HP DesignJet T230 review

24 inches, roll feed and an onsite warranty for under a thousand dollars, which used to be impossible.

The verdict: A 24-inch large format plotter with roll feed, an automatic horizontal cutter and a two-year onsite HP care pack, at a price that makes in-house plotting viable for a small practice. Buy it if you print technical drawings, posters or patterns at 24 inches and currently pay a bureau. Check first that 24 inches is enough, because the automatic sheet feeder is optional here and the step to 36 inches costs more than double.

Best entry plotter

HP DesignJet T230 Large Format 24-inch Plotter with 2-year onsite warranty

~$945

A 24-inch large format plotter for technical drawings, blueprints, posters, signage, maps and sewing patterns, with roll feed and an automatic horizontal cutter.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Spec	Detail
Media width	Up to 24-inch rolls, and up to 13 by 19-inch sheets
Media handling	Sheet feed, roll feed, automatic horizontal cutter
Sheet feeder	Automatic sheet feeder is optional, not included
Intended output	Technical line drawings, blueprints, posters, indoor signage, maps and sewing patterns
Warranty	2-year HP Care Pack included
Workflow	Prints multi-size projects automatically

Specifications above come from HP's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

It brings large format in-house at a price a small practice can justify, which changes how often drawings get printed and checked.
An automatic cutter, so a roll of drawings comes off as separate sheets rather than as one long scroll.
The two-year onsite care pack is included, which matters more on a large device than on a desktop one.
Sewing patterns and signage are listed uses, and this is genuinely popular outside architecture for exactly that reason.
24-inch media is meaningfully cheaper per foot than 36-inch, so the running cost is lower as well as the purchase price.

Where it falls short

The automatic sheet feeder is optional on this model rather than included, unlike on the T650 and Studio. If you feed cut sheets often, price that in.
There is no automatic roll and sheet switching at this level, so mixed jobs need manual attention.
24 inches is a hard limit. ARCH E and ANSI E drawings do not fit, and there is no workaround worth having.
Large format ink is the dominant running cost. Model it in our ink cost calculator before deciding this beats a bureau.
It is still a plotter footprint. Small enough for a practice, not small enough for a spare corner of a desk.

What owners report

Owner reports treat the T230 as the machine that made in-house plotting affordable, and the consistent theme is that practices print more once they own one, which is both the benefit and the reason the ink cost surprises them.

The recurring practical complaints are the optional sheet feeder and the absence of automatic media switching. Neither is a defect; both are the specification differences that separate this from the T650, and both are worth knowing before rather than after.

Who it suits

Small architecture, engineering and design practices printing at 24 inches.
Sewing and pattern businesses, where 24-inch roll output is exactly the format needed.
Anyone currently paying a repro bureau for regular drawing sets.

Who should skip it

Practices printing ARCH E or ANSI E, who need the T650.
Anyone whose drawings need water resistance on site, where the Canon TM-240 is the better tool.
Photographic and fine art output, which needs a pigment photo printer.

Alternatives worth considering

Better Ink

Canon imagePROGRAF TM-240 24-inch Large Format Printer

~$1,199

The same width with UV and water-resistant ink, onboard calibration and automatic media detection. The extra cost buys drawings that survive a site visit, which is worth it for construction and worth nothing for an office archive.

Check price on Amazon

Step-Up Alternative

HP DesignJet T650 Large Format 36-inch Plotter with 2-year onsite warranty

~$2,295

36 inches plus automatic roll and sheet switching and an included sheet feeder. The right machine if you print ARCH E, and an expensive way to print ARCH D if you do not.

Check price on Amazon

Common questions

Is a 24-inch plotter big enough for architectural drawings?

For ARCH D at 24 by 36 inches, yes, printed landscape on a 24-inch roll. For ARCH E at 36 by 48 inches, no. Look at what you actually issue rather than what you might one day issue, because 36-inch machines cost more to buy and more to feed on every print.

Does the T230 come with a sheet feeder?

The automatic sheet feeder is optional on this model rather than included, which is one of the differences from the T650. Roll feed is standard, and you can feed sheets manually. If most of your work is cut sheets up to 13 by 19 inches, factor the accessory into the price.

Is it cheaper to own a plotter or use a print bureau?

It depends on volume and on how much you value having drawings immediately. A bureau has no capital cost and no maintenance; a plotter costs ink, media and space but removes the trip and the wait. Our printer ownership cost calculator lets you compare against your real monthly output.

Can a plotter print sewing patterns?

Yes, and it is one of HP's listed uses for this model. A 24-inch roll suits most pattern work, output comes off cut into sheets by the automatic cutter, and printing at true scale removes the tiling and taping that pattern printing usually involves.

What paper does a DesignJet use?

Plotter bond for line drawings, coated paper for renders and posters, and various photo and film media for specialist work, in rolls or in cut sheets up to 13 by 19 inches. Store rolls flat and dry, because curled media is the most common cause of skewed prints and jams.

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.