HP Photosmart A626 Compact Travel Printer - Performance and Image Quality
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Performance and Image Quality
In terms of image quality, the A626 performs well, all things considered. I don't like the idea of a 3-color ink cartridge, but somehow HP makes it work. In some prints that contain dark objects or shadows, you can see where the lack of black ink is diminishing the quality. Why did HP decide to go with a tri-color ink cartridge? I don't know, but it probably has something to do with higher costs associated with using traditional 4-ink cartridges.
HP sells bundled paper and ink packs, as I mentioned earlier. You can also choose to purchase your ink and paper separately. The 110 tri-color ink cartridges used in the A626 can be found online for under $20, and HP claims that you will get about 55 4 x 6 photos out of that cartridge. The cost-per-print price is variable, and it depends on what type of photo paper you choose to use. If you are looking to use high quality photo paper, you should probably choose the 120 sheet bundle pack from HP, because it is the most cost-effective when you do the math. You can also choose to buy less-expensive photo paper and lower the cost-per-print to approximately 25-30 cents. Typically, photos made of the less-expensive paper do not last as long as the high quality paper. In some cases, the photos made with the high quality paper last twice as long as the less-expensive alternatives--up to 200 years or more.
The speed of the A626 lags a bit behind the competition. While its big brother, the A826, pumps out more than two pages (4 x 6 prints) per minute, the A626 manages to produce only one page in about 1.25 minutes. If you are looking at printing 5 x 7 prints, you can expect to wait more than two minutes for one print. I find that the performance speeds of the A626 are its biggest downfall. If you don't mind waiting an extra minute or so for your pictures to print, then the A626 may be the travel printer for you. If you look beyond the performance numbers of this printer, you see a lot of nice features and functionality.
The optional rechargeable battery is a nice add-on feature that will cost about $50 in addition to the price of the printer. I think this is a great idea for camping, when you do not have access to an electrical outlet. HP claims an estimated battery life of 75 4 x 6 prints on a single charge.
Final Thought
I like the HP Photosmart A626 printer a lot. The 4.8 inch LCD touch-screen display is easy to use, and the graphics are very pleasing to the eye. The GUI makes it easy to print pictures in three simple steps: input a memory card or other accepted media, choose the pictures you want to print (and edit them if you like), and hit print.
The two major drawbacks of the A626 are its price, at about $175, and its slow performance. It's up to you whether or not these drawbacks are a deal breaker. I personally love the convenience and ease of use of this device, along with the fact that it produces decent quality images. If the price of the A626 is just too much to fork over over for a travel printer, you may want to check out the HP Photosmart A526, Canon Selphy CP740, or the Sony Picture Station DPP-FP90.
Photos courtesy of www.pcmag.com and www.imaging-resource.com
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