11×17 printers are an excellent choice if you are considering printing advertisements or professional posters. They can make your graphics stand out, and they will help you a lot, especially if you are an architect or someone in the marketing business.
For most people who are starting their little office, it can be a bit confusing to decide which 11×17 color laser printer is good for the business. However, we made you this buying guide to get you on the right track of getting the best 11×17 printer that will make you reach your goals much easier.
Table of Contents
List of the Best 11×17 Color Laser Printers for Architects & CAD Developers in 2024
- HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 – Best All-in-One 11×17 printer
- Canon Pixma Pro-100 – An Affordable 11×17 Photo Printer
- Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 – Borderless Photo Printing On A Budget
- Brother MFC J6945DW – Best 11×17 printer for Architects
- Canon iP8720 Wireless Printer – Best Wide Format Color Laser Printer
So, without further ado, let’s jump right into things.
Our Top Picks comparison 11×17 Printer for Architecture:
| Name | HP officeJet Pro 7740 | Canon Pixma pro-100 | Epson Expression Photo HD XP – 1500 | Brother MFC – J895DW | Canon IP8720 wireless Printer |
| Ink Set | 4 (1 each Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) | 8 (1 each Black, Grey, Light Grey, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Photo Cyan, Photo Magenta) | 6 ( 1 each Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Grey, Red) | 4 cartridges (1 each: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) | 6-ink – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Pigment Black, Gray |
| Maximum Print Speed | 22 PPM black, 18 PPM color | Up to 0.8 min/page – photo – A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in)Up to 1.5 min/page – photo – A3 plus (13 in x 16.65 in) | 9.2 PPM black, 9.0 PPM color | Up to 12 ppm (mono) / up to 10 ppm (color) | Up to 14.5 ipm – B/WUp to 10.4 ipm – colorUp to 0.6 min/page – photo – 4 in x 6 in |
| Auto Document Feeder | 35-sheet, 2-sided | 1 sheets, 150 sheets | – | 20 sheets | 150 sheets |
| Auto Duplexing | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Input/Output Capacity | Up to 250 sheets, Up to 75 sheets | Total media capacity: 150 sheets | Total media capacity: 250 sheets | 150 sheets, 50 sheets | Total media capacity: 150 sheets |
The 5 Best 11X17 Inch Printers For Architects Reviewed
1. HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 – Best All-in-One 11×17 printer
The HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 will help you get an impressive print quality with a resolution of 4800 x 1200 DPI.
The printer can be used for copying, faxing as well as scanning and can be used to print large paper sizes and also A3- size document.
The speed rate of the printer is about 22 PPM in mono printing and 18 PPM in color prints. However, you can easily accelerate the printing process of the printer up to 34 PPM in both black and color prints by setting the printer on draft mode.
One of the best features of the printer is that it supports automatic duplexing, which means that you will be able to use it to print on both sides of the paper at the same time. Furthermore, the printer also supports borderless printing, and it has both an 11.7 x 17-inch flatbed and an automatic document feeder (ADF) that you can use for scanning.
When it comes to the tray, you will get a single tray that can hold up to 250 sheets.
It is user-friendly, and you get a 2.65-inch LCD touchscreen control panel in addition to multiple connectivity options like USB 2.0, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi direct connectivity, and Ethernet ports.
- Fast printing
- Various connectivity options
- Automatic Document Feeder
- 250-sheet tray
- Touchscreen control panel
- The printer is heavy and not easy to move around
Final Verdict
HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 is multifunctional and offers your office or gallery multiple options when it comes to connectivity as well as uses. Some customers complain that the running costs are higher than other models on the market, but with the versatility the printer offers, it is worth your money.
2. Canon Pixma Pro-100 – Most Affordable 11×17 Color Laser Printer
What makes Canon Pixma Pro-100 stand out is the FINE technology that canon uses to make the printer capable of producing high resolutions that reach 4800 x 2400 DPI.
The colors this printer produce will blow your mind. You can print the best black and white pictures using this printer, thanks to the three black ink cartridge. Also, it has an 8-cartridge ink system that will allow you to print different shades of colors.
The technologies used in the printer make it unique. For starters, the printer has the ability to find a balance between the glossiness uniformity, tonal gradation, and color reproduction.
Also, it is supported with an optimum image generating system that uses an advanced analysis of ink combinations to find the best balance between inks. It ensures getting the best results for different paper types as well as print modes.
Moreover, there’s a Print Studio Plug-in software that you can use to print directly from Adobe photoshop. Adobe Photoshop CS and Elements.
Lastly, the connectivity options are either USB connection, Wired connection through Ethernet ports or wireless connections through the Wi-Fi.
- High-quality photos
- Separate color cartridges
- A print Studio Pro Plugin Software
- Advanced technology when it comes to color selection and ink combinations
- Multiple connectivity options
- No preview display
- A slow printer
Final Verdict
Canon Pixma Pro-100 is an affordable printer that combines both versatility and compactness and is also one of the best 11×17 printers for architects. It will allow you to get impressive, high-resolution images, and it can also be used with thick paper.
Check Also: The 5 Best Printers for Cardstock 2024
3. Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 – Borderless Photo Printing On A Budget
Epson is an established, well-known name in the printer market. What made us choose this model as one of the best is two things. The first is that you can use it to print with glossy, plain, matt, and brochure paper types.
This means that you will be able to do a variety of work using this printer and you can satisfy your clients.
The second thing is that it can print sheets with a maximum size of 13 x 44 inches, hands down.
The printer has an impressive resolution of 5760 x 1440, and you can connect it to literally anything. You can even print directly using Wi-Fi Direct, Google Cloud Print, Apple Airprint, and Mopria Print Service.
Lastly, you get a 2.4-inch LCD color control panel to control the printing settings.
- Affordable
- High-resolution photos
- Compact design
- Portable and lightweight
- Various connectivity options
- LCD Color control panel
- Printing speed
- High running costs in comparison to other models
Final Verdict
Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 is an affordable printer that can produce high-quality photos of different sizes and finish. You can count on it in your business and effortlessly get a professional output.
See also: The 5 Best Printers for Cricut in 2021
4. Brother MFC J6945DW – Best 11×17 printer for Architects
Brother MFC J6945DW is the perfect printer for architects and also the best 11×17 all-in-one printer. It has an amazing paper capacity of 600 sheets that can be of different sizes, of course, including 11×17 tabloid-sized paper.
It has the capacity to be used for copying, scanning, as well as printing.
Moreover, the printer comes with re-engineered ink cartridges and a tank for internal storage, which helps deliver more printed pages.
It prints with a resolution of 4800 x 1200 and comes with a 50-sheet Automatic Document Feeder as well as an 11×17-inch flatbed with a 1200 x 1200 DPI optical resolution.
The printer supports duplexing, and you can print using Wi-Fi connectivity or NFC, USB 2.0, and Ethernet. And lastly, you can control the printer through a 3.7-inch color touchscreen.
- Incredible paper capacity
- It supports duplexing
- Low running costs
- Single-pass ADF
- Multiple connectivity options
- The printer is heavy and not easy to move around
Final Verdict
Brother MFC J6945DW is a decent and versatile printer that you can depend on to get your job done. It is affordable and fully integrated, which adds significant value to your money as it is also mentioned before the best 11×17 printer for architects.
5. Canon iP8720 Wireless Printer – Best Wide Format Color Laser Printer
The Canon iP870 has one of the highest resolutions on our list that reaches 9600 x 2400 DPI. It is supported by a ChromaLifee100+ system that is designed using Canon inks. The system allows you to print durable photos that can last for decades.
It has a 6-color ink configuration that produces attractive tonalities.
Also, it can print wide borderless photos, which makes it capable of printing some impressive, high-quality- photographs, and you can definitely win over clients using this printer.
The printer only accommodates 150 sheets in its tray. However, on the bright side, it will produce excellent colors for your image.
One of the best features of the printer is that it has an automatic power control that switches the printer off when it finished printing. Besides, this printer can print directly from CDs and Blu-Ray discs.
When it comes to connectivity, the printer can connect to Wi-Fi, and you can also print from Google Cloud Print, Airprint, and PictBridge.
- Affordable
- Borderless printing
- 6-color ink configuration
- Various connectivity options
- Automatic power switch
- Only handles 150 sheets at a time
- Doesn’t support USB connection
Final Verdict
Canon iP8720 is the printer of choice if you are looking to print photographs without investing too much money in a professional, hardcore printer. Just something pocket-friendly that gets the job done.
How to Pick The best 11×17 printer
Printing Resolution
The resolution of the output is one of the most important factors to consider when you are picking up any printer. For some of us, we want the best tabloid printer to be able to print photographs and Start our own galleries.
It is crucial that the printer doesn’t ruin a good shot or a pretty image. Also, it is essential to be able to get the details sharp and clear on the paper, especially if you are using the printer for business.
Number of Color Cartridges
The number of cartridges impacts the accuracy of the colors of your print. It goes without saying that the more cartridges the printer has, the more accurate your printer will be. This is why photographs printed using Canon Pixma Pro-100 are absolutely astonishing.
Printing Speed
The printing speed is measured in PPM (Pages Per Minute). The faster your printer is, the more this number will be. This is something to bear in mind when you work with deadlines and have to schedule your prints. Also, automatic duplexing will save you a lot of time.
Ink Costs
11×17 printers consume a lot of ink. When deciding the budget of your printer, you should include the running costs because it makes no sense to get an affordable printer that will cost you tons of money to stay up and running. Also, if you are using this printer for business and it will be cutting out a lot of your profit so it is better to invest more money in a printer that won’t cost you much later.
ADF Details
An automatic document feeder allows you to scan documents. You want to consider this feature if you are looking for an all-in-one model that you can use mainly for your 11×17 printing.
However, a lot of people fall under the false impression that every printer is capable of scanning the same paper sizes that it can print. Unfortunately, this is not true. You are going to have to check the specs of each printer from the user’s manual to know more about that paper sizes can the printer print and what are the ones that it can scan.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What Are 11×17 printers Used For?
We have written this review of the best 11×17 printer laser printer inkjet to show you the main use of 11×17 printers – which is also known as – “tabloid” printers are for newspapers. However, a lot of designers, architects, and photographers use these printers.
Basically, it used to print anything that is bigger than letter-sized paper. So, a lot of people use it for their CAD program designs and architectural printing.
How Many Pixels is 11×17?
This depends on the size of the image. At 3300 x 5100 you get 300 pixels per inch, at 1980 x 3060 you get 180 pixels per inch, and at 1375 x 2125 you get 125 pixels per inch.
Final Verdict
You can make the best of each printer listed above, depending on what you are looking to get. I’d say that HP Officejet Pro 7740 is the best for the fast performance without compromising the quality, which is what most people who are looking for an 11×17 printer looking for.
However, if you are looking for the best features, then Brother MFC J6945DW is the way to go.
Also, Canon iP8720 is an affordable printer that will help you get an excellent photo quality, but if you are on a budget, then maybe the Expression Photo HD XP-15000 is a better option for you. I hope you found your best 11×17 printers, and you find this buying guide helpful.