HP DeskJet 5940 review

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Verdict:

The 5940 doesn't have the useful paper-handling features of Canon's PIXMA iP4200, but it costs less to buy and run, and is comprehensively faster. It's not the most affordable printer here, but it's clearly the best value

Review Date: 20 Oct 2005

Price when reviewed: inc VAT

Our Rating 5 stars out of 5

ExpertReviews Award

Review
Specs

HP's DeskJet 5940 isn't particularly expensive, but it looks very classy and feels well-made.

The printer's lid is finished in brushed aluminium and its hinges are damped to stop it slamming closed. Its paper trays feel rock-solid, and like all the HP printers in this test it has a PictBridge USB port. This allows you to connect a digital camera easily and print photos without the need for a PC.

Unlike the cheaper 5440, this printer will take almost the full range of HP's Vivera ink cartridges, with the exception of the #100 photo grey tank. Although it is sold with a 7ml colour cartridge, this can be replaced by the high-yield 14ml cartridge, which lasts for 450 pages.

Crucially, the printer comes with HP's 800-page #339 black cartridge, which has a huge print head designed for very fast printing. With it, HP says the 5940 can reach mono speeds of 30ppm. Using high-yield supplies, this inkjet has some of the lowest running costs we've seen. It even gives certain colour lasers a run for their money.

The 5940 didn't come close to HP's claimed speeds in our tests, but it was still astonishingly fast, particularly when printing draft mono text. Its speed of nearly 20ppm is faster than we've seen from many budget mono lasers. Though its print quality at this speed isn't laser-class, it's certainly good enough for drafts.

Higher-quality settings did slow the 5940 down, but it was still rapid in all our tests. Its print quality was consistently high, though photos printed without the optional photo cartridge did have a little grain.

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