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Hardware

Designjet 1055CM Plus

30 Apr, 2003 By: Michael Lennox

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Hewlett-Packard

4 stars out of 5
The HP Designjet 1055CM Plus falls toward the upper end of the popular and extensive Designjet line. Capable of handling sheet sizes ranging from 8.30-360 wide, the 1055CM Plus also accommodates 240 or 360 rolls. The 1055CM Plus uses pigment-based black inks and dye-based inks for cyan, magenta, and yellow. It prints black at 12003600dpi and color at 6003600dpi.

HP’s Designjet 1055CM lus posted the fastest time in this review for printing a D-size line drawing.

In draft mode, the Designjet 1055CM Plus produces line drawings in less than 60 seconds. Even at the highest quality, the 1055CM Plus was the fastest of the printers reviewed, printing a D-size line drawing in two minutes.

The Designjet 1055CM Plus supports Adobe PostScript as well as HPGL and HPGL/2. An intuitive setup wizard installs the appropriate drivers based on your application. You can connect the printer to your TCP/IP network using a parallel interface or, ideally, with the built-in JetDirect port. Of the printers reviewed, the 1055CM Plus was by far the easiest to add to the network.

The limitations of using only four colors are apparent in the quality of photographic images. If you expect to print mainly renderings, photographs, and signs, the HP 1055CM may not be the best choice. You should look into six-color printers, including HP's DesignJet 5500 line.

The 1055CM Plus excels at volume and unattended printing thanks to its ability to handle a 3009 roll of paper. You load sheets without unloading the roll. With superior networking capabilities and a built-in 7.5GB hard drive to manage data, the Designjet 1055CM Plus offers unique features that make it stand out. If you're looking for a printer primarily to handle line drawings and to share with a workgroup, the Designjet 1055CM Plus is a great choice.