A Great Home Printer (But Not for Office Level Work)
When my HP 5640 gave up the ghost after nearly 10 years of reliable service, I needed to replace it with a printer of similar quality whose cost would not break my piggy bank. I found this printer, the price was right, and it had several features my now departed printer did not have (such as scan and copy).
When I received it, I was surprised by how lightweight it was. But setting it up was a snap (directions included for doing so were clear and easy to follow). Inserting the ink cartridges was a new experience since they required being "snapped" into place instead of closing a spring-loaded cover. However, when I loaded it up with paper (the feeder is substantially smaller than what I was used to with my previous printer), turned it on, and then had my laptop print its first page to it, I was satisfied with the result. I was pleased to see that I could also "print" to a PDF format instead of paper, if I chose that option. This printer also has the capability of using a Wi-Fi connection via a router using Bluetooth protocols), and that means more than one device can use it from anywhere within range PLUS one can use a cellphone or tablet (with Wi-Fi capability) to print out a document to it. I did not try that option, so I do not know how well it works. But the best feature is that the printer can order additional ink cartridges when it senses they are getting low--provided you set that option up with HP when you register the printer AND as long as you leave the Wi-Fi connection open.
I also tried the scan and copy functions, and they worked quite well. However, both those functions work only with standard paper, so things like framed photos and the like cannot be done.
All in all, this printer will serve my needs AND the ink cartridges are substantially less expensive than they were for my previous printer (like about a third the cost), so that definitely makes up for any "inconveniences" there may be with this printer--as in paper loading is not quite as simple as loading a tray and the receiving tray does not extend out long enough to properly hold the printed sheets without them slipping off onto the floor.
Also there is no reverse print option, so printing out a series of pages that are meant to be in order will need to be reversed by hand. And while the software accommodates two-sided printing, that must be done one at a time by hand (while the printer waits for you to flip the sheet and then it in the paper tray a second time) as each side is ready to be printed.
I will also be interested to see how long the ink cartridges last compared to what I used before. However, the two supplied "beginner" cartridges (that supposedly held much less ink than the "regular" ones I will need to buy did provide me with two good weeks of printing, or about 150 pages total. The regular cartridges claim to produce at least double that.
The unique aspect was that the software needed to run the printer had to be downloaded from a dedicated website and not from a disk, but once installed it identified my printer and all worked well. It includes features like choosing specific pages to print (helpful when you only need certain pages--like from a multi-paged digital document), adjusting margins, adjusting print quality (draft, normal, best) and resolution (up to 1200 dpi), and having access to a wide variety of paper sizes Including envelopes, index cards, etc. I found the printer even worked well with label sheets and photo paper, but I doubt that anything thicker or stiffer than that would not be handled by this printer.
So if you're looking for a printer that can handle relatively light printing demands from home uses, then this one is perfect. If you are looking for something to handle the level of a typical office's output, then I would suggest looking for a different model. But either way, I can say that HP is a brand I totally trust for reliability.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
