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HP DesignJet XT950
36" wide-format MFPs
- Model2Y9H1F
- Prints36" wide
- Score58/100
Authorized HP dealerGenuine hardware & ink
1-year warranty includedExtension plans available
Free shippingContinental U.S.
Plotter specialistsAEC experts, not just sellers
Analyst take
- Current HP model, not discontinued — a print-only 36-inch plotter aimed at AEC workgroups.
- Four inks (C, M, Y, matte black) via the HP 739 printhead — strong on CAD line work, limited on photographic color.
- Integrated tray holds cut sheets up to 12"x18" alongside a 36-inch roll for automatic full-size/half-size switching.
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- Wide-format reach Prints up to 36" wide on rolls and sheets.
- Fine detail 2400 x 1200 DPI maximum resolution for crisp line work.
- Ink platform Cyan, Matte black, Magenta, Yellow.
- Connectivity Wi-Fi + Ethernet for shared team printing.
- Analyst score Scores 58/100 in our class-relative rating.
Overview
A 36-inch color plotter built for mixed full-size and half-size plan sets
The HP DesignJet XT950 is a current 36-inch thermal inkjet plotter aimed at architecture, engineering and construction workgroups that live in a mix of full-size sheets and half-size check sets. It renders in four channels — cyan, magenta, yellow and matte black — at up to 2400 x 1200 DPI, using HP 739 printheads with HP 6-picoliter color drops. On ordinary bond, that fine drop size shows up where it matters for CAD: thin lineweights hold their edge and small callout text stays legible rather than furring.
What sets this machine apart in daily AEC use is media handling. HP rates the XT950 at 120 A1 prints per hour (21 seconds per A1 in Fast Economode). A front-loading tray accepts sheets up to 12″ x 18″, so half-size sets can print alongside a 36-inch roll without hand-swapping media — useful when a permit set and a redline queue land together.
- Small-to-mid architecture and MEP studios producing bid, permit and check sets
- Offices that alternate between full-size rolls and 11×17 half-size sets
- Teams wanting color coordination drawings and GIS maps, not just monochrome
- Wi-Fi, Ethernet and cloud submission via the HP Click app
It is not a copy-and-scan hub. If you need integrated scanning, the discontinued HP DesignJet T918 36-in was the MFP option in this family; for true production dual-roll volume, look higher.
- 808 ft²/hRated speed
- 4Ink channels
- 2,400 dpiMax resolution
- 12 moIncluded warranty
Spec Analysis
overall
overall
At a glance
- Print width
- 36 in (roll); A0 max print size
- Print technology
- Thermal inkjet, 4 inks (C, M, Y, mK)
- Resolution
- 2400 x 1200 DPI
- Ink drop size
- 6 pl color; 12.6 pl matte black
- Rated speed
- 120 A1 pph / 21 s per A1 (HP, Fast Economode)
- Media input
- Front tray to 12" x 18"; manual feed to 36" x 66"; 36-in roll
- Connectivity
- Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct
- Consumables
- HP 739 printhead; four-cartridge ink set
Ideal for: small-to-mid AEC studios running mixed full-size rolls and 11×17 half-size sets in color and mono. Not the tool for: firms needing integrated scan/copy, or high-volume dual-roll production offices.
Features
What sets it apart
Swipe to explore →
Expert analysis
What you should know
Key takeaways
- Current HP model, not discontinued — a print-only 36-inch plotter aimed at AEC workgroups.
- Four inks (C, M, Y, matte black) via the HP 739 printhead — strong on CAD line work, limited on photographic color.
- Integrated tray holds cut sheets up to 12"x18" alongside a 36-inch roll for automatic full-size/half-size switching.
- HP rates it at 120 A1 pph in Fast+Economode; treat that as a ceiling, not a sustained office pace.
- No scanner and no copy function; the discontinued in-family T918 offered an MFP path but is no longer sold.
- The 'XT' commercial designation often carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty as standard — confirm locally.
A four-ink plotter earns its keep in an AEC office not by dazzling anyone, but by turning around a permit set before the courier leaves. The HP DesignJet XT950 is built for exactly that unglamorous rhythm: 36-inch rolls of bond paper, half-size check sets, the occasional presentation board, and a workflow that shouldn’t require a technician on speed-dial.
What sets this machine apart from a plain roll-fed plotter is the way it handles two paper paths at once. The eye notices the practical result first — full-size blueprints and 11×17 half-size sets coming off the same device without anyone crouching to swap media — and the spec sheet backs it up.
120 pphPrint speedHP rates it at 120 A1 prints per hour / 21 s per A1 in Fast+Economode
36" (91.4 cm)Max roll widthstandard AEC plan width
2400 x 1200 DPIResolutioncolor and mono
6 pl (C, M, Y); 12.6 pl (mK)Ink dropfine droplets for thin-line CAD work
Line quality and the four-ink question
The XT950 runs a four-ink set — Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Matte black — through the HP 739 printhead, fed by HP 498Q0A, HP 676M9A and the related cartridge families. The small 6-picoliter color drops and the 12.6-picoliter matte black are the right combination for the work most AEC offices actually do: crisp thin-line vector output, small text that stays legible at half size, and clean solid fills on coordination drawings.
Where a four-ink machine shows its limits is photographic color. There is no separate photo black and no gray inks here, so the last five percent of a saturated red or a subtle grayscale gradient on a rendering won’t hold the way it would on a multi-ink photo plotter. For bid sets, permit sets, redlines and GIS maps, that’s a trade-off most firms happily accept. For firms whose deliverable is glossy presentation imagery, it may be less appropriate.
Dual-path media handling: the real reason to look
The feature that keeps coming up in independent reseller notes is the integrated front-loading tray. It holds cut sheets up to 12″ x 18″ alongside a 36-inch roll, so the machine switches between full-size and half-size output on its own. That matters most in offices that print a full-size blueprint for the field and an 11×17 check set for the desk in the same job — no operator standing by to reload.
Media handling is genuinely broad: coated, plain, bond, photo, matte, banner, heavy and satin stock, from 60 to 280 g/m² and up to 0.012 inches thick. The manual feed path accepts sheets up to 36″ x 66″. Connectivity covers Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct, with HP-GL/2, PDF, TIFF, JPEG and CALS G4 among the supported languages — a comfortable fit for AutoCAD, Revit and Bluebeam submission workflows.
Estimate a real plot run from HP's rated A1 speed. Remember the 120 pph figure is a best-case mode; add headroom for RIP processing, drying and roll swaps on longer sets.
One set: – · Weekly plotting time: –
Computed from the manufacturer's rated 808 ft²/h. Real-world mixed sets run slower — treat this as a best case for comparing machines, not a promise.
Where it sits in the family and against Canon
Within HP’s own lineup, the older DesignJet T918 36-in added an integrated scanner for a copy/archive workflow — but it’s discontinued, so if scanning matters, the XT950 (print-only, no scanner, no copy) won’t fill that gap on its own. Cross-shopping usually lands on Canon’s four-color 36-inch machines: the current Canon GP-300 36-in and imagePROGRAF 700 36-in are the natural comparisons at the same width and resolution. It’s worth running a side-by-side on media handling and running costs before committing.
One channel detail: the “XT” designation typically signals a commercial-partner model, and independent sources note the XT950 often ships with a 2-year manufacturer warranty as standard. Confirm that term with your dealer for the U.S. market.
Keep comparing
The read
The HP DesignJet XT950 is a sensible, current workhorse for the small-to-mid AEC office that lives on bond-paper plan sets and half-size check prints. Its dual-path media handling and automatic full-size/half-size switching solve a genuine daily friction, and the four-ink system renders clean, readable CAD line work at 2400 x 1200 DPI. It is not a photo-color instrument, and it does not scan — firms needing either should look elsewhere. But for the core deliverables of architecture and engineering practice, on the media most offices actually run, it’s a well-matched tool that shouldn’t demand much of your IT staff.
Spec analysis
How the specs grade
Overall performance
within wide-format MFPs
100% spec coverage
- This printer
Verified specifications
The specs that decide it
| Print technology | Thermal inkjet |
|---|---|
| Maximum resolution | 2400 x 1200 DPI |
| Printing colors | Cyan, Matte black, Magenta, Yellow |
| Number of print cartridges | 4 |
| Page description languages | PDF, HP-GL/2, TIFF, JPEG, HP-RTL, CALS G4, URF |
| Internal memory | 1024 MB |
| Maximum print size | A0 (841 x 1189 mm) |
| Media thickness | 0.3 mm |
| Maximum roll diameter | 5.51" (14 cm) |
| Scanning | No |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| Ethernet | Yes |
| Power consumption | 35 W |
Specifications
Full technical detail
Print technologyThermal inkjet
Max resolution2400 x 1200 DPI
Max print width36"
ColorColor
ConnectivityEthernet (Gigabit LAN), 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 |
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 | White |
| Internal memory | 1024 MB |
| Country of origin | China, Thailand |
| Internal storage capacity | 2.7 GB |
Paper handling
| Cut sheets | Yes |
|---|---|
| Media thickness | 0.3 mm |
| Custom media sizes | Front-loading input tray: 210 x 279 to 305 x 457 mm; Manual feed: 210 x 279 to 914 x 1676 mm |
| Maximum print size | A0 (841 x 1189 mm) |
| Maximum roll width | 36" (91.4 cm) |
| Maximum roll diameter | 5.51" (14 cm) |
| Paper tray media types | Coated paper, Plain paper, Bond paper, Photo paper, Matte paper, Banner, Heavy paper, Satin paper |
| Recommended media weight | 60 – 280 g/m² |
| ISO A-series sizes (A0…A9) | A0, A1, A2, A3, A4 |
Ports & interfaces
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
|---|---|
| Ethernet LAN | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Direct | Yes |
| Ethernet LAN data rates | 10,100,1000 Mbit/s |
Technical details
| Box contents | HP DesignJet XT950 Printer, printhead, introductory ink cartridges, printer stand, spindle, guide, warranty flyer, power cord |
|---|
Weight & dimensions
| Depth | 28.3" (720 mm) |
|---|---|
| Width | 55.4" (1407 mm) |
| Height | 38.1" (967 mm) |
| Weight | 123.5 lbs (56 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 |
| Storage relative humidity (H-H) | 0 – 95% |
| Operating relative humidity (H-H) | 20 – 80% |
Other features
| Ink drop | 6 pl (C, M, Y); 12.6 pl (mK) |
|---|---|
| UNSPSC-code | 43212107 |
| 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 | 24.8" (630 mm) |
|---|---|
| Package width | 62" (1575 mm) |
| Package height | 30.7" (780 mm) |
| Package weight | 185.2 lbs (84 kg) |
| Bundled software | HP Click App, HP Click Driver for Windows 11, HP app for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS |
Sustainability
| Sustainability certificates | ENERGY STAR |
|---|
Carbon footprint
| Total carbon footprint (kg of CO2e) | 430 |
|---|---|
| Carbon emissions, logistics (kg of CO2e) | 32 |
| Carbon emissions, end-of-life (kg of CO2e) | 21 |
| Carbon emissions, manufacturing (kg of CO2e) | 360 |
| Total carbon emissions, w/o use phase (kg of CO2e) | 13 |
Brand-specific features
| HP GTIN (EAN/UPC) | 196548380763. 196548313150 |
|---|---|
| HP dynamic security | Yes |
| HP GTIN (EAN/UPC) with options | (B19) 196548380763; (B1K) 196548313150 |
Everything that fits the HP DesignJet XT950 MFP
The full supplies hub lists every cartridge, printhead, roll and accessory verified against the manufacturer's own documentation for this machine.
8 ink cartridges · 2 accessories
HP DesignJet XT950 MFP ink and paper →Supplies
Compatible ink, printheads & media
Genuine consumables that fit the HP DesignJet XT950 36-in Plotter — only the cartridges, printheads and media compatible with this model.
Ink Cartridges 8
HP 738M 300-ml Black Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP 738M 300-ml Cyan Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP 738M 300-ml Magenta Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP 738M 300-ml Yellow Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP 738M 130-ml Black Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP 738M 130-ml Cyan Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP 738M 130-ml Magenta Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjet
HP 738M 130-ml Yellow Ink Cartridge print head Thermal inkjetAccessories 2
Questions
Straight answers
Can the XT950 print full-size and half-size sets without manual reloading?
Yes. Its front-loading tray holds cut sheets up to 12″x18″ while a 36-inch roll stays loaded, so it switches between full-size blueprints and half-size check sets automatically.
Does it scan or copy?
No. The XT950 is print-only, with no scanning or copying function. Offices needing a copy/archive workflow would need a separate scanner.
How many inks does it use, and is that enough for AEC work?
Four: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Matte black, run through the HP 739 printhead. That set handles CAD line work, text and coordination fills well, but it’s less suited to photographic renderings.
What's the rated print speed?
HP rates it at 120 A1 prints per hour, or 21 seconds per A1, in Fast+Economode. Real-world throughput will be lower once processing, drying and roll changes are included.
What media can it handle?
Coated, plain, bond, photo, matte, banner, heavy and satin papers from 60 to 280 g/m² and up to 0.012 inches thick, with a 36-inch maximum roll width.
How does it compare to Canon's 36-inch machines?
The current Canon GP-300 36-in and imagePROGRAF 700 36-in are the closest four-color, same-width rivals. Compare media handling, warranty terms and running costs before deciding.
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