HP 130 Ink
Designjet 130 Ink Cartridges

HP 130 Printer Review

The HP DesignJet 130 is large-format printer, weighing almost 50 pounds. Its 41.3x16.3 inch size makes it a rather bulky fit for small or crowded spaces. These features, available at an expensive price, make the 130 seem like nothing more than an outdated and overpriced machine. However, consumers willing to over pay for a simple, single-function unit may be satisfied with this inkjet printer.

Using color HP 130 ink, this device can print a maximum of 11.9 pages per minute. Black printer ink prints an average of 17.5 pages per minute. Its black and color DesignJet 130 ink has a high quality resolution of 2400x1200 dpi that produces stunning photos, graphics and text documents.

The 130 has a 6-color system that includes printer ink colors cyan, magenta, yellow, light cyan, light magenta and black. Each color is an HP Vivera fade-resistant, dye-based ink. In comparison to 4-color systems that have only two tanks, this units 6 colors are each divided into separate HP 130 ink cartridges. This saves users money because DesignJet 130 ink cartridges can be replaced individually instead of in bulk like a 4-color system's tricolor tanks.

This inkjet printer has a USB port and EIO slot as standard connectivity options. The box includes 6 printheads, 6 tanks of HP 130 ink, software setup CDs for Windows and Mac systems, a Quick Start Guide and an HP Customer Care document. Its available input and output trays provided by the manufacturer only add to the inconvenient bulk of this unit.

As a personal unit, the 130 has unimpressive features including sluggish printing speeds and a low monthly duty cycle. Its compatible models, the HP DesignJet 130gp and 130nr, include the HP Jetdirect internal printer server that the 130 does not. Consumers looking at purchasing the HP DesignJet 130 should consider its compatible models instead—if not a different printer altogether.