Expert analysis
What you should know
By Ray KowalczykSenior Technical Editor — CAD & Technical Printing Key takeaways
- Discontinued 60-inch DesignJet still common in AEC print rooms, not a machine to buy new.
- Full 60-inch width and a PostScript RIP make it fit color boards, large site plans and GIS maps.
- Runs on the pigment-based HP 91 ink and printhead system, which resists fading and highlighter smear.
- Ongoing ownership means scheduled HP DesignJet User Maintenance Kit service and a stable parts supply.
- The HP DesignJet Z6200 60-in is the direct-line replacement at the same width.
- Deep media support, from bond rolls to matte film for permanent record sets.
It’s 4:30 p.m., you’ve got a 40-sheet presentation set and a color site plan due at five, and the machine that has to carry it is a 60-inch HP DesignJet Z6100ps that’s been bolted to your print-room floor since before Revit ate everyone’s workflow. That’s the reality with this printer. It’s discontinued, it’s still running in a lot of AEC shops, and the question isn’t whether it’s new — it’s whether it’s still the right horse for the work you’re throwing at it.
The Z6100ps was HP’s wide-format color workhorse for firms that needed 60-inch output and a built-in PostScript path for color-accurate presentation boards, not just line drawings. If you own one, this page is about keeping it honest. If you’re eyeing a used one, it’s about knowing what you’re signing up for.
60-inMaximum roll widthFull-width color output for presentation boards and large site plans.
psPostScriptThe 'ps' in the name — the RIP path that mattered for color-accurate work.
HP 91Ink platformPigment ink and printhead family this machine runs on.
HP DesignJet 60-in Media BinOptional catchKeeps finished prints off the floor on long unattended runs.
What it actually does well
The 60-inch deck is the whole point. If your work runs to full-size presentation boards, large-scale site plans, or GIS maps that don’t fit a 42- or 44-inch machine, this is the width you paid for. The PostScript RIP handled color coordination drawings and rendered exhibits without you fighting driver color every time.
It runs on the HP 91 pigment ink and printhead system, with the HP C9482A, HP C9484A and HP C9486A printheads across the channels. Pigment matters for AEC: prints don’t fade in a project trailer window over a summer, and they handle a highlighter without smearing. Media support is deep — everything from bond rolls to HP Matte Film 610 mm x 38.1 m (24 in x 125 ft) for permanent record sets.
Where it fits — and where it doesn't
Be honest about the vintage. This is an installed-base machine now. Parts and printheads still flow, but you’re maintaining an older platform, and the HP DesignJet User Maintenance Kit is a scheduled reality, not an option.
- Central reprographics rooms with an operator who already knows the machine and runs it daily.
- Mid-to-large practices producing 60-inch color boards and coordination sets in-house.
- Firms with a working color-managed workflow that leans on the PostScript path.
- Shops with a real service relationship and a shelf of consumables.
If you’re buying fresh capacity today rather than nursing an existing unit, look at the current 60-inch family instead. The HP DesignJet Z6200 60-in is the direct-line successor at full width, and the HP Z6800 60-in and HP DesignJet Z6610 60-in carry the modern production-color story forward. On the Canon side, the Canon PRO-6100 60-in and Canon PRO-6000 60-in are the same-class rivals worth a look. Only need 42 inches of color? The HP DesignJet Z6100ps 42-in was the narrower sibling in this exact family. Worth a side-by-side on the Z6100ps versus the Z6200 before you commit.
The read
The Z6100ps is a known quantity: a 60-inch, PostScript-equipped color plotter that did honest AEC work for years and still does in shops that maintain it. If you own one, keep it fed with genuine HP 91 ink and heads, stay on the maintenance kit, and it’ll keep hitting deadlines. If you’re spending money on capacity in this decade, buy a current machine — the Z6200 60-in picks up right where this one left off. Bottom line: a solid tool to keep running, a hard one to justify buying new.
