- Fax, scan and copy unattended, and handle two-sided documents, using the 50-page automatic document feeder.
- Print and share from multiple PCs, and stay connected, using integrated wireless and wired networking.
- Wirelessly print directly from a smartphone, using HP mobile printing applications.
- Save time and paper by printing two-sided documents automatically.
- Use the color display to print photos and make copies, scans and photo reprints.
Upon opening the printer box I was pleasantly surprised to see the printer enclosed in a carry all bag to make removal a snap. (great bag to use for groceries, etc)
I installed the printer using the wireless setup wizard and the printer installed without a problem. However, the software would not recognize the printer''s IP address. I tried to uninstall and then install the software, restarting my computer, disabling the firewall, etc. etc. to no avail. So, I decided to print directly from the printer. I scanned documents, and that worked fine.
The time frame to print a scan of a document from scan to print is about a minute and the result is that the black ink seemed slightly lighter. But, regular documents have vibrant black ink. I also scanned a photo and the result was great!
The next day, I wanted to connect using a USB cable, but the printer did not come with one. So, I had to grab a USB cable from my old printer. The set up then continued quickly and I could print from my computer. While connected through the USB cable, I printed several family photos and the results were fantastic. The pictures are clear and the color is vivid. Really superior pictures and they are printed quickly.
I then called HP (on a Saturday) which has 24/7 tech support to find out why I couldn''t use the printer wirelessly. We were on the phone for about an hour coming to the conclusion that I needed to change the security setting on my router from WEP to WPA. The agent was very helpful. I thought the customer service was one of the best that I have had to deal with. I did have to call my router provider to make the necessary changes. I wanted to make sure I did that correctly but those comfortable with this type of set up shouldn''t have a problem. The call was quick and easy and I can now print wirelessly.
All the while, I printed lots of family photos using the software included with the printer. The picture quality is fantastic; it''s very colorful. I am very satisfied with the results.
The software is easy enough to use and I am still checking out all the options, but overall there are lots of backgrounds and print options. One thing I was looking for was printing multiple pictures on one page of photo paper. With the collage feature you can manage that task when you arrange the photos accordingly. There are plenty of themes such as holidays, baby, travel, kids and teens, sports, etc. You can touch up the photo by adjusting cropping, brightness, and red eye and you can also add text.
The printer looks almost as good as the pictures it prints. I really like it''s sleek black design. I also loved the fact that HP included a whole pack of 4x6 paper. After printing 25 4x6 prints and 1 8x10 print the ink levels are still more than 3/4 full.
Since my main focus for this printer is printing and scanning photos I am thrilled, the photo quality is superior.
Buy HP Photosmart C410a Premium Fax Wireless e-All-in-One (CQ521A#B1H) Now
First let me start by saying that this printer is immaculately packed for easy removal from the box. I have never received a printer that the cables are all stored in a reusable HP zippered accessory bag and the printer is in a LARGE canvas tote bag with handles to slide out of the box with not tugging, pushing or using your feet.The HP printer is a beauty in a sleek high black gloss finish. It comes with power AC adapter plug, phone line, installation CD, quick reference book, HP photo paper samples and two face plates (one English & one French). It DOES NOT come with the USB cable. This does not surprise me since most printers now-a-days do not include the USB cable.
After removing all the tape used to keep the printer intact during shipment, I plugged in the unit as instructed in the quick reference book. Since I have a wireless home network, I was able to connect to my network using the WiFi Protected Setup (WPS). After verifying the network name and entering my paraphrase (password) it was online in seconds. I then followed the "animated" instructions on the LCD screen on how to install the ink cartridges and paper. There is a one time initial installation that the printer cycles through that takes about 7 minutes. It downloaded updates, this is all happening without having to use my computer. The printer spit out a test page showing that the printer head had been aligned/calibrated.
Now it was time to install the CD. I am using it in a Windows 7 environment and the installation took about 8 minutes, so it is quite a large file. I followed the easy steps to setup photo printing, fax number and registration and I was done. The printer was ready to use.
I have many printers in my home since we have a large family with a total of 6 computers/laptops, but this is my first HP printer and I can honestly say this is by far the nicest, fastest and easiest to use printer I possess. The colored printouts are beautiful in vivid colors, no smudges or lines. It does only come with "setup" ink cartridges so I don''t know how long they will actually last without being replaced. The ink cartridges "HP 564" series are quite reasonably priced. Depending on which cartridges you go with, the HP564 yield approximately 250-300 pages while the HP 564XL series yield about 600-700. It takes a total of 5 ink cartridges black, Photo black (item #CB322WN), cyan, magenta and yellow.
THIS IS A PHOTOSMART PRINTER (e-all-in-one) BUT IS NOT CONSIDERED A PHOTOSMART "PLUS" PRINTER. This makes it confusing when searching for ink cartridges.
HP564 Series
**HP 564 Black Ink Cartridge
**PLEASE NOTE THAT HP HAS CHANGED THEIR PACKAGING OF THIS INK CARTRIDGE AND IT IS NOW SLIMMER. It will fit but will have gaps on both sides when placed inside the cartridge head.
HP 564 Photo Ink Cartridge (CB317WN#140)
Original HP 564 Ink cartridges Combo-Pack (Cyan, Magenta & Yellow Cartridges) in Retail Packaging
HP564XL Series
**HP 564XL Black Ink Cartridge in Retail Packaging (CN684WN#140)
**PLEASE NOTE THAT HP HAS CHANGED THEIR PACKAGING OF THIS INK CARTRIDGE AND IT IS NOW SLIMMER. It will fit but will have gaps on both sides when placed inside the cartridge head.
HP 564XL High Capacity Photo Black Ink Cartridge (CB322WN#140)
HP 564XL Magenta Ink Cartridge in Retail Packaging (CB324WN#140)
HP 564XL Yellow Ink Cartridge in Retail Packaging (CB325WN#140)
HP 564XL Cyan Ink Cartridge in Retail Packaging (CB323WN#140)
HP 564xl Ink Cartridges. 5-pack Black, Photo Black, Magenta, Cyan, Yellow
Besides the amazing features such as WiFi, embedded bluetooth, apps (which allows you to print from the web without PC), ePrint, and several slots for memory cards (Memory Stick, MMD, CF and USB-removable drives, the thing I love the most is that it only takes one series of cartridge to print photos or documents! It does require one black and one black "photo" cartridge but at least I don''t have to be pulling out cartridges whenever I want to print photos.
The ePrint function is extremely easy to use. All you need to do is have the printer connected to a home network and follow the onscreen LCD instructions. The printer assigns you a unique email address. Then go to the HP ePrint website to register and set up your security options. You can set it up so anyone can send printing projects to your printer, or use just selected users. You can send photos, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, reports and many other file types directly to your printer by emailing them from your smartphone. I am using my Motorola Droid. It''s that easy.
**Currently the ePrint does not support MMS format (so no picture text messages). ePrint only works if you send an email using email clients such as Yahoo, AOL, Google, etc. You would have to attach the picture to the email. Hopefully in time, there will be an update that allows pictures to be sent as MMS messages.
Since I am using my Yahoo email account to sign into the ePrint website, I get a confirmation email that the job was sent to my printer. You can always check the status of your jobs on the HP ePrint website as well. All print jobs will stay in the printer''s memory (queue) for 24 hours. This is a great feature since you never know if the printer might go offline when you are not home.
When I send projects to print from other computers (ie sending a report home from work), the project prints with no issues. However, sometimes photo emails do not get processed and are stuck with a "pending" or "failed" status. I believe these are due to some "issues" at HP''s end since this technology is so new. I think with time and new updates, these bugs will be fixed. For the time being, HP recommends turning off and then restarting the printer to correct server connection issues/print jobs. Also make sure files are less than 5MB in size, I get many failed print projects because they are larger in size.
For my iPad, I downloaded "HP iPrint" which is a free Wi-Fi application on my iPad. Once I downloaded the application and installed it directly from the iPad, I was able to print pictures from my Photo albums directly to the HP C410 Printer without using the email option stated above. There was no install procedure I had to do at the printer my iPad automatically recognized the printer. Make sure to check out HP''s website to learn more about the different applications, bluetooth and WIFI printing options.
11/28/10 UPDATE: Apple released an update to version iOS 4.2. AirPrint makes it simple to print email, photos, web pages, and documents right from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. There''s no software to download, no drivers to install, and no cables to connect. The HP C410a will automatically be showing as the listed printer to send your projects to.
I highly recommended using HP Premium Photo Paper, glossy (100 sheets, 4 x 6-inch borderless). The photo paper is reasonable priced and your photos will come out with the feel and look of professionally printed photos.
Even though it has some minimal connection "issues", overall the print quality is excellent and offers features that will exceed your expectations!
Read Best Reviews of HP Photosmart C410a Premium Fax Wireless e-All-in-One (CQ521A#B1H) Here
Having already owned an HP all-in-one printer, I already had high expectations before even opening the box of the HP C410 series printer. Needless to say, my expectations were greatly exceeded.-Slight Digression-
The first thing you notice when you open the box is how well the contents are organized. Everything is packed in an individual bag. There is no turning the box upside down, no yanking and turning, no fetching your girlfriend, wife, or significant other to hold the box upside down while you pull the printer out. You just effortlessly grab the handles of the bag and lift (with the box right side up). The bag the printer comes in is oversized and it is reusable. It even had washing care instructions on the tag, so there''s a bonus already. I know, I know, what about the printer? I just thought this was very unique and interesting to have a usable bag to include with a printer of all things. Now on to what you stopped by this review for.
-Printer Review-
The printer itself is very sleek and modern with its shiny black finish. It is well taped to avoid any damage in shipping. The accessories included are packed in a small, easy to carry, reusable zipper bag. It''s perfect for carrying computer accessories like power cords, if you have a laptop. The accessories that come with the computer include 5 ink cartridges, a set-up CD, AC adapter plug, phone plug, quick reference guide, two face plates (on in English and one in French), and sample photo paper (50 included). The printer does not come with a USB cable (as it wants you to use its wireless feature, which requires a wireless router and internet connection), so you would need to buy this separately if you need one. The printer also has slots for your camera''s flash memory cards and a front USB port for digital cameras and removable drives.
The actual set-up of the printer was a breeze. Simple plug and play. There are step-by-step instructions in the quick reference guide as well as an animated tutorial on the 2.4 inch color LCD screen that allow you set up and connect your printer. It also guides you in inserting the ink cartridges and setting up a wireless network connection. So if you never read the instructions, the screen on the printer will guide you through its integrated video setup wizard. Takes about 10 minutes max to complete and calibrate. After this, you still have to put in the included CD in a computer to load the drivers (compatible with Windows and Mac) , and set up photo imaging and fax, which also takes roughly ten minutes. Then, finally, it is time to start using your printer.
There are some amazing and ingenious features on this printer. Aside from doing the most obvious tasks of printing, faxing, scanning, and copying, it also allows you to utilize the web. Apps available on the printer, such as Disney Online, tabloid, weathernews, websudoku and current event apps allows you to print from the web without a PC. However, in order to use these apps you of course need to be connected to a router of some sort for internet connection (which I mentioned earlier, in order to get full use of this printer you will need an internet connection). A USB connection alone will not enable functions of this task nor will it enable apps.
Moreover, you can print from anywhere, anytime, with any device using HP ePrint. This alone has to be the selling point for me on this printer. At the end of set up, the printer will print out a page detailing a website to visit along with a code to enter at this website, along with your printers very own e-mail address. This is also an easy set up once you access this website. And it''s free. Once this is completed you are able to send photos, documents, and PDF files to your printer. I tried this with my iPhone, blackberry, laptop and from a work computer and it worked flawlessly and as advertised. You are also able to create an Allowed Senders List to manage access to your printer and to set options for senders.
While faxing I was able to fax in color or black and white, which was rather speedy for a consumer printer.
It advertises that it can print up to 33 ppm black, 32 ppm color sheets, and found it to be a little faster than that, even when printing at best quality. Draft was slightly faster. Oh yea, it also prints double-sided.
The quality of photos being printed on this are absolutely astonishing. I have never seen such vivid colors of a photo coming from a printer. There were no obvious lines or smudges on any of the photos I printed. To test this, I printed pictures from my computer, camera and from my blackberry and iPhone and the quality was the same for all. The photo paper that the printer comes had an instant-dry feature. From the moment the photo is printed, you can frame it and the picture will not smudge. And another selling point, you do not have to swap ink cartridges to print photos. The ink cartridges come with a "photo black" included. How is that for convenient?
Does it sound like I am recommending this printer? It prints photos that should satisfy the most stringent amateur, or even professional, photographer; uses the usually "mundane" wireless feature to its full extent, and has borrowed some of the versatility from the Iphone, using apps to do things from printing greeting cards to printing notebook paper. If you want a printer that really does do it all, without the jamming or subpar quality, this is your product.
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I needed a printer with an option for performing automatic 2-sided scanning via a document feeder. The product description for this printer on the HP web site states, "Fax, scan and copy unattended, and handle two-sided documents, using the 50-page automatic document feeder." After unpacking and assembling the printer, I searched the animated help that comes with the software for a description of how to perform a 2-sided scan, and sure enough it described the procedure. Great, only the software doesn''t support this feature. (The menu options described in the animated help don''t exist.) HP telephone and email support was abysmal. After several days, I eventually got through to someone who understood the problem, but they flatly refused to accept a return, saying that it was an issue for the retailer. Fortunately, Beach Camera (via Amazon) accepted the return, and $35 lighter (for shipping), I got a refund.I ended up buying a Canon MX870 with which I''m very happy.
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UPDATE 01/2013: Well, since upgrading my OS to Mountain Lion, the app I used for scanning (Mac''s built in PDF reader app Preview) has changed considerably. It no longer scans documents reliably from the printer. I can get it done, but it takes lots of tweaking and generally takes 2 to 3 times as long as it used to to get things done. This is not the printer''s fault mind you. This is Apple changing the way Preview works on the Mac. I love certain things about the Preview update, but they really screwed up the way the application scans documents. Major disappointment from Apple on this. Scanning from the flat bed generally works well, but the document feeder jams up constantly and fails mid-stroke.As a Mac user, I have used HP printers in the past with mixed results. I scoured printer reviews to find a printer that would work reliably and intuitively with Apple products but none of the reviews really convinced me that it would do what I needed. Apple''s website said this particular printer supported AirPrint and it seemed like a step in the right direction. After taking my chances and buying this printer, I can say that I am pleasantly surprised. I tested each of the following scenarios and everything worked perfectly:
1. The printer is set up on my home wireless network and was very easy to set up. No need to connect it to a computer via USB.
2. It prints wirelessly from an iPhone or iPad using AirPrint with the latest versions of iOS on the iPhone or iPad. Requires iPhone 3GS or later apparently. I have a 3GS and I get a print option. My wife has an iPhone 3G and she does not have a print option even with the latest iOS update.
3. It prints wirelessly from a Mac (software update will install new drivers when you set up the printer in preferences). This always worked well for me with the old printer, but the new drivers add some extra options to the print preview window.
4. I can now (FINALLY) scan wirelessly from the printer to my Mac using Preview. I had to experiment a little with the settings in Preview, but it took about 5 minutes to figure out and I got the results I was after. This is a HUGE plus for me. Before with my HP 3300 I had to scan to a memory card, then put the memory card into my Mac and the scans were usually chopped up in some weird way.
5. I can print wirelessly from iPhoto directly to the 4x6 photo paper in the photo tray. Again, I had to play with the print settings on the print preview window to select presets and paper size, but on my second try it worked perfectly. Previously, I had to dump the photos to a memory card on my Mac, put the memory card in my HP 3300, then print from the memory card to the photo tray. This printer saves me quite a few steps.
So, for everything I do, this printer has delivered flawlessly. Finally a printer that "just works" for Mac users. So far I have not had any paper feeding issues, which was a constant headache with my old printer. I have not tried scanning or copying from the feed tray or using the FAX option yet since I do not currently have a land line, but I do intend to use those features in the future. In addition, this printer prints WAY faster than my old 3300.
Hopefully this review will be helpful for other Apple folks out there who need a printer that will work for them.
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