Best Printers for Engineering Firms in 2024

Prized for their ability to create engineering-grade parts with fine resolution and excellent mechanical properties, our engineering printers are what industrial designers and civil engineers turn to for precise line details, crisp text, and photo-quality graphics. The digital transformation in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) technology trends has made printers for engineers more affordable and compact.

If you're looking to purchase the right HP engineering plan printer, this updated guide digs deeper into the latest printers on the market. We'll also discuss the key factors to consider before choosing a specific printer based on your unique needs.

Keep in mind that the terms “printer” and “plotter” are often used interchangeably. To learn more about their differences, please visit our Plotter vs Printer article.

Whether you implement a fleet of desktop printers or multi-function printers, being able to produce top-quality printed documents is vital for smooth business operations. Purchasing an engineering plan printer is just like buying any other piece of technology — it needs careful consideration.

Here are five essential factors to consider when buying one of our HP printers for engineers.

Depending on your company's monthly print volume, you may have to prioritize finding a printer with high-speed capabilities. Consider how often your workers print and what kind of jobs they carry out.

Print-heavy industries like construction offices are constantly printing large documents. If a construction company gets a world-class but slow printer, daily business operations could be hindered while workers wait for backlogs of print jobs to finish.

Alternatively, if your construction office is very small or your workers only print out a few pages in a day, you may not have to value speed as much.

Another vital factor you should consider when buying HP engineering printers is connectivity. To establish which connection is the best for your needs, ask yourself two vital questions:

• Which devices are you going to use?
• Where are you going to print from?

All printers on the market today offer wired connectivity. You can connect them to your computer through a USB port.

However, our advanced models offer Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. You can also find engineering printers that support Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print. Bluetooth is perfect for printing documents from local mobile devices, while cloud and Wi-Fi support allows you to print remotely.

Whenever we build electronic devices, we want to ensure they won't break down after a month's use, and engineering printers are no exception. Many construction companies spend lots of money on maintaining and repairing older printers rather than just purchasing new and more sustainable ones.

Modern large format printers are much more reliable. However, you should still ensure you get a good guarantee and read reviews to make sure your preferred printer is not prone to breakage.

Clarity and accuracy are both crucial in industries like engineering and construction. In architecture, high-resolution and colour elements may be required.

Many of our HP engineering printers are geared towards producing vibrant and colourful commercial images. If you're working in the construction industry, look for printers that can accurately recreate minor details and fine lines with absolute clarity.

Output typically determines whether you should go for colour or black and white printing. For D-size drawings, especially those used in the field, black and white settings are often a viable alternative. If your company produces a mixture of documents, including architectural drawings and presentations, then you'll enjoy a greater range of possibilities with HP printers that can output colour versions, as well.

Generally, standard printers do well in printing standard-sized photos and documents. However, if you want a machine that can handle large-scale printouts and engineering projects, turn to HP large format printers.

Ideal for printing engineering diagrams, construction blueprints, and architectural drawings, large format printers are a must-have for civil engineers and architects. Irrespective of the size of the document or photo you want to produce, these printers preserve even the tiniest detail for crisp and clear printouts.

So, to help you in your search, we've outlined below four of the top printers for engineers that are built for reliable performance and detailed printouts. Browse our selection and choose the best product for you.

Want to get immediate results without waiting at the printer? It's time to check out the HP PageWide XL 3600.

HP's PageWide series has generally been a game-changer in the construction industry. For the first time, civil engineers and architects can now get wide-format colour printing for approximately the exact charges as the standard monochrome.

If you have a colour device at home, you can have colour scanning and colour printing at even faster speeds than monochrome. You can also quickly access your group and personal folders from the touchscreen. This means you can print your document and share it right away.

Regarding security, the HP PageWide XL 3600 has the best network protection with fantastic features, such as our HP Secure Boot and safelisting. Not to mention, users can now control who accesses the printer and the company's confidential documents, thanks to secure user authentication.

Designed to fit your office, budget, and the way you work, the HP Designjet T250 offers outstanding simplicity. For starters, it features our HP Click software that lets you send multiple files in just one click.

This makes it two times faster than competing printers for engineers with comparable size and features. With an accessory option, you can print multi-size A1/D and A3/B projects without manually switching your media source.

HP Designjet T250 is the world's smallest wide-format printer. However, don't let our printer's small size fool you. GIS, MCAD, and AEC professionals who want to print technical drawings, renders, posters, and maps rely on this engineering plan printer to get accurate line quality and crisp text.

Remember that HP Designjet T250 printers only work with cartridges that have either a new HP chip or a reused one. They use dynamic security measures to block cartridges that have a non-HP chip.

If you’re looking for guides tailored to specific paper sizes, our A2 Plotter Buying Guide and Best Plotter for A1 Printing articles are available.

If you're looking for HP printers that could print to scale on different blueprints for construction projects, the HP Designjet T650 might be what you need. Specially designed for architect and engineering drawings, these printers are some of HP's latest large format printer models that can also do presentations, maps, and colour posters.
Working with a wide format printer isn't often an easy task. A few more steps are involved with the layout and scaling than a typical desktop printer.

We have streamlined this process as much as possible with our Designjet T650 model. Its print drivers and management software are more straightforward than other plotter software. Moreover, with our HP smart app, you can seamlessly and wirelessly print and manage your jobs from the comfort of your smartphone or tablet.

With instant printing, ClearConnect multi-touch panel access, and full-cloud integration, the Oce (Canon) PlotWave 365 is a solid all-in-one large format printer for technical documents and project drawings.

It boasts a new touchscreen tablet-style interface giving you even more flexibility, including direct interaction with your iPad and cloud-based printing options.

Other benefits of using the Oce (Canon) PlotWave 365 include:

• Energy-efficiency
• Wide-format colour scanning
• Efficient folding and document delivery
• Instant start-up and print functionality

With this printer’s sturdy construction, you can count on top-quality prints over your machine's lifetime. The robust Océ PowerM® embedded controller allows you to process your tasks at speeds in line with your machine. So, even complex files won't leave you waiting around.

No matter what you want to create and print, HP large format printers are rapidly becoming a must-have for engineers. We prioritize the features you need to do business so you have the right tools for every job. Taking your time to research the specific features that engineering printers have and choosing the best one that will help you hit your targets is crucial.

Want to learn more about AEC payment options? Explore our article on How to Buy a Large Format Printer. Otherwise, Contact us today to discuss your printing needs further.