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HP PageWide XL 3900
42" PageWide production printer
- Model6CC85A
- Prints42" wide
- Score48/100
Authorized HP dealerGenuine hardware & ink
Manufacturer warrantyExtension plans available
Free shippingContinental U.S.
Plotter specialistsAEC experts, not just sellers
Analyst take
- Single-pass PageWide printing means no carriage back-and-forth — large sets move through fast.
- The high-capacity stacker delivers collated sets in order without hand-sorting.
- Built-in CIS color scanner handles up to 36-inch scan length, straight to email or the 500 GB drive.
Not sure if the 6CC85A is right for you?
Compare key specs and an AI analyst read-out against similar models.
- Wide-format reach Prints up to 42" wide on rolls and sheets.
- Fine detail 1200 x 1200 DPI maximum resolution for crisp line work.
- Ink platform Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow.
- Scan & copy Integrated scanner for digitizing and sharing sets.
- Analyst score Scores 48/100 in our class-relative rating.
Overview
Built for the work
HP PageWide XL 3900 40-in Multifunction Printer with Top Stacker, 1200 x 1200 DPI, HP-GL/2, PDF 1.7, PostScript 3, TIFF, Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, 1200 x 1200 DPI, Color scanning, CIS
Spec Analysis
overall
overall
Expert analysis
What you should know
Key takeaways
- Single-pass PageWide printing means no carriage back-and-forth — large sets move through fast.
- The high-capacity stacker delivers collated sets in order without hand-sorting.
- Built-in CIS color scanner handles up to 36-inch scan length, straight to email or the 500 GB drive.
- Four-color (K/C/M/Y) output on the HP 841 printhead suits color-coded and GIS drawings on bond, not photo work.
- ENERGY STAR rated, 108.4 W in standby; HP Web Jetadmin and Embedded Web Server cover fleet and IT management.
- At 948 lbs it's floor-standing production hardware — step down to the HP F40 for lighter volume, up to the HP F60 for heavy central reprographics.
It’s 4:15 p.m. The full CD set has to be out the door by five, and the intern who normally babysits the plotter is on a coffee run. This is the moment the HP PageWide XL 3900 was built for. It’s a 40-inch, single-pass PageWide multifunction machine — printer, color scanner and high-capacity top stacker in one footprint — that treats a big mixed bid set as a routine afternoon, not an event.
Single-pass means the printheads span the page. Nothing tracks back and forth. The sheet moves, the ink lands, the next drawing is already coming. That’s the whole point of a PageWide, and it’s why this box lives in production print rooms rather than under a desk.
40-inPrint widthHandles D- and E-size drawings and oversized ARCH sheets.
1200 x 1200 DPIResolutionSame for print and color scan.
High-capacity StackerStackerCollated sets land face-down, in order, unattended.
948 lbs (430 kg)WeightThis is floor-standing production hardware, not a rollaround.
What it actually does at deadline
The failure mode with most wide-format machines isn’t print quality. It’s the wait. First page out, roll change, drying, collation — that’s where minutes leak away while someone stands at the tray. The 3900 attacks that with the stationary printhead array (HP calls it PageWide) and the high-capacity stacker that drops finished sheets in order so nobody hand-collates a 60-page permit set.
It’s a genuine multifunction unit. The built-in CIS color scanner reads up to a 36-inch scan length, so as-builts and marked-up redlines go straight to email or to the 500 GB internal drive. An 8-inch touchscreen runs the show, and it speaks the languages that matter in AEC — HP-GL/2, PDF 1.7, PostScript 3 and TIFF — so Bluebeam, AutoCAD and plain PDF sets submit without a fight.
Color, media and the quiet stuff
Four inks — black, cyan, magenta and yellow — driven by the HP 841 printhead. That’s enough for color-coded coordination drawings, GIS maps and civil overlays on ordinary bond or recycled paper. It won’t pretend to be a photo device, and it doesn’t need to be. AEC color is about legibility, not gallery prints.
It draws 108.4 W in standby and carries an ENERGY STAR mark. At 35 dB idle and 55 dB printing, it’s tolerable in a shared room, though 55 dB during a long run is a presence you’ll notice. For the IT side: HP Web Jetadmin, the Embedded Web Server and USB Type-A are all here, which covers fleet management, authentication and walk-up jobs.
Where it fits in its own family
Inside the PageWide XL line, this is the workhorse middle. If your volume is lighter and the deadlines less brutal, the HP F40 covers the same ground with less appetite. If you’re feeding a central reprographics operation that runs sets all day, the step-up HP F60 is the more honest match. The older HP F70 still turns up in the installed base but is discontinued.
Cross-shopping other brands? The Canon iPF825 42-in and the Epson SC-T5400M 38-in are thermal/piezo inkjet MFPs — capable, but they scan back and forth. On a big set, that’s a different afternoon. Worth a side-by-side: 3900 vs the Epson T5400M.
The read
The 3900 earns its floor space in one situation: steady, deadline-driven wide-format volume where standing at the tray isn’t an option. The single-pass engine, the color scanner and that stacker are a matched set aimed at production, not occasional plots. Buy less machine if your week is quiet — the F40 exists for exactly that. Buy more if a room runs sets all day. But if your bid sets and permit packages arrive in waves and someone always needs them by five, this is the right size of hammer. Bottom line: it’s a production printer that happens to scan, and production is where it pays for itself.
Spec analysis
How the specs grade
Overall performance
within PageWide production printers
58% spec coverage
- This printer
Verified specifications
The specs that decide it
| Maximum resolution | 1200 x 1200 DPI |
|---|---|
| Printing colors | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow |
| Number of print cartridges | 4 |
| Page description languages | HP-GL/2, PDF 1.7, PostScript 3, TIFF |
| Media thickness | 0.4 mm |
| Maximum roll diameter | 6.97" (17.7 cm) |
| Scanning | Color scanning |
| Sound level (printing) | 55 dB |
Specifications
Full technical detail
Max resolution1200 x 1200 DPI
Max print width42"
ColorColor
ConnectivityUSB
Use caseGIS / Mapping
Printing
| Color | Yes |
|---|---|
| Printing colors | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow |
| Resolution color | 1200 x 1200 DPI |
| Maximum resolution | 1200 x 1200 DPI |
| Number of print cartridges | 4 |
| Page description languages | HP-GL/2, PDF 1.7, PostScript 3, TIFF |
Performance
| Control type | Touch |
|---|---|
| RAM capacity | 8 GB |
| Storage media | HDD |
| Built-in display | Yes |
| Display diagonal | 8" |
| Built-in processor | Yes |
| Internal storage capacity | 500 GB |
| Sound power level (standby) | 35 dB |
| Sound pressure level (printing) | 55 dB |
Paper handling
| Stacker | Yes |
|---|---|
| Stacker type | High-capacity Stacker |
| Media thickness | 0.4 mm |
| Maximum roll diameter | 6.97" (17.7 cm) |
| Paper tray media types | Bond paper, Recycled paper |
Ports & interfaces
| USB port | Yes |
|---|---|
| USB connector | USB Type-A |
| USB 2.0 ports quantity | 1 |
Weight & dimensions
| Depth | 34" (864 mm) |
|---|---|
| Width | 77.2" (1960 mm) |
| Height | 51.3" (1303 mm) |
| Weight | 948 lbs (430 kg) |
Power
| Power consumption (standby) | 108.4 W |
|---|
Operational conditions
| Operating temperature (T-T) | 5 – 40 °C |
|---|---|
| Operating relative humidity (H-H) | 20 – 80% |
Other features
| Touchscreen | Yes |
|---|
Scanning
| Scan to | |
|---|---|
| Scanning | Color scanning |
| Scan technology | CIS |
| Maximum scan length | 36" (91.4 cm) |
| Maximum media thickness | 1.02" (2.6 cm) |
Packaging data
| Package depth | 42" (1068 mm) |
|---|---|
| Package width | 85.8" (2180 mm) |
| Package height | 69.4" (1764 mm) |
| Package weight | 1203.7 lbs (546 kg) |
Sustainability
| Sustainability certificates | ENERGY STAR |
|---|
Brand-specific features
| HP Web Jetadmin | Yes |
|---|---|
| HP Embedded Web Server (EWS) | Yes |
Everything that fits the HP PageWide XL 3900
The full supplies hub lists every cartridge, printhead, roll and accessory verified against the manufacturer's own documentation for this machine.
2 ink cartridges · 5 printheads · 12 paper & media items · 1 accessory
HP PageWide XL 3900 ink and paper →Supplies
Compatible ink, printheads & media
Genuine consumables that fit the HP PageWide XL 3900 40-in Multifunction Printer with Top Stacker — only the cartridges, printheads and media compatible with this model.
Ink Cartridges 2
Printheads 5
Paper & Media 12
Representative imageMagic 98gsm/26# Coated Matte Paper (DMPG98)Representative image28LB Inkjet Coated Matte Paper (748)Representative image46LB Inkjet Coated Matte Paper (747)Representative image6.5mil Matte Coated Paper w/ PSA (746PSA)Representative image24LB Inkjet Coated Matte Paper (745)Representative image20LB High Brite Inkjet Bond Paper (740)Representative image24LB Inkjet Bond Paper (731)Representative image20LB Inkjet Bond Paper (730)Representative image24LB Inkjet Coated Matte Paper Economy (714)Representative image20LB Engineering Vellum (471)Representative imageWSL 28LB Simple Inkjet Coated Matte Paper (C2S) (448)Representative imageWSL 24LB Simple Inkjet Coated Matte Paper (C2S) (446)Accessories 1
Questions
Straight answers
Is this a color machine or monochrome only?
It’s color — black, cyan, magenta and yellow, printed through the HP 841 printhead. That covers color-coded coordination drawings and GIS maps, though it’s built for legibility rather than photographic output.
Can it scan and copy, or just print?
It’s a true multifunction unit. A built-in CIS color scanner reads up to a 36-inch scan length, and you can scan to email or to the 500 GB internal drive. An 8-inch touchscreen runs the walk-up operations.
What file types and drawing languages does it handle?
HP-GL/2, PDF 1.7, PostScript 3 and TIFF. That covers AutoCAD output, Bluebeam and standard PDF bid and permit sets without workarounds.
How does it compare to the HP F40 and F60?
The F40 targets lighter volume with a smaller appetite; the F60 steps up for central reprographics running sets all day. The 3900 sits in the middle for steady, deadline-driven production. The older F70 is discontinued but still shows up in installed fleets.
Can IT manage it across a fleet and control access?
Yes. It supports HP Web Jetadmin, the HP Embedded Web Server for browser-based administration, and includes a USB Type-A port for walk-up jobs.
Is it quiet enough for a shared office?
It runs about 35 dB in standby and 55 dB while printing. Idle it’s unobtrusive; during a long run the 55 dB is noticeable, so a print room or dedicated corner is the safer bet than an open desk area.
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