HP OfficeJet 7410 All-In-One Inkjet Printer Review

I liked my one-and-only all-in-one (the HP OfficeJet 7310) so much that I recommended its big brother to my boss for our office. This time we were upgrading from our old and small HP DeskJet 932C inkjet printer. After this old guy lost its ability to print in color, my boss finally decided to buy this HP Officejet 7410 All-In-One. I had my eye on the 7410 model sometime now and I just needed a reason to purchase it. My boss and I went to Costco Wholesale and purchased this unit, and the best thing of all was that it was on sale a low $440 ($500 was the MSRP) price tag.

HARDWARE & SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

The hardware setup is really simple if you follow the steps on the hardware setup guide. It took me less than 20 minutes to unpack and set up the unit and connect it to the (PC-01 is the first computer on the network) computer.

Installing the software and drivers is a time-consuming process, but it is worth every second because of all of the drivers and software that gets installed from the CD help control each and every feature of the printer from your computer. It will make your life much easier if you just wait and let it do its thing.

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

The user manual is very simple to read and comprehend. My boss is not a very computer literate person, but with a little help from the user manual he can figure out how to do just about anything. I think HP spent a lot of time and did a really good job writing this manual because as far as I am concerned, it is almost idiot-proof.

DESIGN & CONTROLS

This unit is just like my 7310xi at home except for a couple of new features packed into it. It has an extra paper feeder tray and wireless network capability. The specifications say that this 7410 is 21.6 inches wide, 17.2 inches deep, and 13.9 inches in height (the only difference so far). It weighs a whopping 31.2 pounds (because of the extra paper feeder tray) whereas my 7310xi only weighs 26.2 pounds. We really do not care about the weight because you are just going to place it on a shelf and forget about moving or lifting it. As long as it prints, we will be happy.

When it comes to the controls and buttons, all I can say is that it is like a jungle where anyone can get lost if they are not prepared. There are close to fifty buttons (maybe more) on the control panel of this machine (it takes a while to get used to them). The best way to find out what each button does and how to use them is to read the user manual (thoroughly) which provides a lot with details with pictures on how to do everything with this all-in-one machine.

This particular model, the 7410 can store 110 speed-dial numbers, which is the same as the 7408 and the 7413 models. There are many different ways to set up the speed-dial entries, and many ways to use the speed dial feature on this machine; all of which are explained with details in the manual. I would not say that it is hard to set up and use, but once you read the manual and try it out for yourself, you will think it is a piece of cake (hopefully). This unit also has five (5) one-touch speed-dial buttons for easier access to your five most-used fax numbers. This feature comes in handy when you do not have the time to search through the 110 speed-dial numbers and just want to send something quickly. So store your mostly used numbers here.

The paper feeder is located on the bottom to reduce paper jams; an HP representative visiting a store I was at, provided me with this information. I can also confirm this from experience with the Lexmark x75 (a paper feeder is on top) because it used to get paper jams a lot of times and crooked prints most of the time. The standard paper tray can hold 150 plain & legal sided paper, 30 cards labels and 4 x 6 photo paper, 20 envelopes and 8.5 x 11 photo paper, and 25 transparency films. And if that was not enough, the extra paper tray doubles that number or probably more.

There is a built-in flash memory card reader that can read eight different card types which include: CompactFlash, Smart Media, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard (MMC), and xD-Picture Card. However, there are certain restrictions for using this card reader; HP recommends that the number of pictures in any memory card must be less than 1,000, each of the files must be equal to or less than 12 megapixels or 8 megabytes in size, and last but not least the memory card size should be 1 gigabyte (solid-state only – not sure what this means) or less. They say that …approaching any of the recommended maximums on a memory card might cause the performance of the unit to be slower than expected.

One of the most useful features of this unit is the full-color Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen which will help you in doing everything you can with this unit. The LCD can be used to view pictures from flash memory cards or pretty much everything the printer can do. You will get up-to-date information on the LCD about the state of the printer, ink cartridges, and problems (if any). You will be notified via the LCD about the ink cartridge status, and even wired or wireless network status.

The new wireless 802.11g/b networking capability is what makes this unit more powerful and preferable than its predecessors. There is a blue light on the bottom side of the control panel which tells you if the wireless network is on or off. But since we already have a wired network setup at our office we just used that instead. The document feeder tray (located on the top) works hand-in-hand with the flatbed scanner to provide you with the best results and performance. On the other hand, the output tray can handle up to 50 sheets at a time. So print all you want without worrying about it overflowing.

One other feature I admire about this unit is that it came with an automatic double-sided printing cartridge. It allows you to print on both sides of a page without having to flip the paper over yourself. All you have to do is connect the cartridge to the back of the unit and you are all set to go. I really like the way this unit handles any double-sided paper whether it is for printing, scanning, copying, or faxing. 

SPEED & MEMORY

If you are someone who needs everything done quickly, well guess what, you are in luck because this baby is fast. The maximum speed for draft quality black prints and copies is 30 pages per minute, 9.8 pages per minute for normal quality, and 2.1 pages per minute for best quality; this is way fast for me and my boss. For draft quality color prints and copies, it is 20 pages per minute, 5.7 pages per minute for normal quality, and 2.1 pages per minute for best quality; this is also great.

The fax transmission speed could have been a bit faster but it is good enough because we have a separate fax machine; transmission takes 3 seconds per page at 33.6 Kbps according to the specifications, but it depends on your phone line mostly. Mine is slower, between 5 and 10 seconds per page which is still good. Printing photos takes about a minute per 4 x 6 page set at the highest quality. At normal quality, it takes about 30 seconds for the same paper size. You can just imagine what the speed will be at draft quality. If you are like me and want to print everything with high quality and want them quick, I would suggest using this unit.

OPERATIONS WITH A COMPUTER

The installed software guides you step-by-step to print what you want and how you want it. I really like to use the ImageZone software which helps me print my photos perfectly the way I want to every single time. I prefer to use the ImageZone software over the Windows built-in utility to print photos. The software is easy to use and manage, but when it comes to managing your photo library, Adobe Photoshop Album leads the pack. All of the utilities and software that comes in the driver CD are great and very helpful but they are just not powerful enough to manage my 4500 plus pictures library efficiently.

OPERATIONS WITHOUT A COMPUTER

The ability to print photos without turning on my computer was one of the reasons I recommended this unit to my boss. You can use your memory cards from your camera and use them to print the photos you want without even turning on your computer. You can even print out an indexed preview sheet with all of the pictures on your memory card to help you choose the pictures you want. Once the sheet is printed, you use a no. 2 pencils and shade in the little ovals under the pictures you want to print and the type of paper you are using and re-scan that sheet using the flatbed scanner; your pictures will start printing right away. I was amazed when I tried this feature the first time with my 7310xi. You can also scan and copy without turning your computer on. Everything you scan will either get saved or printed. My boss and I use this feature a lot because he takes a lot of pictures of the equipment we work on and I get to do the printing.

PHOTO PRINTING

Printing photos is very simple with this unit, whether you want to print from your computer or without one. The first thing to do before you begin is to use an appropriate ink cartridge. I would suggest using the 99 ink cartridge for superb photo printing quality instead of just the regular black. Plus you also need high-quality paper for high-quality prints; I suggest getting Kodak Professional Lustre (8.5 x 11) paper for high quality and fingerprint resistance.

DOCUMENT PRINTING

Printing everything else is just as easy as printing photos. HP has made a lot of improvements from their past year’s experiences. I think HP is one of the fastest improving companies when it comes to printers.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

HP provides a one-year limited hardware warranty backed by HP Customer Care, service and support; one-year technical phone support; plus a toll-free number. You can visit hp.com or dial 1-800-474-6836 (-800-HP invent) to get warranty support. You will be asked for the serial number and service ID of this unit, which can easily be found by following instructions in the manual.

• Warranty Duration : (information gathered from the manual and/or hp.com)
• Duration of Limited Warranty (hardware and labor): 1 Year
• Duration of Limited Warranty (CD media): 90 Days
• Duration of Limited Warranty (print cartridges): Until the HP ink is depleted or the “end of warranty” date printed on the cartridge has been reached, whichever occurs first. This warranty does not cover HP ink products that have been refilled, remanufactured, refurbished, misused, or tampered with.

INK CARTRIDGES

This all-in-one machine is compatible with a wide variety of HP ink cartridges. Here is a list of these cartridges and how they are helpful (information gathered from hp.com):

• HP 94 Inkjet Print Cartridge
  • This cartridge provides laser-quality black text and graphics. Using this cartridge will ensure optimal and genuine HP performance.
• HP 95 Inkjet Print Cartridge
  • This cartridge provides rich, lifelike color for vibrant, professional-quality photos and bright, bold graphics that resist fading for generations.
• HP 96 Inkjet Print Cartridge
  • This cartridge provides professional, laser-quality black text and graphics. This cartridge is designed for faster printing and higher yield.
• HP 97 Inkjet Print Cartridge
  • This cartridge provides rich, lifelike color for vibrant, professional-quality graphics and photos that resist fading for generations. It is designed for higher yield and frequent printing.
• HP 99 Inkjet Print Cartridge
  • This cartridge produces crisp, true-to-life colors for vibrant photos that resist fading for generations. It is designed especially for color photos.
• HP 100 Inkjet Print Cartridge
  • This cartridge is useful for printing professional quality black and white or color photographs. Photos printed using this cartridge will resist fading for generations (except where noted, all prices are estimated U.S. HP prices. Actual prices from other locations or websites may vary.)

All of the ink cartridges are easy to install and/or replace; all you have to do it open the cover and unlock the cartridge which allows you to remove and replace the cartridge. These cartridges cost anywhere between $19.99 and $34.99. But if you want a good deal, I would purchase my ink supplies from Costco Wholesale; you can get a better deal if you buy a three-pack. A three-pack usually costs me around $50.00.

QUALITY

Every single print my boss and I have made so far (whether it is text, text with graphics, or just photos), were in perfect condition. The text quality is similar to those from a laser printer, or at least they look better than the prints from our old HP DeskJet 932C.

Text Prints

All the text print we make are either of normal or draft quality, but the normal quality looks better because it is very close to laser quality. We never have to use higher quality for our text needs because normal quality is already better and efficient for all our needs.

Graphics and Text Prints

Whenever we print graphics and text together, like a web page or something, we just select what I want to print and let the printer handle the rest. At normal quality, the prints are crisp and sharp like the laser print quality. In the draft setting, the quality is the same but the print is lighter because it uses less ink.

Photo Prints

We have printed a lot of photos and have never had a ruined photo due to printer malfunction or printer problems. This all-in-one always produces excellent high-quality pictures. We use the regular 94 and 95 ink cartridges for out photo printing needs but the quality is still good enough.

I spoke to an HP representative at a store I was at, who said that the quality will only be as good as the paper and ink cartridge you use. So if you are looking for high quality and long-lasting prints, I would suggest using the best paper and the best ink cartridges from HP.

PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT

The manual suggests some useful tips on how to maintain your all-in-one machine, but there some things you just learn to do by using the unit every day.

Maintaining as per the manual

The manual shows you exactly how to clean the unit inside and out. It also shows how to check the ink level and perform self-tests. It has very helpful tips on how to handle/clean/dispose of ink cartridges (new or used) properly.

My own experiences

Since we leave our printer on all the time, the glass on the flatbed scanner where the scanning light usually rests turns a different color (usually foggy). Now, this does not affect the scan or copy quality (yet), but it would be nice to prevent it. So the best way I found out to reduce this is to turn off the unit when I do not need to use it. So we turn the machine off after we close for the day and go home.

Printing when the unit off takes about a couple seconds longer because it has to turn itself on and initialize, but it is noticeably fast at that too. So when we print something when the unit is off, we do not have to press the power button, it turns on by itself and prints and then just stays on. Dust does tend to collect over time so it is best for the printer and it performs that you clean the exterior and the interior once a month (maybe use some kind of compressed air blower to blow the dust away then wipe it). Follow the instructions in the manual.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We have been using this HP OfficeJet 7410 for about two weeks now and there has never been a time when we got disappointed with the quality, speed, or the performance of any job that this unit performed. As of now, we are fully satisfied with all features and abilities of this machine. My boss is glad that I recommended this all-in-one and thinks it was a great investment; I am sure that it will last for years to come and keep providing us with high-quality prints. I do not think I can praise it enough because I cannot think of enough words that can describe my true feeling for this 7410.

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