HP Deskjet D1660 review

Printers don't come much cheaper than this entry-level inkjet from HP.

However, such bargain prices can be a false economy if they're offset by high running costs. The D1660's aren't as eye-watering as some, coming to 8.4p for a combined mono and colour page when using HP's high-yield 300 XL cartridges. However, Canon's entry-level model, the iP2600, works out at 7.5p per page, and HP's pricier Officejet 6000 costs just 4.5p per mixed page.

The D1660's low price is further compromised by the low-capacity ink cartridges that are bundled with the printer. They're meant to last for 200 black and 150 colour pages, but in our tests the black cartridge only managed to print 70 pages of text before it started to streak. Anyone who buys this printer should also order 300 XL black and colour cartridges which will add £41 to the price.

It looks discreet, with its simple black plastic shell, and takes up minimal desk space. The pictorial installation guide is straightforward, and we were up and running in 10 minutes. However, the paper size defaulted to Legal rather than A4, which resulted in some documents being printed at a slightly reduced size or too high up the page. This was easy to fix via the control panel, but it might cause confusion for some. More frustrating was the fact that 6x4in borderless photos failed to print up to the right edge on standard 6x4in paper, leaving a 12mm border and cropping the picture. This printer also requires tabbed photo paper for borderless printing.

As usual for an HP inkjet, the D1660 excelled in the speed and quality of text prints. Its Fast Draft setting fired out pages at 12.7ppm, and text quality was easily good enough for everyday use. Switching to Normal mode produced even better results. Colour business graphics were impressive, with vivid block colours and no sign of banding in graduated fills. Photo quality was disappointing; while colours were well balanced, the darkest areas were washed out and a magenta tint was sometimes visible.

The D1660 stands up reasonably well compared to other inkjet printers at this price. Canon's iP2600 produces better photos and is a little cheaper to run, but the HP is quicker, particularly in its excellent Fast Draft mode. However, the tiny amount of ink that comes with this printer means, in reality, it must compete with printers costing nearer to £70. As such, there seems little point in choosing it over HP's faster, more economical Officejet 6000 or Canon's ageing, but more capable iP4600.