One fine and compact printer for you!
Overall
Summary
Will provide you with store quality prints for a low low price.
Pros
Fast, reliable, compact, excellent quality, and cheap!
Cons
None at all!
I have always trusted HP printers and decided to get one just for printing photos. So after some research (online and offline), I decided to purchase this HP Photosmart 8250xi inkjet printer for my needs.
It has gotten high ratings from many different users and the price at Costco Wholesale was amazing (only about $145). Another reason for my purchase of this machine was the printing speed; it is faster than my current all-in-one machine (the OfficeJet 7310xi).
SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE INSTALLATION
Setup was no problem for me as I have done it many times at work and at home. But if you are still new to this, the quick installation guide properly instructs you through step by step on what to do to get the printer to get up and running. It took me less than fifteen minutes to unpack and set up the unit.
The software and driver installation are somewhat of a pain as you have to install a lot of software with the drivers if you want to use the application that works with the printer better. There is nothing wrong with it, but it just takes too long and I sometimes get impatient. But overall, it is definitely worth the wait because the software and drivers are what makes this printer work at its best.
A good thing about this printer and most other new HP printers is that they calibrate/align the cartridges automatically. Most of them have self-cleaning features but may require manual cleaning when you do not use it for a long time.
DESIGN AND CONTROLS
This photo printer is only 17.59 inches wide, 6.28 inches high, and 15.16 inches in depth; this is a very compact printer so it will not take up too much room on your desk. And it only weighs about 18.7 pounds so almost anyone can carry, move, or install it with much hassle. I personally like this as I sometime do move my setup around for a better look.
The control panel on this printer does not have too many buttons so you will not have to look at the manual (too often) to make this printer work for you. You can print photos right from the control panel without even having to connect to a computer. But the best way to learn what each button does and how to use them is to read the manual that is designed to provide a lot of information with details on how to operate this unit properly and efficiently.
There is a PictBridge port in the left top right corner so you can print directly from your compatible digital cameras or flash memory cards. If you do not want to transfer your images from your camera to your computer, then this is a nice tool for you.
The LCD comes in handy when you want to print directly from the printer without a computer using your flash memory cards or even the camera itself. It also shows you the status and other error notifications. You can see your images clearly and in full color on this LCD as it is 2.5 inches. It also tilts up or folds flat so you will never have a hard time seeing what is on the screen.
WHY I PURCHASED IT?
The main reason I purchased this printer was because of its compact size and fastest photo printing capability. It can print a four by six photo in about 30 seconds or less, on the other hand, eight and a half by eleven photos takes about a minute or so. I think the reason for the faster speed is that the print heads are separate from the ink cartridges. It also uses six different color cartridges so you will not have to waste money on color half-empty cartridges. Each four by six print costs about 24 cents which is cheaper than what it would cost to get them printed at a store.
INK CARTRIDGES AND THEIR COSTS
This photo printer is compatible with the following ink cartridges that do not cost a lot at all. As always, if you buy them in bulk, you will get a better deal an save even more.
- HP 02 Light Magenta Ink Print Cartridge (C8775WN)
- This cartridge enhances your pink hues.
- Cost: $9.99
- Quantity: 5.5 ml
- HP 02 Yellow Ink Print Cartridge (C8773WN)
- This cartridge brightens up the yellow tones in your pictures of sunflowers, sandcastles, and kids selling lemonade.
- Cost: $9.99
- Quantity: 6 ml
- HP 02 Light Cyan Ink Cartridge with Vivera Ink (C8774WN)
- This cartridge is for great photos with beautiful blues.
- Cost: $9.99
- Quantity: 5.5 ml
- HP 02 Cyan Ink Cartridge with Vivera Ink (C8771WN)
- This cartridge will give you professional-quality photos with gorgeous blue hues.
- Cost: $9.99
- Quantity: 4 ml
- HP 02 Magenta Ink Print Cartridge (C8772WN)
- This cartridge adds a punch to photos of red roses, fire engines, and glorious sunsets.
- Cost: $9.99
- Quantity: 3.5 ml
- HP 02 Black Ink Cartridge with Vivera Ink (C8721WN)
- Get laser-quality black text and superior photos with this cartridge.
- Cost: $17.99
- Quantity: 10 ml
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 may be asked for the serial number and service ID of this unit, which can easily be found by following instructions in the manual.
EXPERIENCE
I have noticed that this printer prints four by six photos quicker than my current all-in-one, but takes about the same time to print 8.5 x 11 photos; it takes about two and quarter minutes to print a borderless 8.5 x 11 photo. The quality of the prints is amazing and as expected. I printed a bunch of test photos just to see how this machine handled them; first I tried directly from my Olympus C-8080 8 MP digital camera and then from the flash memory card. Both of these prints were prompt and of high quality. Printing from my picture library on my computer was simple also when using the ImageZone software included in the package. You really do not need to read the manual to get started on this printer but I would highly recommend it to get to know it even better.
I would like to mention that this printer is very fast and also very silent. The quality looks that same to me as it would be from a store. All the prints come out almost dry, so do not touch them right then. Just wait a minute or two to let it fully dry before it will be safe to touch (it may be a little sticky though). These prints would last you about a hundred years if you used their Vivera ink cartridges; I cannot say this for sure, but this is what HP says. The big paper tray can hold about one hundred sheets but the small tray on the other hand can only hold 20. This can a bit irritating as you may have to keep filling the small tray too often if you do a lot of printing.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It has been some weeks now and I have not had any problems with this printer. I am very pleased with the speed, quality, and features of this printer and I know that it will last me for years. It has so far only provided me with high-quality photos and I do not expect anything less. I would highly recommend this to everyone for all their photo printing needs. If you have been looking for a fast photo printer with excellent quality then this is the printer for you.