HP Color LaserJet 9500 Series

Colour laser printer with MFP/copier variant aimed at departmental needs. HP boast that the printer achieves "commercial press print quality". With a 200,000 page per month duty cycle the machine can easily act as a production printer for catalogs, newsletters and publications.

  • 9500n - C8546A - base model is network ready but manual duplex
  • 9500hdn - C8547A - network, 2000 sheet input, duplex, disk. Optional 3,000 sheet finisher, or stapler 288MB RAM.
  • 9500mfp - C8549A - uses the hdn as a base. Has scanner and copy processor.
  • 9500gp - Q6466A - graphics professional model including hdn tray and spectrophotometer for colour calibration.

The printer is often seen in the MFP variant which has scanner, copier and digital sender capabilities. HP are clearly aiming at the mid range copier market with this machine.

The printer was launched in spring 2004. Physically it is one of the biggest machines around, typically standing chest-high on a 2000 page feeder. Although it looks huge it isn't clear that more recent, smaller machines actually take much less space - they still need a desk or trolley to stand on.

Internally the machine uses and inline process that hasn't been superceeded and all the significant parts are easily accessed and changed. The processor is not as powerful as in recent machines, so print speed with complex graphics can be dissapointing. Native engine resolution is 600dpi but colour graphics still look ggod. In April 2012 Partsurfer still lists parts as available. Whilst these machines might be moving towards obsolescence in the absence of some critical fault there is no compelling reason to scrap them.

Refurbished toners and drums are quite widely available and can provide a low copy price.

Control:

Operator control via a 10 key numeric pad and a touch-screen graphical display.

Embedded web server for remote control.

Duty Cycle:

Robust design is reflected in the 200,000 page per month duty cycle.

Copy Abilities:

There is a 9500MFP Variant. This has a colour scanner giving 600dpi to 24 bits with a maximum size of 297x420mm. Scanner file output is JPEG, TIFF, MTIFF and PDF

Native to the engine is 600x600dpi with 8 bit depth.

HP ImageREt 4800. HP say "surpassing the 1200-dpi binary print quality of a color printer or commercial digital printing press" Supports colour management systems based on ICC profiles. Pantone calibrated.

Paper Handling:

ISO sizes A3, A4 and A5 in weights form 64 to 200 g/m² Base models have 3 trays as standard with a capacity of 1,100 sheets. Maximum print size width 297x461mm.

  • Tray 1:100 sheet multifunction: sizes to A3 (11x17 inches) Range 3.9x7.5 to 12.1x18.5 inches - or 10 envelopes
  • Tray 2, 3:500 sheets each. Sizes to A3 (11x17 inches) Range 5.8x8.3 to 11.7x17 inches. Automatic size sensing.
  • Tray 4:Included on the hdn and gp models. Sizes to A3, 2000 sheet capacity, autosenses size. Full-speed automatic duplexer on hdn, mfp, and gp models.
  • Two output bins on base model - left face-up bin holds 100 sheets and top face-down bin holds 500 sheets.Optional finishing devices connect to the left side of the printer:
  • 3,000 Sheet Stacker:C8084A - stacks offset print jobs for unattended printing. Holds upt ot 3,000 sheets of A4 or 1500 of A3. Media can be any kind meeting the printers requirement but thickness reduces the unit capacity.
  • 3,000 Sheet Stapler / Stacker:C8085A - optionaly staples and stacks jobs of up to 50 sheets using a 5,000 staple cartridge. Handles up to 1500 sheets A3 or 3000 sheets A4. Jobs of more than 50 sheets or including thick material won't be stapled.
  • Multifunction Finisher - C8088ATurns pages into ready to use documents with staples or saddle-stitch. Handles up to 1000 sheets A4 or 500 sheets A3. Again the unit will just stack jobs of more than 50 sheets or with thick media.

Processor:

Is a MIPS 20KC embedded in the system ASIC and running at 533MHz.

Memory:

The N model ships with 160MB SDRAM. The HDN with 288MB. The MFP ships with 512MB DDR SDRAM which is its maximum capacity. 3 memory slots 168 pin DIMM. 1 Compact Flash slot open. (HP documents differ on RAM quantities)

Interface:

IEEE 1284-C (mini centronics) parallel port.

Network: HPJetDirect 620n Fast Ethernet Print Serverin EIO slot.

20 GB Hard disk in EIO slot on HDN models.

Copy processor in EIO slot on MFP models.

System Compatability:

Microsoft Windows XP, Vista.

Mac OS 8.6, OS X and above.

Any PostScript 3 compatible system.

HP PCL 6, HP PCL 5c installable.

HP Postscript Level 3 Emulation.

Direct PDF print.

Dimension:

Full system 1598x835x1219 mm

Consumables:

The 9500 series is designed for speed and economy with separate toner, drum and image transfer elements.

Toners

The printer gives the message ORDER BLACK CARTRIDGE some time before the cartridge is exhausted (the message varies with colour). Each colour toner cartridge will print about 25,000 pages of A4-size media at 5 percent toner coverage (a full page of text)

C8550A HP Color LaserJet 9500 Black toner cartridge. Yield 25,000 Pages - C8550A (C8550-67901)

C8551A HP Color LaserJet 9500 Cyan toner cartridge. Yield 25,000 Pages - C8551A (C8551-67901)

C8553A HP Color LaserJet 9500 Magenta toner cartridge. Yield 25,000 Pages - C8553A (C8553-67901)

C8552A HP Color LaserJet 9500 Yellow toner cartridge. Yield 25,000 Pages - C8552A (C8552-67901)

Note that whilst new HP original toners do seem expensive the capacity of these units is ten times that common in desktop colour laser printers.

When a non-HP cartridge is installed, the NON HP CARTRIDGE DETECTED message appears on the printer control panel display. Press the CANCEL JOB button to continue printing, (but the message will remain). The cartridges are chipped with an RF tag to record use. Some recycled or compatible cartridges may function as HP cartridges normally would.

Note that the NON HP CARTRIDGE message may appear if cartridges are swapped between machines. The message should dissapear after 40 pages.

Drums

The printer gives the message ORDER BLACK CARTRIDGE some time before the drum cartridge ceases to function (the message varies with colour).

C8560A - Black Image Drum (40000 Copies)- C8560A (C8560-67901)

C8561A - Cyan Image Drum (40000 Copies)- C8561A (C8561-67901)

C8563A - Magenta Image Drum (40000 Copies)- C8563A (C8563-67901)

C8562A - Yellow Image Drum (40000 Copies)- C8562A (C8562-67901)

The use of drums separate from the print cartridge does make it more difficult to carry stock and change consumables as need arises. The argument in favour is that having a separate long life drum cuts the price per page.

Like the toners, the drums carry an RF tag to record status and indicate when a new device has been installed.


Cleaning Kit

When the message ORDER CLEANING KIT appears the printer has produced about 50,000 pages (its life varies if you are printing less than 2.5 percent or more than 5 percent toner coverage per color per page. The kit is Product Number C8554A. (aka part number C8554-67901)

C8554A - Cleaning Kit and waste bottle for Color LaserJet 9500. -C8554A

According to the CLJ 9500 Service Manual the C8554A kit contains one transfer cleaner, one air filter, one toner wipe, and one toner collection bottle

Use the RESET SUPPLIES submenu to tell the printer a new cleaning kit has been installed - it does not detect this itself.


Image Transfer Belt

When the message ORDER TRANSFER KIT appears the printer has produced about 200,000 pages. This is the large black belt that builds up colour images. The message cannot be ignored. When the counter reaches 200,000 pages, the printer stops until the kit is replaced and the count is reset at the control panel. The kit is Product Number C8555A. (aka part number C8555-67901).

C8555A - Transfer Kit etc for Color LaserJet 9500 - C8555A

According to the CLJ 9500 Service Manual the C8555A kit contains the transfer roller, the transfer belt, one charcoal filter, one toner wipe, two small tray rollers, and seven large tray rollers.

Use the RESET SUPPLIES submenu to tell the printer a new transfer kit has been installed - it does not detect this itself.


Staples

C8091A - Staple cartridge for stapler/stacker replacement cartridge. C8091A (C8085-67901)

C8092A - Staple cartridge for Multifunction Finisher replacement cartridge. C8092A (C8088-60541)

Fuser:

When the message ORDER FUSER KIT appears the printer has produced about 100,000 pages. When the count is actually reached the printer stops printing until the kit is replaced and the count is reset at the control panel. The kit is Product Number C8556A.

C8556A HP Color LaserJet Fuser Maintenance Kit - C8556A

Although the fuser kit C8556A is referred to as a maintenance kit it is not like those in mono laser printers in having both a fuser and a set of rollers; in this case the rollers come with the transfer kit C8555.

One type of fuser seems to be used. Rather unusually the fuser does not seem to come in 120 Volt and 220 volt variants, probably because there is a fuser power supply section inside the printer PSU which supplies a 90 volt PWM modulated signal according to the manual. The fuser is also unusual in that both rollers are heated, apparently this gives a better shine to the page.

The fuser kit is C8556A, the fuser itself has part number RG5-6098-000CN. There is also an exchange part number C8546-69007.

Use the RESET SUPPLIES submenu to tell the printer a new fuser kit has been installed - it does not detect this itself.

Spares:

C8555A HP Color LaserJet C8555A Image Transfer Kit - C8555A

C8554A HP Color LaserJet C8554A Image Cleaning Kit - C8554A

RG5-6196 Pickup Assembly RG5-6196

RG5-6017 Delivery Assembly - Face Down - RG5-6017

RB2-1820 Tray 1 Pickup Roller RB2-1820 (also in LJ 5000 and 5100. RB2-1820-00CN

RF5-3490 Tray 1 Feed/Separation Pad RF5-3490-000CN

RF5-3340 Tray 2 & 3 Pickup Roller (also in LJ 5500 and 9000) RF5-3340-000CN

RF5-3338 Tray 2 & 3 Feed/Separation Roller (also in HP 5500,9000 etc) RF5-3338-000CN

RG5-6178 Transfer Roller RG5-6178-000CN

Cartridge drive assembly RG5-6188-030CN new (C8546-69006 exchange)

Power supply 110 V No product number. C8546-69003 exchange PCA assembly

Service:

Despite it's impressive size this printer is easy to work on. The main components are easy to change, including the transfer belt and fuser which just plug in (more or less). Pickup and feed rollers are clip-on types and fairly easily reached by removing the trays (a torch might help).


Options and Accessories:

Accessories are unlikely to be available new due to the age of these printers. However since large companies are upgrading some accessories are likely to be available through brokerages and eBay. We may be able to source units.