Best 11 x17 printer for architects

As an architect, if you need to produce 11x17-inch documents, then you could look to buy a wide format printer, which is no slouch with smaller paper, either.

In recent years, though, we've seen a trend toward incorporating limited support for oversize output into consumer and small-business inkjet printers. You won't be able to print poster-size 24x36-inch output on these models (at least, not on one sheet without tiling), but these models can do 11x17-inch prints (and in a few cases, 13x19-inch) in small quantities. These are known as wide format printers.

If we had to name this emerging group of printers, we'd call them "the Occasional Oversizers." They're a mixed bag, though,and their dynamics change every time one of the major makers introduces a new oversize-capable model. But they're here to stay, as more and more buyers take a fling on these models and realize just how handy it is to be able to print to big sheets now and then. You no longer have to compress and shrink that complex spreadsheet to a single page, or tape together tiled sheets. And the ability to do a one-off giant holiday-picture print for framing is nice—and these printers are, generally speaking, very capable of fine photo output. Pricing on these models varies a bit, but if you're looking for the ability to output bigger-than-letter-size every now and then, here are the main things to know...

Paper size terminology

The most common inkjet "oversize" paper is known as tabloid stock, or 11x17-inch, and 13x19-inch media, known as supertabloid. Tabloid and supertabloid printing are referred to collectively as "wide-format" output. Paper Handling This varies widely, and it has a bearing on just how "occasional use" your printer will be for oversize printing. Some models are best suited for what we'd call "convenience oversize": printing an oversize page once in a while, not in great stacks. That's because they feed the oversize stock, one sheet at a time, through a paper-bypass slot on the back of the printer. Conversely, others have only one paper tray, which is meant for preloading a supply of wide-format stock—which means much less babysitting for multipage oversize prints

Automatic Document Feeder details

Some, but not all, wide format printers here have an automatic document feeder (ADF) that handles scanning your media, if the printer is an all-in-one (AIO) model. Don't assume, however, that the ADF can necessarily handle all the same paper sizes that the printer can print; check out the details on the manufacturer's spec sheet. Also know that ADF functionality varies; some models can scan both sides of their sheets automatically (a feature known as "auto-duplexing"), others not.

Connectivity

Wide-format printers, even occasional-use ones, are far from the subcompacts of the printer world. Because their printer paths are by necessity at least 11 or 13 inches wide, you're looking at a printer that takes up lots of desk because of its extra width. Look for built-in Wi-Fi (not always a given), which will give you the flexibility to place your "oversized oversize" printer in a convenient spot without worrying about running Ethernet or USB cables to it. Other connectivity features worth investigating include slots for flash-memory cards (if printing directly from camera-media cards is important to you) and a USB port on the body, for printing straight from USB flash drives or hard drives (in addition to the conventional USB interface that most inkjets feature).

Ink cost per page

Wide format printers vary widely in price and intended usage, and their ink schemes—the number and configuration of ink tanks, and their rated costs per color or monochrome page—do, as well. Printing full-page color photos on oversize stock with 100% ink coverage can drink down a lot of precious ink quickly, so examine ink cost per page to understand the ink economics for each printer.