diff --git a/crates/cad/src/hpgl/write.rs b/crates/cad/src/hpgl/write.rs
index 9e77495aa2..22773ac68b 100644
--- a/crates/cad/src/hpgl/write.rs
+++ b/crates/cad/src/hpgl/write.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 //! Coordinates are plotter units (1016 to the inch, y up) from the region's bottom-left corner or
 //! its center, rounded to whole units. Art past ±8,388,607 units (2²³ − 1, the smallest range
 //! the HP-GL/2 reference asks a device to take for encoded polylines) from the origin is cut off.
+//! An HP-GL plot with a coordinate outside −32,768 to 32,767 (16-bit numbers, the range older
+//! devices read) gets a warning; HP-GL/2's encoded polylines take the wider range.
 //! The pens are drawn in turn (pen 1's paths, then pen 2's), each in paint order or, with
 //! `sort`, each next path the one that starts nearest where the pen stopped.
 //!
@@ -39,6 +41,8 @@ use clip::Region;
 const PLU_PER_PT: f64 = 1016.0 / 72.0;
 /// The largest coordinate written, plotter units.
 pub const MAX_COORD: i64 = (1 << 23) - 1;
+/// The coordinates an HP-GL plot keeps to without a warning: 16-bit numbers, plotter units.
+const CLASSIC_RANGE: std::ops::RangeInclusive<i64> = -32_768..=32_767;
 /// The curve tolerance a path is flattened to by default, points.
 pub const DEFAULT_TOLERANCE: f64 = 0.1;
 /// The smallest and largest curve tolerance, points.
@@ -67,6 +71,7 @@ const TOO_MANY_POINTS: &str = "the export is too large: the art past its first 1
 const CLIP_WORK: &str = "clipping masks are too complex to apply in full: the art past that point is drawn whole";
 const MASK_POINTS: &str = "clipping masks past 10 million points together are left out: the art they clip is drawn unclipped by them";
 const OUT_OF_RANGE: &str = "art past 8,388,607 plotter units (about 210 m) from the origin is cut off";
+const PAST_CLASSIC_RANGE: &str = "the plot has coordinates past 32,767 plotter units (about 82 cm) from the origin, which older HP-GL devices may not read: HP-GL/2 takes a wider range";
 const MANY_COLORS: &str = "the art has more than 255 colors: the colors past those draw with the pen of the nearest color";
 const UNSORTED: &str = "the plot has too many paths to sort in full: the rest are drawn in paint order";
 const TOO_DEEP: &str = "symbols, blends, envelopes and repeats nested more than 8 deep were left out";
@@ -261,6 +266,9 @@ pub fn export_regions(doc: &Document, opts: &HpglOptions, regions: &[Rect]) -> R
                 }
             }
         }
+        if opts.version == Version::Hpgl && by_pen.iter().flatten().flatten().any(|(x, y)| !CLASSIC_RANGE.contains(x) || !CLASSIC_RANGE.contains(y)) {
+            warn(&mut warnings, PAST_CLASSIC_RANGE);
+        }
         let bytes = match opts.version {
             Version::Hpgl => plain(&by_pen),
             Version::Hpgl2 => encoded(&by_pen, &pens),
diff --git a/crates/cad/src/hpgl/write/tests.rs b/crates/cad/src/hpgl/write/tests.rs
index 2093fe8b48..7ef5105340 100644
--- a/crates/cad/src/hpgl/write/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/cad/src/hpgl/write/tests.rs
@@ -454,6 +454,27 @@ fn art_past_the_plotter_range_is_cut_off() {
     assert_eq!(text(&out), "IN;PU;SP1;PU0,706;PD141,706;PU;SP0;");
 }
 
+/// HP-GL past 16-bit coordinates is written as it is, with a warning; HP-GL/2 gets none.
+#[test]
+fn hpgl_past_16_bit_coordinates_warns() {
+    let region = Rect::new(-2400.0, 0.0, 2400.0, 100.0);
+    // Past 32,767 from the bottom-left corner, within the range from the center.
+    let d = doc_with(|d| vec![stroked(d, line((-2000.0, 50.0), (2000.0, 50.0)), Color::BLACK)]);
+    let out = plot(&d, &HpglOptions { region, ..HpglOptions::default() });
+    assert_eq!(out.warnings, [PAST_CLASSIC_RANGE]);
+    assert_eq!(text(&out), "IN;PU;SP1;PU5644,706;PD62089,706;PU;SP0;");
+    let out = plot(&d, &HpglOptions { region, origin: Origin::Center, ..HpglOptions::default() });
+    assert!(out.warnings.is_empty(), "{:?}", out.warnings);
+    assert_eq!(text(&out), "IN;PU;SP1;PU-28222,0;PD28222,0;PU;SP0;");
+    // Past −32,768 and 32,767 from the center.
+    let d = doc_with(|d| vec![stroked(d, line((-2400.0, 50.0), (2400.0, 50.0)), Color::BLACK)]);
+    let out = plot(&d, &HpglOptions { region, origin: Origin::Center, ..HpglOptions::default() });
+    assert_eq!(out.warnings, [PAST_CLASSIC_RANGE]);
+    assert_eq!(text(&out), "IN;PU;SP1;PU-33867,0;PD33867,0;PU;SP0;");
+    let out = plot(&d, &HpglOptions { region, origin: Origin::Center, version: Version::Hpgl2, ..HpglOptions::default() });
+    assert!(out.warnings.is_empty(), "{:?}", out.warnings);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn a_plot_stops_at_its_point_budget() {
     let d = doc_with(|d| (0..MAX_POINTS / 4).map(|i| stroked(d, rect(1.0, 1.0, 2.0 + (i % 50) as f64, 3.0), Color::BLACK)).collect());
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/fileio/hpgl.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/fileio/hpgl.rs
index 0016afa10e..a7980b5072 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/fileio/hpgl.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/fileio/hpgl.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ pub(super) const OPTIONS: &[FormatOption] = &[
         name: "hpglVersion",
         ty: "string",
         default: "\"hpgl\"",
-        description: "hpgl (IN, SP, PU and PD only) or hpgl2 (also the pens' colors, NP and PC, and each pen's paths as one encoded polyline, PE)",
+        description: "hpgl (IN, SP, PU and PD only; a coordinate outside -32,768 to 32,767 gets a warning) or hpgl2 (also the pens' colors, NP and PC, and each pen's paths as one encoded polyline, PE)",
     },
     FormatOption {
         name: "curveTolerance",
diff --git a/docs/mcp.md b/docs/mcp.md
index 39ec4c777e..3494b98244 100644
--- a/docs/mcp.md
+++ b/docs/mcp.md
@@ -6419,10 +6419,12 @@ are VectorCraft's own.
 
 `hpglVersion: "hpgl"` (the default) writes `IN;`, then for each pen `PU;SP<n>;` and each path `PUx,y;PDx,y,…;`, and
 ends with `PU;SP0;`. `"hpgl2"` also writes the palette (`NP` and a `PC` color for each pen) and draws each pen's
-paths as one encoded polyline (`PE`, base 64), which takes fewer bytes than the same moves as text. `warnings` names
+paths as one encoded polyline (`PE`, base 64), which takes fewer bytes than the same moves as text. An `"hpgl"` plot
+with a coordinate outside −32,768 to 32,767 units (about 82 cm from the origin, the range of 16-bit numbers) is written
+as it is, with a warning that older devices may not read it; this check is VectorCraft's own. `warnings` names
 type drawn as outlines, inline graphics in type (left out), placed images, opacity masks, raster effects, stroke
-looks that are not drawn, art past the plotter's range, colors past 255 pens, and the limits on points, clipping
-work, symbols, live art, nesting depth and sorting.
+looks that are not drawn, art past the plotter's range, HP-GL coordinates past 16-bit numbers, colors past 255 pens,
+and the limits on points, clipping work, symbols, live art, nesting depth and sorting.
 
 ```json
 {"name":"export","arguments":{"path":"/tmp/decal.plt","format":"hpgl"}}