HP Photosmart Printer -- worth it?

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I've got an HP 895cse printer. It's good, but as I prepare to enter the world of digital photography, I'm wondering if I should pick up an HP Photosmart Printer. It's down to $150 at CompUsa. Would the Photosmart give me better pictures? How much better? Is it worth it?

-- Jim Whiteman (jimtri@aol.com), August 02, 1999

Answers

It will give you prints that are as good as photographs. You have to use the HP Photosmart glossy print paper but what you get is equal to or better than the prints that you get from the photo lab. An 8 X 10 will cost you about $1.75 each. Photographic paper is good for about 200 dpi. The Photosmart will give you 300 dpi of detail. I have looked at prints from the Epson and the HP and I believe that the color richness is better than on the Epson (my opinion). I paid $200 for mine and the only thing I would like is for it to print a larger print. I don't think you can go wrong with the HP. Currently I have a photo sitting in my solar sun space soaking up the sun and I will compare it with the copy in my computer room in a couple months. So far it hasn't faded at all after a month.

-- Robert Johnson (rjjohnson@silverlink.net), August 02, 1999.

I believe you'll be happy with the Photosmart. I have one and indeed the ourput is awsome. Yes - you will need to buy HP Photosmart paper - it's the best. Kodak paper is good too, but I find the authentic Photosmart paper to be better.
Do not buy HP Premium Glossy paper (the stuff in the blue boxes ) - buy only the paper in the mostly WHITE boxes that say PHOTOSMART on them. There is a big difference!
I have heard of people complaining that the ink cartidges dry up - but I have not experienced that at all. I do turn my printer off when it is not in use - and am careful to make sure the print head is nested before I turn it off. It parks there automatically - but it's always worth a look at 70 bucks per print cartridge pair...

Des

-- Dan Desjardins (dan.desjardins@avstarnews.com), August 03, 1999.

I appreciate the feedback, and I'm convinced the Photosmart has got to be a great machine. But what I really what to know is if it's BETTER than the 895cse for photos. If so, by how much? Afterall, I've already got the 895cse, and would prefer to save the money. But if it's a night and day proposition, then I'll buy the Photosmart too. Any thoughts? (Someone else mentioned a "photo cartridge" available for the 895cse?)

-- Jim Whiteman (jimtri@aol.com), August 03, 1999.

Yes, Jim, the Photosmart is much better. I have both and there is a definite difference in the quality of the photos from the Photosmart. It figures, too. From my understanding: The PhotoSmart printer was designed specifically to print photos. The 895C printer was not.

-- Bob Benson (benson@gbasin.com), August 04, 1999.

Hi, I read your message and wanted to let you know I have both printers, the HP does print out better than the 895CSE, but you can only tell the difference if you look at the photo up close ( 10" or closer). I'm not gonna lie the HP photosmart does print better than the 895, but it really does not compare to traditional prints. So it depends on what you want, if your happy with a slight improvement from the 895 than go for it, I say slight because you can only tell the difference at close range, but if you want true traditional photo graphic pictures with no signs of slight graininess its not for you. The colors even though the photosmart has 6 and 895 has 3, they were very simalir in colors.

-- visitor one (app00@aol.com), August 11, 1999.


Maybe it goes without saying but the Photosmart printers, because of their paper path have trouble with heavier papers. On normal weight papers the output is very good.

-- Bill Bowles (wabow1@comcast.net), January 16, 2003.

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