What Ink Does the HP DesignJet T1700 Use?
Last Updated:Correction (October 2026): an earlier version of this guide said the T1700 prints through a single HP 731 printhead. It uses three HP 731 printheads, each carrying two colors.
Quick answer: The HP DesignJet T1700 uses six HP 730 ink cartridges — Matte Black, Photo Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Gray — printing through three HP 731 printheads (P2V27A), each carrying two colors. HP 730 comes in 130 ml and 300 ml sizes that fit the same slots. Castle Ink carries remanufactured 300 ml cartridges in all six colors: HP 730 Matte Black (P2V71A), HP 730 Photo Black (P2V73A), HP 730 Cyan (P2V68A), HP 730 Magenta (P2V69A), HP 730 Yellow (P2V70A) and HP 730 Gray (P2V72A).
CastleScore · October 2026
65/100 — Situational
HP DesignJet T1700
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | — | No retailer rating with enough reviews to use. |
| Expert reviews (18%) | — | No published numeric expert score we could verify. |
| Cost per page (24%) | — | Not scored: HP rates 730 cartridges by ink volume, not page yield, so we cannot calculate an honest cost per page. |
| Reliability (13%) | 84 | Most-reported problems: printhead errors, sometimes tied to carriage PCA or trailing cable faults; HP 731 printheads dead on arrival or hard to seat in HP.com reviews |
| Features (12%) | 44 | Ethernet. No document feeder, no auto two-sided printing, no fax, no touchscreen. |
| Value (5%) | — | Running cost and owner satisfaction against a street price of about $8955 |
Limited data: We could not find enough owner ratings or published expert scores for this printer, so those weights are spread across the other pillars.
Still sold new. Resellers still list the T1700 range; Connection had the T1700dr 44-in PostScript at $8,955 in October 2026.
CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 11, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The cartridges, pictured
HP 730 Matte Black 300 mlP2V71A
HP 730 Photo Black 300 mlP2V73A
HP 730 Cyan 300 mlP2V68A
HP 730 Magenta 300 mlP2V69A
HP 730 Yellow 300 mlP2V70A
HP 730 Gray 300 mlP2V72A
HP 730 Matte Black 300 ml
HP 730 Photo Black 300 ml
HP 730 Cyan 300 ml
HP 730 Magenta 300 ml
HP 730 Yellow 300 ml
HP 730 Gray 300 mlOur own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.
HP DesignJet T1700 Ink Cartridges at a Glance
| Color (300 ml — Castle Ink link) | 300 ml Part No. | 130 ml Part No. |
|---|---|---|
| HP 730 Matte Black 300 ml | P2V71A | P2V65A |
| HP 730 Photo Black 300 ml | P2V73A | P2V67A |
| HP 730 Cyan 300 ml | P2V68A | P2V62A |
| HP 730 Magenta 300 ml | P2V69A | P2V63A |
| HP 730 Yellow 300 ml | P2V70A | P2V64A |
| HP 730 Gray 300 ml | P2V72A | P2V66A |
Both sizes are interchangeable, and you can mix them — a 300 ml cartridge in a busy color and a 130 ml one in a color you rarely use. On a plotter that prints every day, the 300 ml size is the one to buy: it costs far less per milliliter and you swap cartridges less than half as often.
The DesignJet T1700 is HP's 44-inch technical and GIS plotter, built for CAD drawings, maps and renderings. The T1700dr adds a second roll so you can keep two paper types loaded, and the PostScript versions add Adobe PostScript and PDF processing for print-ready files.
The same HP 730 cartridges fit the DesignJet T1600, T1600dr, T1700, T1700dr, T2600 and T2600dr, including the PostScript models, and HP also lists the DesignJet SD Pro 2 44-in MFP. The printheads are not shared the same way: the T1600 and T2600 do not use the T1700's HP 731 printheads. See our DesignJet T1600 and DesignJet T2600 guides if you run more than one.
Do not confuse HP 730 with HP 711 or HP 712 (DesignJet T120, T520, T210, T630, T650) or HP 727 (T920, T1500). They will not fit this printer.
Which Color Runs Out First?
On a CAD and line-drawing workload, Matte Black empties fastest by a wide margin — it prints lines and text on plain and bond paper. Photo Black only comes into play on photo and glossy media, and Gray is used for neutral tones in renderings and photos. If your plotter mostly prints drawings, keep a spare 300 ml Matte Black on the shelf before anything else.
How to Replace Ink in the HP DesignJet T1700
- On the front panel, open the ink menu and choose to replace a cartridge, or wait for the empty-cartridge prompt.
- Open the ink cartridge cover.
- Pull the empty cartridge straight out of its slot.
- Shake the new cartridge gently, then slide it into the slot that matches its color label until it locks in place.
- Close the cover. The front panel confirms when the cartridge is recognized.
Troubleshooting Tips
Cartridge not recognized or "non-HP cartridge" message: Remove and reseat the cartridge firmly. Do not use a cartridge that has been dropped or whose chip contacts are damaged.
Banding or missing lines: Print the image quality diagnostic report from the front panel, then run printhead cleaning. If one color is still missing after cleaning, look at the HP 731 printhead that carries that color. Each of the three heads prints two colors, so you replace only the head for that pair (P2V27A), not all three, and it goes back into the same slot. The heads are separate parts, not built into the cartridges.
Colors look off after replacing a cartridge: Run printhead alignment and color calibration for the paper type you use most.
What DesignJet T1700 owners ask
These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, HP's support forum and owner reviews, answered in our words.
Can I move a printhead to a different slot?
It will fit physically, but each head only works with the two colors set for the slot it was first used in. Label your heads before you take them out so each one goes back where it came from.
Which inks are pigment and which are dye?
Matte black is pigment. Cyan, magenta, yellow, gray and photo black are dye-based.
New printheads keep asking to be reseated. What should I check?
Insert each head straight down, not at an angle, and clean the carriage contacts. Technicians on a repair forum say that if the errors continue with good heads, the trailing cable or the carriage board needs checking.
How thick a media can it load?
Up to 0.8 mm, from 60 to 328 g/m², on rolls up to 44 inches wide.
DesignJet T1700 quirks worth knowing
- HP rates HP 730 matte black for ISO 11798 permanence only when it is printed on the T1700 series.
- Each HP 731 printhead has 2,112 nozzles per color with a 6-picoliter drop. Some owners on HP.com report heads that were dead on arrival or only seated after several tries.
- The T1700dr PostScript ships with a 500 GB self-encrypting (AES-256) hard drive, which matters if you print confidential drawings.
- Gigabit Ethernet is the documented network port. Reseller listings disagree on Wi-Fi, so check before you count on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the HP DesignJet T1700 use HP 730 or HP 731?
Both, for different parts. HP 730 is the ink cartridge; HP 731 is the printhead (P2V27A). The T1700 takes three of them, each carrying two of the six colors.
Can I mix 130 ml and 300 ml HP 730 cartridges?
Yes. Both sizes fit the same slots and can be used side by side.
How many ink cartridges does the HP DesignJet T1700 take?
Six: Matte Black, Photo Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Gray.
Does using remanufactured cartridges void my warranty?
No. Under the U.S. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a manufacturer cannot void your printer warranty only because you used third-party cartridges. Damage proven to be caused by a specific cartridge would not be covered, but the rest of the warranty still applies. Service contracts (HP Care Packs) can carry their own terms, so check yours.
Other printers that use HP 730 ink
HP DesignJet T1600 · HP DesignJet T2600
More HP ink guides: HP OfficeJet 3830 · HP Envy 5000 · HP OfficeJet Pro 8610 · find any printer
Sources
Ratings and prices were checked on October 11, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement HP ink cartridges? Shop HP ink cartridges at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.