If you're looking for an inexpensive, high quality printer, don't miss Hewlett Packard's PhotoSmart Printer. Many low cost printers advertise "Photo Quality," but this is the first one I've seen that actually delivers on the claim. The PhotoSmart Printer uses a proprietary technology similar to HP's PhotoRet to produce stunning prints up to 8x10 inches with the look and feel of conventional film processing. Print quality is comparable to picoliter ink jets, and at price of just US $199, the PhotoSmart Printer is now available at substantial savings from its market entry price of more than $400.
The printer is a six-color inkjet with inks particularly optimized for photo output. The actual resolution of the printer is just 300 dpi, but because the PhotoSmart process applies the ink in multiple passes, layering enhances the resolution of the image significantly.
The dimensions of the PhotoSmart Printer are about the same in width but much deeper than conventional inkjets - 18.5" wide x 18" deep x 6.5" high. HP indicates that this larger footprint is necessary to keep the paper as flat as possible during the printing process. A paper output tray on the front of the printer extends the profile by ten additional inches, but prints can be made with the drawer closed.
Paper is loaded in a flat input tray with special locator guides to align it within the bed. Paper of only one size can be loaded at a time. The tray can accommodate about 50 sheets.
Construction is very solid. The body of the printer is metal with a front cap containing the printer head assembly.
HP's lab testing has demonstrated remarkable fade resistance for PhotoSmart prints. Images subjected to UV light simulating three years' aging showing no noticeable fading or yellowing. Even conventional photographic prints demonstrate fading after approximately 7-1/2 years, and will yellow, even in the dark.
(The PhotoSmart printed images are not water-fast, even when dry. Print susceptibility to moisture is a problem with all ink-jet printers I've used.)
This is not a speedy printer. The print technique requires the mechanism to make multiple passes over the same area on the paper. An 8x10" image takes approximately five to seven minutes to print. A 4x6" postcard print will require two to three minutes. The prints also require a few minutes drying time before they can be stacked or handled.
Text speed is especially poor at only 1 page per minute, but the PhotoSmart is clearly optimized for printing photographs.
A variety of paper sizes are available, from 4x6 "postcard" size (with a microperforated tear-off tab) to paper up to an 8-1/2 x 11" size intended for 8x10 prints. The printer will print on plain paper, but for best performance, HP PhotoSmart paper is recommended. Both matte and glossy finish papers are available.
The printer is designed for use with HP Deluxe Photographic Paper, HP Glossy Photographic Paper, HP Matte Photographic Paper, HP Photo Project Paper, HP Photo Postcard Paper, HP Photo Greeting Cards, HP Photo Note Cards, HP Photo Calendar Kits.
The printer's parallel, high-speed bidirectional interface relays information such as ink levels back to the computer. PhotoSmart features significant built-in diagnostics and logs power on/off cycles and usage statistics. Self-test utilities will permit test of the interface and generation of test prints.
The printer has 1MB on board RAM and 512K ROM, using a Windows print spooler to reduce printer memory requirements.
The printer driver functions smoothly and provides visual feedback as the page is generated and printed, swath by swath.
The installation diskette trades a little practicality for impact: The installation CD contains an animated video segment and guided tour of the PhotoSmart Printer's features and the types of media that can be printed.
If you need to extend the 6' provided cable or add a switch box to share a printer port, be sure to use IEEE-rated cable and switchbox. Since the interface is bidirectional, conventional unidirectional USB-to-parallel printer adapters are incompatible with the PhotoSmart Printer
H-P PhotoSmart Printer - Manufacturer: Hewlett Packard
| SPECIFICATIONS | |||||||||
| Interface | Parallel Only, IEEE 1284 | ||||||||
| Print Technology | Six inks in two cartridges (3 each) using proprietary HP-PhotoSmart technology | ||||||||
| Paper Size | 4x6, 8.5x11, A4 | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Price | US $199 | ||||||||
| Warranty | 1-year warranty with 7 to 14 day repair & return. Express Pickup & Delivery or Express Exchange available as upgrade options. | ||||||||
|
|
|
VALUE |
* * * * * |
IMAGE QUALITY |
* * * * * |
CONSTRUCTION |
* * * * |
SPEED |
* * |
SUPPORT |
* * * * |
|
|
|
* * * * * |
SUPERIOR |
* * * * |
GOOD |
* * * |
SATISFACTORY |
* * |
POOR |
* |
UNSATISFACTORY |
Product Information: www.hp.com
BACK TO DIGITAL IMAGING REVIEWS