Hewlett Packard has introduced two professional-grade printers, starting at US$499.

The Photosmart 8750 produces nine-ink prints up to 13 x 19 inches and will print without borders at all sizes. It is designed for the professional, fine art, portrait and serious amateur photographer who wants finished, professional-quality photos to sell, exhibit or admire for generations. The printer weighes in at 26 pounds and is 25 inches wide.

The 9 inks in three separate cartridges help to provide true neutral grays, deep blacks, high contrast, and smooth transitions when printing black & white, and with new HP Vivera inks, color is richer, finer and more accurate in skin tones.

The entire top of the printer consists of the lid with a small LCD panel which acts as the main control center. It has media card slots on the left side for CompactFlash types I and II, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital, SmartMedia, Memory Stick and XD-Picture Card – and front USB port for connecting to PictBridge-enabled digital cameras allow users to print directly from their cameras.

The 8750, shown at right, features USB 2.0 and Ethernet ports, with 802.11b/g or Bluetooth wireless connectivity available through optional adapters.

The HP Photosmart 8750 will retail for $499 and ship in North America in April, the company said.

The Designjet 90, shown below, is one of the more affordable large-format printers for professionals at $995 for the standard model and $1,150 for the 90r with roll-feed capability.

This 6-color printer uses proprietary dye-based HP Vivera inks for a wider range of colors, deeper blacks, continuous tones, and gloss uniformity. Its six-color ink system can produce images up to 2400dpi in resolution. The Designjet 90 allows for printing up to 18 x 24 inches in size, including postcard size prints and banners up to 18 inches in width and length of up to 150 feet long, using the optional roll feeder.

The Designjet 90 also features Press simulation, which is a CMYK to CMYK transformation that changes the lightness, hue, and saturation of the CMYK files sent to the inkjet printer to match the output of a production device. This gives pre-press professionals a low-cost tool for producing accurate proofs.

Connectivity options include a USB port and a Centronics standard Open EIO for adding the printer to a network. Wireless capability can be added with an HP Jetdirect module

The Designjet 90 and 90r will ship in April.