There is a cyan, yellow, magenta and black HP 4520 ink cartridge, so users can easily replace printer ink separately as each color expires. Color and black-and-white pages can print at a rate of up to 25 seconds per. Other accepted media types include photographic, semi-gloss, matte, coated banner and self-adhesive paper. It also has a number of special features like automatic paper roll switching and an automatic cutter.

The 4520 is able to support a paper roll with a maximum length of up to 575 feet. Due to a large size of around 76x31x53 inches, the 4520 is designed to work best in an office environment. The maximum resolution is 2400x1200 dpi using DesignJet 4520 ink. Using HP 4520 ink, this technology helps to produce accurate and crisp documents.

The HP DesignJet 4520 operates with thermal inkjet print technology and other features that allow it to produce professional-quality results, such as color layering technology.