Debbie A. Jett
I read LOTS of reviews of other printers before purchasing this one. I have an HP computer and wanted an HP printer to avoid any compatibility issues. Ive owned 2 HP printers previously and wore both of them out. During my search, the most frequent complaint I found was that most of the newer printers take separate color ink cartridges and will not print, even in black and white, unless all the cartridges are full, forcing users to have to change cartridges which are not empty. In my opinion, this is a rotten way for printer manufacturers to treat their customers, as the cost of ink is already ridiculous and having to remove cartridges that are not empty is pretty outrageous. Who wants a bunch of half-filled cartridges lying around? Also, the initial cash outlay for separate color cartridges is much higher than for the tri-color ones. Evidently, HP listened to those complaints, as THIS PRINTER TAKES ONE black cartridge and ONE tri-color cartridge, (#62) which runs about $32 for a combo pack. The combo pack also includes free 5 X7 photo papers and envelopes, a feature that I use a lot. If it runs out of one or more colors, it will still print. The printer itself is a good one. Copies and scans come out crisp and clean, as do photos. (I made all my holiday cards on the free photo paper this year, and they turned out very nice.) Changing cartridges is easy- you lift the lid and the glass plate, pop out the old one and snap in a new one. I do a lot of scanning and it is very easy, providing you load all the features into your computer from the CD that is included. I did NOT have to download any drivers from the internet. It also prints wirelessly, a feature that I havent used. Another common complaint was having to always print an alignment page and go through the alignment process before you could print. HP changed this too, as a box now pops up, giving you the option of aligning, postponing or cancelling alignment. You can also postpone alignment from the touchscreen on the printer. It takes all sizes of paper, and prints well on glossy photo papers. The only thing I have not tried yet is card stock. It is a bit noisy, but this is not a big deal for me. I do need to remind myself to push in the spring-loaded pop-out paper catcher when Im finished, so that I dont bump it and break it. Printing is quick on text documents and a little slower on photos, but the quality is excellent, so I dont mind the speed being a little slow. Everything you need comes in the box, but dont forget to purchase extra ink, as the cartridges that come with it contain less ink. Ive had this printer for about a month and have used it a LOT. So far, NO paper jams! All in all, I am pleased with my purchase and would recommend this printer to anyone looking for a good home or small business printer. Thanks for listening, HP!