are the step-ups.
Most of what an architecture studio prints is black on white bond — dimension strings, keynotes, hatching that has to stay legible when a permit reviewer squints at a 24-inch sheet. The HP DesignJet T870 is built squarely for that world: a 24-inch, four-ink thermal inkjet plotter that lives comfortably in a small studio corner rather than a dedicated print room.
The color it does render is honest four-color CMYK — cyan, magenta, yellow and matte black — which is enough for a coordination set or a marketing board, though a photographer would notice where it stops. But most AEC buyers aren’t buying this for photographs; they’re buying a reliable line printer that happens to do respectable color.
24" (61 cm)Max roll widthsingle roll
120 pphPrint speed (A1, normal)HP-rated
2400 x 1200 DPIResolution
43.3" (1100 mm)Footprint (W×D)depth 27.2" (690 mm)
What it is, plainly
This is a single-roll 24-inch machine that tops out at A1 (23″ x 33″) from the roll and takes cut sheets through an auto sheet feeder up to 12″ x 18″, plus manual feed up to 24″ x 66″ for the occasional long panel. Four HP 712 (or HP 738) ink cartridges feed a single HP 713 printhead — a simple, low-parts-count consumable setup that keeps operator workload light.
HP rates it at 120 A1 prints per hour in normal quality. Treat that as a burst figure: real productive throughput on a mixed permit set — with processing, roll behavior and sheet handling — always trails the headline number. For a firm producing a dozen sets a week, it’s more than adequate.
Line quality and the workflow around it
At 2400 x 1200 DPI, fine-line work and small keynote text hold up cleanly on ordinary bond — the reproduction most AEC drawings actually demand. The four-ink set renders color-coded MEP overlays and coordination hatching with clear separation; where it shows its limits is the last few percent of a saturated red on a rendering, the kind of deep, glowing tone a six- or eight-ink photo machine holds and this one flattens slightly. For plan sets, that trade-off rarely matters.
Submission is straightforward. It speaks PDF, HP-GL/2, TIFF, JPEG and CALS G4 natively, ships with the HP Click app for Windows and Mac, and connects over Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi or USB. The built-in display and 1 GB of memory handle everyday Bluebeam and AutoCAD output without much fuss.
Estimate how long your typical set takes on the T870's rated A1 speed — adjust the sheet count to match your bid or permit sets.
One set: – · Weekly plotting time: –
Computed from the manufacturer's rated 808 ft²/h (a per-page burst rating). Real-world mixed sets run slower — treat this as a best case for comparing machines, not a promise.
Where it fits — and where it doesn't
The T870 is a natural fit for a small-to-midsize architecture or engineering studio that prints in-house, works mostly at 24-inch and D-size, and wants a scanner-free plotter it can tuck beside a desk.
- Solo and small-studio AEC practices producing their own bid and permit sets.
- Firms whose sheets are predominantly 24-inch or narrower.
- Offices that want print-only simplicity, not a multifunction device.
- Teams needing basic color for coordination drawings and boards.
If you routinely plot D- and E-size sheets, step up to the 36-inch HP T920 36-in or, for higher continuity, the dual-roll HP DesignJet T1600dr 36-in. If you need integrated scan-and-copy for as-builts and redlines, the HP DesignJet T830 24-in MFP in the same family is the better tool. Cross-shopping? The Canon GP-2000 24-in is the obvious same-class rival worth a look, and you can see the full 24-inch class ranking.
Keep reading
The read
The HP DesignJet T870 is an honest small-office plotter: quiet, compact, low-maintenance, with line quality and four-ink color that serve everyday AEC document production well. Its ceiling is real — 24-inch, single-roll, print-only, and color that stops short of photographic depth — but those are boundaries, not flaws, for the studio it’s designed for. Buy it if your work lives at 24-inch and you value simplicity over reach; look wider or to an MFP in the same family if you don’t. As always, confirm local HP dealer service and consumable availability before you sign, because that, more than any spec, shapes the ownership experience.
Spec analysis
How the specs grade
Overall performance
within color graphics & photo printers · 8 compared
Class best 81 — Epson SureColor T3770DR
100% spec coverage
- This printer
- Epson SureColor T3770DR
Category leaders best color graphics & photo printers, by dimension
Verified specifications
The specs that decide it
| Maximum print size | 24 in (610 mm)/A1/D |
|---|---|
| Print speed | 21 sec/page on A1/D, 120 A1/D prints/hourmanufacturer-verified |
| Maximum resolution | Up to 2400 x 1200 optimized dpi |
| Internal memory | 1 GB |
| Ink cartridge capacity | 130 and 300 ml Original HP Ink cartridgesmanufacturer-verified |
| Ethernet LAN | Gigabit Ethernet (1000Base-T) |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n |
| Maximum roll width / diameter | 24" (61 cm) width; 5.12" (13 cm) max roll diameter |
| Print cartridges | 4 (Cyan, Matte black, Magenta, Yellow) |
| Certification | EPEAT Gold with Climate +; Energy Star; UL Ecologo |
manufacturer-verified = checked against the manufacturer’s official datasheet, not aggregator data. Everything else is standards-body / catalog data we consider reliable.
Specifications
Full technical detail
Print technologyThermal inkjet
Max resolution2400 x 1200 DPI
Max print width24"
ColorColor
ConnectivityEthernet (Gigabit LAN), USB, Wi-Fi
Use caseCAD / Technical
Printing
| Color | Yes |
|---|---|
| Printing colors | Cyan, Matte black, Magenta, Yellow |
| Print technology | Thermal inkjet |
| Resolution color | 2400 x 1200 DPI |
| Maximum resolution | 2400 x 1200 DPI |
| Number of print cartridges | 4 |
| Page description languages | PDF, HP-GL/2, TIFF, JPEG, HP-RTL, CALS G4, URF |
| Print speed (normal quality, A1) | 120 pph |
Performance
| HP segment | Business |
|---|---|
| Certification | Compliant with Class B requirements, including: USA (FCC rules), Canada (ICES), EU (RED Directive), Australia (ACMA), New Zealand (RSM), China (CCC), Japan (VCCI); Korea (KCC) |
| Product color | Black |
| Internal memory | 1024 MB |
| Built-in display | Yes |
| Country of origin | China, Thailand |
Paper handling
| Cut sheets | Yes |
|---|---|
| Custom media sizes | Auto sheet feeder: 210 x 279 to 305 x 457 mm; Manual feed: 210 x 279 to 609 x 1676 mm |
| Maximum print size | A1 (594 x 841 mm) |
| Maximum roll width | 24" (61 cm) |
| Maximum roll diameter | 5.12" (13 cm) |
| Paper tray media types | Coated paper, Plain paper, Bond paper, Photo paper, Matte paper, Banner, Heavy paper, Satin paper |
| Print margin cut-sheet | 5 mm |
| ISO A-series sizes (A0…A9) | A1, A2, A3, A4 |
Ports & interfaces
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
|---|---|
| USB port | Yes |
| Ethernet LAN | Yes |
Technical details
| Box contents | HP DesignJet T870 Printer, printhead, introductory ink cartridges, printer stand, spindle, guide, warranty flyer, power cord |
|---|
Weight & dimensions
| Depth | 27.2" (690 mm) |
|---|---|
| Width | 43.3" (1100 mm) |
| Height | 36.8" (935 mm) |
| Weight | 84.9 lbs (38.5 kg) |
Power
| AC input voltage | 100 – 240 V |
|---|---|
| AC input frequency | 50/60 Hz |
| Power consumption (off) | 0.2 W |
| Power consumption (sleep) | 2.5 W |
| Power consumption (typical) | 35 W |
Operational conditions
| Operating altitude | 0 – 118110.2" (0 – 3000 m) |
|---|---|
| Storage temperature (T-T) | -25 – 55 °C |
| Operating temperature (T-T) | 5 – 40 °C |
| Operating relative humidity (H-H) | 20 – 70% |
Other features
| UNSPSC-code | 43212110 |
|---|---|
| Electromagnetic compatibility | Compliant with Class B requirements, including: USA (FCC rules), Canada (ICES), EU (RED Directive), Australia (ACMA), New Zealand (RSM), China (CCC), Japan (VCCI); Korea (KCC) |
Copying
| Copying | No |
|---|
Scanning
| Scanning | No |
|---|
Packaging data
| Package depth | 22.4" (570 mm) |
|---|---|
| Package width | 51.6" (1310 mm) |
| Package height | 25.2" (640 mm) |
| Package weight | 106.9 lbs (48.5 kg) |
| Bundled software | HP Click Driver for Windows 11, HP Click App for Windows and Mac, HP App for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, PartnerLink |
Sustainability
| Sustainability compliance | Yes |
|---|---|
| Sustainability certificates | ENERGY STAR |
Carbon footprint
| Total carbon footprint (kg of CO2e) | 1120 |
|---|---|
| Carbon emissions, logistics (kg of CO2e) | 51 |
| Carbon emissions, end-of-life (kg of CO2e) | 126 |
| Carbon emissions, manufacturing (kg of CO2e) | 745 |
| Total carbon emissions, w/o use phase (kg of CO2e) | 199 |
Brand-specific features
| HP GTIN (EAN/UPC) | 199251089299. 199251089305. 199251089312. 199251089329. 199251089336. 199251089343. 199251089350. 199251089367. 199251128356 |
|---|---|
| HP GTIN (EAN/UPC) with options | (AB1) 199251089299; (ABG) 199251089305; (AC4) 199251089312; (ACJ) 199251089329; (AKV) 199251089336; (B19) 199251089343; (B1K) 199251089350; (BCD) 199251089367; (EMU) 199251128356 |
Everything that fits the HP DesignJet T870
The full supplies hub lists every cartridge, printhead, roll and accessory verified against the manufacturer's own documentation for this machine.
8 ink cartridges · 12 paper & media items · 3 accessories · 4 coverage plans
HP DesignJet T870 ink and paper →Supplies
Compatible ink, printheads & media
Genuine consumables that fit the HP DesignJet T870 24-in Printer — only the cartridges, printheads and media compatible with this model.
Ink Cartridges 8
Paper & Media 12
Representative image11 Mil Water-Resistant Synthetic BannerRepresentative image230gsm Special Matte Photo PaperRepresentative image200gsm Special Matte Photo PaperRepresentative image5 Mil Water-Resistant Self-Adh Vinyl (3" AC)Representative imageHP 4-mil Double Matte Film, 3-in CoreRepresentative imageMagic 6mil PP Film w/ Low-Tack Adhesive (STICK2)Representative imageMagic 9mil Universal Matte Coated PP Film (PPM7)Representative imageMagic Firenze 170gsm Coated Matte Paper (Firenze170)Representative imageMagic Firenze 132gsm Coated Matte Paper (Firenze132)Representative imageMagic 98gsm/26# Coated Matte Paper (DMPG98)Representative image6.5mil Matte Coated Paper w/ PSA (746PSA)Representative imageWSL 28LB Simple Inkjet Coated Matte Paper (C2S) (448)
Questions
Straight answers
What's the largest sheet the T870 can print?
From the roll it reaches A1 (23″ x 33″), on a 24-inch maximum roll width. Manual feed accepts cut sheets up to 24″ x 66″ for occasional long panels.
Does it scan or copy?
No. The T870 is print-only. If you need integrated scanning and copying for redlines or as-builts, look at the HP DesignJet T830 24-in in the same family.
Which inks and printhead does it use?
It uses four HP 712 (or HP 738) cartridges — cyan, magenta, yellow and matte black — feeding a single HP 713 printhead.
Is the color good enough for renderings and presentation boards?
Its four-ink CMYK renders coordination drawings and boards with clear separation, but it flattens the deepest saturated tones a photo-class printer would hold. For plan sets and everyday color it’s more than adequate; for photographic work it isn’t the right tool.
How does it connect and what files can it read?
Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB, with native support for PDF, HP-GL/2, TIFF, JPEG, HP-RTL and CALS G4. It ships with the HP Click app for Windows and Mac.
Is it suitable for a small office footprint?
Yes. It’s 43.3 inches wide by 27.2 inches deep, ships on an integrated stand, weighs about 85 pounds, and draws roughly 35 W typical with an ENERGY STAR certification — quiet enough to sit beside a workstation.
Resources
Brochures, datasheets & video
Documents
Video
Ready to put the HP DesignJet T870 to work?
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