HP Photosmart 1115 review

The Photosmart is aptly named as, like the Epson 895, it can print digital photos without the need for a PC, thanks to its media card slots.

Design

The 1115's distinctive curves live up to HP's reputation for rugged build quality.

HP DeskJets use a front-mounted, flat input tray allowing up to 100 sheets to be stored without creasing. The printer automatically detects what size paper is loaded and adjusts the driver. There's also a tray especially for 4x6 prints. Rather than the PC Card slot used in Epson's 895, the HP 1115 has built-in readers for Compact Flash and Smart Media formats - but not Memory Stick, leaving out users of Sony cameras. Setup was simple, if slow. The best bit, though, is the remarkable silence when printing!

Print Quality

Using the HP's default setting, the 1115 disappointed with lots of banding on our test photo. However, switching to the maximum resolution of 2,400x1,200 cleared the problem, with output that approached that of the Epson. The HP also excelled at the newsletter, with accurate photos even on plain paper. Text was equally classy, with rich black lettering and crisp outlines.

Speed

Though not the fastest, the HP 1115 is no slouch. Using the default PhotoRET III setting, the photo printed in 7 minutes and 47 seconds. At maximum resolution the time extended to over 11 minutes. That said, it was only 12 seconds slower than the Lexmark at the five-page text test, and managed the second and third fastest times for our newsletter and report.

Overall

The Photosmart 1115 is a highly competent all-rounder, giving excellent results on all papers. However, it's only worth the extra over its sibling if you really need to print without a PC.

Author: Benny Har-Even