The manufacturer said its new DesignJet Print At Your Service plan has been created to enable small to medium-sized companies, including those in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sectors, to access its DesignJet technology in an affordable and cost-effective way.

Available from the HP Store as well as HP partners Plot-IT, DPSB and eBuyer, the service runs as a contracting plan, with customers paying a low fee once a month to access DesignJet technology as well as a raft of other benefits.

Print At Your Service customers can choose from models including the DesignJet T250 and T650, while the plan also includes the DesignJet T830 multifunction printer.

Monthly plans start from £34.99 for users with a DesignJet T250 plotter printing up to 20sqm per month. Up to 50sqm per month on the same machine would start from £46.99 while up to 100sqm per month contracts would start from £62.49.

There is no upfront hardware cost; the payment covers the cost of the machine as well as installation, maintenance, printheads and ink cartridges.

The contract length with the hardware is three years and there is a minimum 12-month service and ink contract.

HP UK Large Format Printing Channel manager Colin Easton told Printweek: “We are delighted to bring Print At Your Service - a subscription printing plan for businesses - to our HP DesignJet customers.

“Print At Your Service offers a choice of three subscription levels to suit different printing needs, creating savings of up to 25% on original HP ink supplies. This enables customers to print confidently on the latest DesignJet plotter on the market, with readily available onsite service support, as well as cartridges automatically delivered when the printer is running low. All of this makes printing smarter and more convenient, allowing our customers to focus on what really matters - growing their business.” 

Daniel Powell Studios is an early adopter of the new payment plan. The business had been looking into purchasing a replacement large-format printer and was told about the initiative by Plot-IT, part of the Stanford Marsh Group.

Director Daniel Powell said: “We were asked if we would be interested in joining the Print At Your Service pilot scheme. It looked great value without the upfront costs, so we went ahead.

“The plan is working really well for us and we cannot fault it. The HP ink always arrives in plenty of time and the scheme delivers a cost-effective printing service, without the upkeep and maintenance costs.”