Suburban Reviews

I have never been a home-printing kind of gal where my pictures are concerned. With the ease of uploading prints online and having them delivered to my door, who needs the hassle of buying ink and paper, dealing with software, and printing them out myself. Who needs it? Apparently I do, because thanks to the Parent Bloggers Network, I got the chance to try out the HP Photosmart A626 photo printer, and I am hooked.

I currently own a Photosmart 2610 All in One, which I bought for the scanner/fax capabilities. Coming from that, it was a huge surprise to see this tiny little machine HP was calling a printer. I like to carry small handbags, and this printer is about the same size as my purse, 5.2 x 6.6 x 8.7 inches to be exact. Just like my handbag, it also has a sturdy handle, making it the first truly portable printer I’ve ever owned.

Wait, you say. Printers can’t be portable. They need a computer hooked to them! Software! USB cables! Big heavy manuals in 5 languages! Not this one my friends. While you can use a USB cable(not included) to hook the printer to your computer and design neat little scrapbook-like pages for your photo books(more on those in a bit), those are considered bells and whistles, and are not actually required.(Just a tip, if you already own an HP printer, check your USB connection. I was able to use the USB cable I already own from my 2610 with this printer.) For the true minimalist, this printer is as easy as plugging in the power cord, inserting your camera’s memory card, and printing. That’s it! Not a fan of memory cards? The printer is also PictBridge compatible, or for those truly on the cutting edge, has an optional Bluetooth capability via an adapter sold separately. For the ultimate in portability, check out the optional rechargeable battery and go truly wireless!

Some of the coolest features of this printer are the result of the touch-screen interface. With the included stylus, you can now load your memory card in, and do basic photo editing right from the screen, including the ability to draw and write on your photos, great for those of us with no clue how to set the date function on our cameras In addition to scribbling and framing, you can crop, rotate, and do excellent red-eye removal without ever having to boot up your computer. Can we say time-saving for busy moms?

Ok, so the printer is fun, but how good are the pictures? I have to be honest, and say that we did run into an issue. For whatever reason, we really had to bump the brightness settings up, almost as high as they would go, or the pictures would come out darker than they show on the screen. Once we accounted for the 2-notch bump, we were really impressed with the quality of the prints. I won’t go as far as to say they looked exactly like pictures processed professionally, but for something like making quick prints for friends(great party favors!) or filling the photo books to give as gifts, the quality is way more than adequate.

Speaking of fun, you can’t possibly look at this printer without considering the line of photo books HP has just released. Can’t think of a gift for Grandma or that aunt you see twice a year? How about designing your own scrapbook-like pages from the included software, printing them, and clipping them into the beautifully-bound photo book right in your own living room? With no wait time and no worries about mistakes, you can make your own photo books that have previously only been available from professional printing services. The books come in 2 sizes, 4×6 for this printer, and I *assume* the 8×10 is made to go with larger printers like my 2610.(Did a little elf tell them I had one? Those 8×10 sheets certainly aren’t going to fit in the A626! ) If you order them right now, you can get 20% off photo books in the HP store here.

While I can’t say I will be doing *all* my printing from my new A626, I will certainly be putting some mileage on it. This would be an excellent gift for the grandparents, or busy moms who want to be able to print pictures at home without a lot of fuss. (I’ll include busy dads as well, because my husband LOVES this printer!) Together, we give the HP Photosmart A626 a very enthusiastic 2..err, 4 thumbs up.

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