The 9 Best 11x17 Printers for Architects in 2026: Print, Scan and Present on Tabloid and A3

Quick answer: The best 11x17 printer for most architecture offices in October 2026 is the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 ($379.99 at Epson): it prints up to 13 × 19 in with pigment ink and scans 11 × 17 in sheets on its glass and through a two-sided document feeder. Choose the Brother MFC-J6960DW ($389.99 at Brother) to scan two-sided 11 × 17 in sets in one pass, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9730 ($439.89 at Staples) if you print far more than you scan, the Brother MFC-J6560DW ($309.99) on a tighter budget, the print-only Epson WF-7310 ($279.99) for check prints, and a 13-inch photo printer such as the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 for presentation boards.

This guide compares nine current printers, from all-in-ones that scan 11 × 17 in drawings to 13-inch photo printers for presentation boards, with what each one prints, scans and costs. It also covers how to choose, the sizes behind 11x17 and A3, when a laser printer or a plotter makes more sense, and how to print plans and renders on 11 × 17 in sheets.

11x17 Printers for Architects Compared (October 2026)

All nine models print at least 11 × 17 in. Prices were checked on the maker's or retailer's site on 23 October 2026 and change often.

Buying Guide: How to Choose an 11x17 Printer

When an architect invests in a new 11x17 printer, the objective extends far beyond simply producing prints. The focus is on maintaining line accuracy, ensuring color consistency, and preserving the long-term quality of presentation materials. In this buying guide, we outline four essential decision factors that architects should evaluate before selecting a device. We begin with one of the most technically significant yet often misunderstood aspects of printer performance: ink technology.

1. Ink Technology: Pigment vs. Dye

Inkjet printers used in 11×17 and large-format workflows commonly rely on either pigment-based or dye-based formulations. These ink types differ in chemical structure and in how they interact with various substrates, but their performance is influenced by multiple external variables.

These characteristics are tendencies documented in industry research, not fixed outcomes. Factors such as media coating, paper porosity, ambient humidity, light exposure, and the design of the printer’s ink delivery system can significantly modify results.

Pigment vs. Dye Ink: Technical Characteristics

What This Means for Architects

• Neither ink type is better in every case: water resistance, color, gamut and durability depend on the paper coating, the environment, the printer and the drying time.

• Lightfastness and archival behavior depend on the exact ink and paper combination, not only on pigment vs. dye.

• Choose by the job: pigment for drawings, markups and matte boards, dye for glossy renders, and check how the printer handles the papers you plan to use.

2. All-in-One Printers That Scan 11x17 Sheets

In an architectural studio, printing alone may not cover every workflow, especially when drawings must be digitized or copied. An all-in-one that scans 11 × 17 in and A3 sheets handles these larger documents in one piece, depending on the model and its scanner.

Key elements to review include maximum supported scan size, optical resolution, ADF capacity, duplex scanning, and how well the device manages different paper types. These factors can influence output accuracy, particularly when dealing with technical drawings.

What matters is where the sheet goes. A scan glass of about 11.7 × 17 in takes one 11 × 17 in or A3 sheet at a time, while a document feeder (ADF) rated for 11 × 17 in scans a whole set. The Epson WF-7840 has both: an 11.7 × 17 in glass and a 50-sheet two-sided feeder that takes 11 × 17 in and A3. Brother's MFC-J6960DW scans both sides of an 11 × 17 in sheet in one pass in its 50-sheet feeder, and the MFC-J6560DW's 50-sheet feeder scans one side at a time; Brother lists 11 × 17 in as the maximum for both feeders, and an A3 original is wider (297 mm against 279 mm). The HP OfficeJet Pro 9730 scans 11 × 17 in only on its glass, because its 35-sheet feeder stops at legal size (8.5 × 14 in). The Epson ET-16650 copies and scans up to 11 × 17 in, the ET-8550's glass stops at legal size, and the WF-7310 and the two Canon printers have no scanner.

A scan is a picture of the drawing, not a plan you can edit. To change a scanned plan or a hand sketch, upload the scan (JPG, PNG, WebP or PDF) or a photo of the sketch to Floor Plan Maker, ArchiVinci's floor plan tool for desktop browsers: AI reads the drawing and rebuilds it as an editable plan with walls, doors, windows and rooms with their names and areas, which costs a free member 1 credit. Check the result against the original, then export a PDF to print or a DXF for your CAD program.

3. Paper Trays and 11x17 Feeding

Check where 11 × 17 in and 13 × 19 in paper goes before you buy. HP lists 11 × 17 in for both 250-sheet trays of the OfficeJet Pro 9730, and Brother lists Ledger and A3 for the paper trays of the MFC-J6960DW and MFC-J6560DW and for the J6960DW's 100-sheet multipurpose tray, so a stack of tabloid paper can stay loaded. Epson rates the ET-8550's front tray for Letter and A4 and its rear feed for 50 plain sheets or 5 A3+ photo sheets. Canon's PRO-310 and PRO-200S take one 13 × 19 in photo sheet at a time from the top feed and thick fine-art paper, up to about 0.6 mm, through the manual feed slot.

All nine printers feed cut sheets. Roll paper and full-size 24 × 36 in, A1 or A0 sheets are plotter work: see "Do You Need a Plotter Instead?" below.

4. Operating Cost and Print Volume

In large-format printing, operating cost is defined by measurable factors such as consumable yield, ink system design, and output volume. Tank-based systems like MegaTank or EcoTank use refillable reservoirs and list ink capacities and page-yield values according to ISO/IEC test methods. These documented yields allow the cost per page (CPP) to be calculated directly from ink cost and certified page output.

Few datasheets state a cost per page, so you work it out from the price of a cartridge or bottle and its ISO yield. Epson's own figure for the ET-16650 is about 2 cents per color ISO page, against 14 cents with standard-capacity color laser toner (Epson's comparison, using 2019 laser prices). For volume, the maximum duty cycle is not a working load: Epson rates the WF-7840 and WF-7310 for up to 50,000 pages a month but recommends up to 2,500, Brother recommends 250 to 2,500 pages for the MFC-J6960DW and MFC-J6560DW (35,000 maximum), HP 250 to 1,500 for the OfficeJet Pro 9730 (30,000 maximum) and Epson 200 to 3,300 for the ET-16650 (66,000 maximum).

How We Checked These Printers

We did not test these printers. We chose current models that print at least 11 × 17 in, grouped them by job and took every spec and price from the maker's own product page or datasheet, or from the retailer named next to the price, on 23 October 2026. US prices are before tax, Canon's are Canon Canada's in Canadian dollars, and stock and sale prices change often, so check the maker's page before you buy. The specs are those of the models sold in the US; in Europe some names and cartridges differ.

Since the previous version of this guide, Brother has marked the MFC-J6955DW and MFC-J5340DW as discontinued, so the MFC-J6960DW and MFC-J6560DW take their places. The HP OfficeJet Pro 9730 replaces the OfficeJet Pro 7740, Canon's imagePROGRAF PRO-310 and PIXMA PRO-200S replace the PRO-300 and PRO-200, and the Epson WF-7840 and ET-16650 now have entries of their own.

Specs and Prices of the Best 11x17 Printers

The nine printers below run from all-in-ones that print and scan 11 × 17 in drawings (1–4) through a print-only model and an ink-tank workhorse (5–6) to 13-inch photo printers for presentation boards and renders (7–9). Each entry says what the printer prints, scans and costs, and where it falls short.

1. Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840: Best Overall for Architecture Offices

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 prints up to 13 × 19 in (A3+) with DURABrite Ultra pigment ink and scans and copies 11 × 17 in and A3 sheets both on its glass and through a 50-sheet two-sided document feeder, so one machine handles check prints, boards up to 13 × 19 in and scanned markups. Paper sits in two 250-sheet trays plus a 50-sheet rear tray, and fax and Ethernet are built in.

• Specs (Epson): borderless up to 11 × 17 in; 11.7 × 17 in scan area; 25 ppm black and 12 ppm color (ISO); up to 50,000 pages a month, 2,500 recommended; 4.3-inch touchscreen; one-year warranty in the US.

• Ink: four 812 cartridges; the 812XL yields 1,100 pages in black or color, and the printer works only with Epson cartridges.

• US price (October 2026): $379.99 at Epson.

• Cheaper sister model: the WF-7820 has the same print engine, glass and feeder with one 250-sheet tray, for $329.99 ($199.99 until 24 October).

• Cons: borderless prints stop at 11 × 17 in; cartridges rather than refillable tanks.

2. Brother MFC-J6960DW: Best for Scanning Drawing Sets

The Brother MFC-J6960DW prints, copies, scans and faxes up to 11 × 17 in, and its 50-sheet feeder scans and copies both sides of a sheet in a single pass, which suits two-sided drawing sets. It holds 600 sheets: two trays with 500 between them plus a 100-sheet multipurpose tray, all of which take Ledger and A3 paper.

• Specs (Brother): up to 31 ppm black and 30 ppm color; automatic two-sided printing up to Ledger; borderless Letter, Ledger and A3; Gigabit Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi; 3.5-inch touchscreen; up to 35,000 pages a month, 250 to 2,500 recommended; two-year warranty in the US.

• Ink: LC506 cartridges; the box includes starter cartridges for about 1,800 pages in black and 750 per color.

• US price (October 2026): $389.99 at Brother, out of stock in Brother's store that day.

• Cons: prints up to 11 × 17 in and A3, not 13 × 19 in; Brother lists 11 × 17 in as the feeder's maximum, and an A3 original is wider; on a Mac it prints through AirPrint, because Brother provides no Mac driver.

3. HP OfficeJet Pro 9730: Best for Print-Heavy Offices

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9730 prints, copies and scans, with two 250-sheet trays that both take 11 × 17 in paper and pigment inks in black and color. It scans 11 × 17 in and A3 sheets only on its 11.7 × 17 in glass: its 35-sheet feeder scans both sides in one pass but stops at legal size (8.5 × 14 in), so it suits offices that print sets every day and scan a large sheet now and then.

• Specs (HP): 22 ppm black and 18 ppm color (ISO); borderless up to 11 × 17 in; up to 30,000 pages a month, 250 to 1,500 recommended; 4.3-inch touchscreen; one-year warranty.

• Ink: four HP cartridges; HP's dynamic security blocks cartridges with a non-HP chip, and HP+ (optional at setup) needs an HP account, an internet connection and Original HP ink.

• US price (October 2026): $439.89 at Staples.

• Cons: no 11 × 17 in feeder and no fax; only cartridges with a new or reused HP chip.

4. Brother MFC-J6560DW: Best Budget All-in-One

The Brother MFC-J6560DW prints, copies, scans and faxes up to 11 × 17 in for $309.99. Its 50-sheet feeder takes 11 × 17 in sheets but scans one side at a time, and paper comes from one 250-sheet tray that takes Ledger and A3, plus a one-sheet manual feed slot.

• Specs (Brother): up to 31 ppm black and 30 ppm color; automatic two-sided printing up to Ledger; borderless Letter, Ledger and A3; Gigabit Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi; 2.7-inch touchscreen; up to 35,000 pages a month, 250 to 2,500 recommended; two-year warranty in the US.

• Ink: LC506 cartridges, with starter cartridges for about 1,800 pages in black and 750 per color in the box.

• US price (October 2026): $309.99 at Brother and at Staples.

• Cons: no two-sided scanning or copying; one paper tray; on a Mac it prints through AirPrint, because Brother provides no Mac driver.

5. Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7310: Best Print-Only Printer for Check Prints

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7310 only prints, and it is built for check prints, plan sets and boards up to 13 × 19 in (A3+): DURABrite Ultra pigment inks that Epson describes as instant-dry, two 250-sheet trays (500 sheets) plus a one-sheet rear feed, and automatic two-sided printing. Pair it with a separate scanner if you digitize drawings.

• Specs (Epson): borderless up to 11 × 17 in; 25 ppm black and 12 ppm color (ISO), 16 and 9 ppm two-sided; up to 50,000 pages a month, 2,500 recommended; 2.4-inch color screen; Wi-Fi and Ethernet; one-year warranty in the US.

• Ink: 812 cartridges with 350 pages in black and 300 in color; 812XL 1,100 pages each; 812XXL black 2,200 pages.

• US price (October 2026): $279.99 at Epson ($179.99 from 18 to 24 October).

• Cons: no scanner, copier or fax; cartridges rather than refillable tanks.

6. Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16650: Best Ink Tank for High-Volume Offices

The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16650 prints up to 13 × 19 in, copies and scans up to 11 × 17 in, and fills its tanks from bottles of DURABrite pigment ink: a replacement set prints up to 7,500 pages in black and 6,000 in color, which Epson puts at about 2 cents per color ISO page. It holds 500 sheets in two front trays plus a rear feed for specialty paper, and it prints, copies, scans and faxes on both sides automatically.

• Specs (Epson): borderless up to 11 × 17 in; up to 25 ppm black and color (ISO); up to 66,000 pages a month, 200 to 3,300 recommended; 4.3-inch touchscreen; Ethernet; two-year warranty in the US with registration.

• US price (October 2026): $1,159.99 at Epson, out of stock there on 23 October.

• Best for: offices that print hundreds of 11 × 17 in plans, specs and schedules a month, where ink cost matters more than the purchase price.

• Cons: a high purchase price; the cost figure is Epson's own comparison with color laser toner.

7. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310: Best for Pigment Presentation Boards

The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is a 13-inch photo printer with ten LUCIA PRO II inks: nine pigment colors plus a Chroma Optimizer, in 14.4 ml tanks. It prints borderless from 3.5 × 5 in up to 13 × 19 in, takes custom sheets up to 13 × 39 in for panoramas and feeds thick fine-art paper, up to about 0.6 mm, through its manual slot, which makes it a fit for matte and fine-art boards you frame or keep.

• Specs (Canon): 4800 × 1200 dpi; top feed for 100 plain sheets or one 13 × 19 in photo sheet; CD/DVD tray; 3.0-inch screen; Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB.

• Price (October 2026): CAD 1,249.99 at Canon Canada; the US price is on Canon USA's page linked above.

• Cons: print only, with no scanner and no automatic two-sided printing; one large sheet at a time.

8. Canon PIXMA PRO-200S: Best Dye Printer for Glossy Renders

The Canon PIXMA PRO-200S uses eight ChromaLife100+ dye inks (CLI-65, 12.6 ml each) for saturated color on glossy and semi-gloss paper, which suits render prints and competition boards where color matters more than permanence. Like the PRO-310, it prints borderless up to 13 × 19 in and takes custom sheets up to 13 × 39 in, and Canon gives about 1 minute 30 seconds for a bordered 11 × 14 in color photo.

• Specs (Canon): 4800 × 2400 dpi; top feed, manual feed slot for paper up to about 0.6 mm and a CD/DVD tray; 3.0-inch screen; Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB.

• Price (October 2026): CAD 799.99 at Canon Canada; the US price is on Canon USA's page linked above.

• Cons: print only; dye inks generally resist water and light less than pigment inks (see the ink table above).

9. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550: Best Photo All-in-One for Renders and Documents

The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 prints borderless up to 13 × 19 in with six Claria ET Premium inks (black, photo black, cyan, magenta, yellow and gray) from refillable bottles, and scans and copies on a legal-size glass, so a small studio can print renders, portfolio pages and everyday documents on one machine. A rear straight path takes media up to 1.3 mm thick, and it prints on CDs and DVDs.

• Specs (Epson): 5760 × 1440 dpi; 16 ppm black and 12 ppm color (ISO); automatic two-sided printing; front trays for 20 photo sheets and 100 plain Letter or A4 sheets, rear feed for 50 plain or 5 A3+ photo sheets; 4.3-inch touchscreen; Ethernet and an SD card slot; one-year warranty in the US.

• Ink yields (Epson): black 6,700 pages, photo black 7,300, each color 6,200 and gray 46,600.

• US price (October 2026): $749.99 at Epson, out of stock there on 23 October.

• Cons: the glass stops at legal size (8.5 × 14 in), with no document feeder and no fax; Epson specifies no duty cycle.

Best Choices for Architects

Match the printer to the work you print most:

• Print and scan 11 × 17 in on one machine: the Epson WF-7840, or the Brother MFC-J6960DW if you scan two-sided sets in one pass.

• Mostly printing, occasional scans: the HP OfficeJet Pro 9730, with two 250-sheet trays for 11 × 17 in paper.

• A tight budget: the Brother MFC-J6560DW, which prints, copies, scans and faxes 11 × 17 in.

• Check prints only: the Epson WF-7310, with a separate scanner for drawings.

• Hundreds of 11 × 17 in pages a month: the Epson ET-16650, at about 2 cents per color ISO page by Epson's figure, once Epson has it back in stock.

• Presentation boards and renders: the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 for pigment prints on matte and fine-art paper, the Canon PIXMA PRO-200S for dye prints on glossy paper, or the Epson ET-8550 if the same machine also prints documents and scans.

For competition boards and portfolio plates, plan the sheet before you print: our guide to building an architecture portfolio covers page layout, sizes and paper.

Inkjet or Laser for 11x17 Printing?

All nine printers in this guide are inkjets. Color tabloid lasers are workgroup machines: the Xerox VersaLink C7000, a print-only color laser that prints up to 11 × 17 in at up to 35 ppm, costs $1,999.00 at Xerox (October 2026), and Xerox's store lists its color tabloid all-in-ones for pricing by phone only. Xerox rates the C7000 for workgroups of 2 to 10 users and an average of 10,000 pages a month, against the up to 2,500 pages Epson recommends for the WF-7840.

Choose a laser if a shared office prints thousands of pages a month; choose an inkjet all-in-one if you also scan 11 × 17 in sheets or print 13 × 19 in boards, which the C7000 does not do.

11x17, Tabloid, Ledger and A3: Which Size Is Which?

11 × 17 in is a US size, and Tabloid and Ledger are two names for it: HP calls it Tabloid, Brother and Canon call it Ledger. A3 is the ISO size used in Europe and most other countries. The two are close but not the same, which is why most printers in this guide list both:

11 × 17 in is two Letter sheets side by side, but not the same shape: its sides run 1:1.55 and Letter's 1:1.29, so a Letter page enlarged onto 11 × 17 in leaves an empty band. A3 is two A4 sheets and keeps A4's 1:1.41 shape, which is why ISO drawings scale between sheet sizes without changing their proportions.

Do You Need a Plotter Instead?

An 11x17 printer covers half-size check sets, markups, A3 sheets and boards up to 13 × 19 in. Full-size construction sets (24 × 36 in, A1 or A0), long runs and roll paper need a large-format plotter: our guide to the best plotters for architects compares 24-, 36- and 44-inch models. If you need both, a common setup is a plotter for full-size sets plus an 11x17 all-in-one for daily prints and scans.

Printing Plans and Renders on 11x17 Sheets

11 × 17 in sheets are often used for half-size sets. A 22 × 34 in drawing printed at 50 % fits an 11 × 17 in sheet exactly, and its scale halves: 1/4" = 1'-0" becomes 1/8" = 1'-0". A 24 × 36 in sheet at 50 % is 12 × 18 in, so it needs a 13 × 19 in (A3+) printer, or a further reduction that leaves an odd scale. In metric sets, an A1 sheet at 50 % becomes A3 and a 1:50 drawing prints at 1:100. Our architectural scale calculator converts between scales.

If you draw or rebuild the plan in our free floor plan creator, each room shows its area as you draw, with dimension lines, text labels and metric or imperial units, and the plan exports as PDF, SVG or PNG for printing, or as DXF; for a print at an exact scale, place the DXF on a sheet in your CAD program.

For a presentation plan, ArchiVinci's AI floor plan rendering turns a 2D plan into a colored version in one of four styles (3D view, Marker, Solid color or Drawing) that follows the plan.

A render needs enough pixels for the sheet: a full 11 × 17 in print at 300 ppi needs about 5,100 × 3,300 px. With a plan, Upscale takes a result to 4,096 px on the long side, about 240 ppi across a 17-inch sheet. Make the render from a sketch, a model view or a photo with AI rendering, in seconds; a render from SketchUp, Revit or another program first gets one edit with the AI render enhancer, and that result can then be upscaled. Printing renders for client work is commercial use, which needs an active plan; the plans are on the pricing page. The picture below shows one run: an uploaded picture of a house without materials on the left, the render on the right.

Try it in ArchiVinci

Rebuild a scanned plan or draw a new one with our online floor plan maker and export a PDF to print on 11 × 17 in or A3 paper. For presentation boards, upload a 2D plan or a sketch: ArchiVinci generates a colored plan or a photorealistic render that follows your drawing. A new account starts with 3 free credits.

• For a 2D floor plan: AI plan render

• From a sketch: Sketch to render AI

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of printer is best for printing architectural drawings?

Architects commonly use printers that support A3 or 11×17-inch output, since floor plans, sections, elevations and detail sheets often exceed standard A4/Letter size. Devices that offer wide-format printing, accurate line reproduction, and consistent colour output such as pigment-based inkjet models or office-class A3 all-in-one units are typically preferred.

Is 11x17 the same as A3?

No. 11 × 17 in, also called Tabloid or Ledger, measures 279 × 432 mm, while A3 measures 297 × 420 mm: A3 is about 18 mm wider and 12 mm shorter. Most printers in this guide take both, and A3+ (Super B) is a larger 13 × 19 in sheet.

What printer do I need for 11x17 paper?

A wide-format, or tabloid, printer: most desktop printers take paper only up to 8.5 in wide (Letter or Legal), so check that the maximum paper size is 11 × 17 in or larger. All nine printers in this guide print 11 × 17 in, and six of them also print 13 × 19 in (A3+).

What architectural size paper is 11x17?

11 × 17 in is the half-size sheet of a 22 × 34 in drawing: printed at 50 %, a 22 × 34 in set fits it exactly and a 1/4" = 1'-0" drawing reads at 1/8" = 1'-0". A 24 × 36 in sheet at 50 % becomes 12 × 18 in, which needs a 13 × 19 in (A3+) printer.

How much does an 11x17 printer cost?

In October 2026, the cartridge all-in-ones in this guide cost $309.99 to $439.89 in the US, the print-only Epson WF-7310 $279.99, Epson's ink-tank models $749.99 (ET-8550) and $1,159.99 (ET-16650), and a color tabloid laser such as the Xerox VersaLink C7000 $1,999.00. Prices change often, so check the maker's page before you buy.

Do architects need pigment or dye-based ink?

Pigment inks are generally chosen when line accuracy, sharp text, or light-fastness on archival media is important. Dye inks are used when smooth gradients and high-saturation colour are preferred, such as for presentation renders. The choice depends on whether the primary output is technical drawings or visual/portfolio material.

What size paper is most commonly used in architecture offices?

A3 or 11×17-inch (tabloid/ledger) paper is widely used for check sets, schematic drawings and general in-office reviews. Larger format output, A2, A1 or roll-based prints is usually handled by dedicated plotters.

Is an all-in-one printer necessary for architectural work?

Not always. All-in-one devices are useful for scanning marked-up drawings, digitising hand-sketches, or copying contracts. However, studios that rely heavily on presentation printing or board-quality output often use a dedicated photo or large-format printer along with a separate scanner.

What is the difference between A3 and A3+ printers?

A3 printers take sheets up to A3 (297 × 420 mm) and, in the US, usually 11 × 17 in (279 × 432 mm), a slightly different size. A3+ printers, also called 13-inch printers, accept media up to 13 × 19 in (about 330 × 483 mm), which leaves room for presentation boards, portfolio spreads and borderless prints with a margin to trim.

Do I need roll-paper support for architectural printing?

Only if you print full-size sheets (24 × 36 in, A1 or A0), long panoramas or many large sheets in a row, which is plotter work. For 11 × 17 in and A3 check sets, markups and boards, cut sheets are enough, and none of the printers in this guide takes rolls; Canon's PRO-310 and PRO-200S print panoramas on custom cut sheets up to 13 × 39 in.

Is monthly print volume important when choosing a printer?

Yes. Manufacturers list either a recommended monthly print range or a maximum duty cycle. Staying within these limits helps maintain consistent performance and avoid premature wear. Wide-format all-in-one devices typically support moderate office volumes, whereas photo-centric models may not include monthly volume guidelines.

Which 11x17 printer is best for scanning drawings?

Choose one whose document feeder takes 11 × 17 in sheets: the Epson WF-7840 (a 50-sheet two-sided feeder plus an 11.7 × 17 in glass) or the Brother MFC-J6960DW (a single-pass two-sided feeder). The HP OfficeJet Pro 9730 scans 11 × 17 in only on its glass because its feeder stops at legal size, and many all-in-ones that print A3 have feeders for smaller sheets, so check both the glass size and the feeder size in the specs.

Is color accuracy important for architectural printing?

For construction documents, line clarity is the priority. For renderings, presentations and client-facing work, color accuracy and tonal range matter more, and you judge them first on screen, so a calibrated display helps (see our guide to the best monitor for architects). This is why some studios keep both a workhorse A3 office printer and a dedicated pigment or dye photo printer.

What is the difference between a plotter and an A3 office printer?

A3 and 11x17 printers handle tabloid-size sheets and A3, while plotters are designed for 24 × 36 in, A1 and A0 drawings or long continuous lengths on roll media. Plotters are used for final construction sets, whereas A3 printers handle most in-office drafts and review prints; our guide to large-format plotters compares the current models.