Epson SureColor T3170M

This is the machine for an office where drawings move in both directions. Site plans, permit drawings, posters and proofs come off a 24 inch roll at full CAD accuracy, and the built in scanner sends marked up originals straight to a network folder, email or a USB stick without leaving the desk. It sits on a desk or credenza, or on its own optional stand.

The integrated scanner is what sets it apart. It scans originals up to 24 inches wide at up to 600 dpi, with highlight detection that keeps site markups legible, and it copies at full width too, up to 99 copies with resizing from 25 to 400 percent. On the printing side, high capacity UltraChrome XD2 cartridges up to 50 mL in colour and 80 mL in black keep the machine working between changes.

It is a great machine for construction, architecture and engineering offices that live on revisions, exactly the print, scan and share duty the specifications describe. Warranty service is next business day whole unit exchange, a replacement machine rather than a wait for parts, which keeps a small office working. If you need 36 inch width with the same integrated scanner, the SureColor T5170M is the step up, and if your drawings only ever leave the office, the T3170x covers the printing at a lower cost. One planning note: busy offices do well to keep a spare set of cartridges on the shelf so the printing never has to wait.