HP DesignJet 30gp

The DesignJet 30gp is a designer’s machine. Capable of handling jobs from postcard size up to B+ with ease, it can produce prints that are both extremely lively and subtly toned. Well designed, and with PostScript capacity if you have the optional RIP, the only caveat for the DesignJet 30gp is that its proper place is probably a design studio – the bundled Gretag Macbeth calibration gizmo tells you as much.

The 30gp is simple to set up and drivers and other software install cleanly on both Mac and PC. Build quality is excellent, too, and, thanks to its more compact size, the 30gp feels like a sturdier machine than its big brother, the 130.

Ink cartridges are generously proportioned, feeding separate wells on the print head. So for anyone making proper use of this printer, consumables should last longer than many other machines of this kind.

Using a selection of HP paper types, which are uniformly excellent, the 30gp performed well in our tests. Perhaps happiest when deployed against high contrast jobs or images with plenty of colour using coated paper, it’s hard to pick fault with the quality of the output.

If you’re looking for an A3 printer with good colour control that won’t balk at regular use, or only work on selected jobs, then the DesignJet 30gp is a strong contender. And if you don’t need the added connectivity of a LAN card or calibration device the price is also impressive. Treated well, the 30gp will serve you admirably.