The HP Photosmart D5160 is a lovely printer keenly priced. The photos it prints are sharp and clear, given the use of the right paper. On standard document printing it ranks along side other HP inkjets. Where it excels other HP inkjets is the ability to load SD cards, USB memory sticks and the like directly into the printer itself and therefore avoids the need to have a computer. It also can print directly onto CD/DVDs with a printable surface (Not standard CD/DVDs). Therefore you get a lot of printer for your money. For picture quality and speed it is up there with the best. Its price is very attractive too. However, there is one major gripe you should be aware of. There are many printers on the market that print photos and documents. Very few print directly onto CD/DVDs. One of the reasons many might choose this particular printer is that it can print on such. As this is a 'speciality' of the printer, one would expect the printing software to be up to standard. It is very poor indeed ! Other printers like the Epson Photo R200 enable you to add text to your DVDs, in a circle around the perimeter and many other fine possibilities. The HP D5160 only allows you to add text in straight lines on a small portion that it specifies. In addition its picture and layout capabilities are extremely limited. This is very poor showing from HP, who have obviously knocked together some feeble software that severely limits its own machine's potential. The only way around this is to pay a further £15 or so and buy CD printing software separately. Personally I have uninstalled the HP software, which does nothing much more than the standard Windows Photo editing programs; then installed a proper commercial program. Another software gripe involves document printing. The default settings add a strange large margin to the bottom of the document, when the printer can print to the edge ! Why ? The way around that is to try and navigate through the maze of the printer settings pages and untick an obscure box. So: excellent quality printer, keenly priced. Very poor software. If you don't mind the bother of untangling the settings options, and don't mind investing in a commercial DVD print software, the final result should be very promising.
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AdrianBB 17.05.2007 13:19
Regarding your question on paper size: The D5160 takes every size imaginable, more than I care to use. It does print to the edge, which is especially useful for photos. I did not select the US 'Letter' paper size. The settings have an unusual feature I have never seen before that will shrink the document to fit the paper. Without great care in selecting a myriad of options, you will end up with the document too high or low on the paper with small writing to compensate. My advice is not to permit the printer to become too clever for its own good. Know the paper size, select it and turn off any superdooper settings.
The big margin problem I am referring too is actually a separate issue. It is overcome by selecting the 'Advanced' tab and turning ON the 'Minimize margins' option. (In this case you are turning the superdooper setting ON rather than off -- it does not happen by default)
This is a very good printer. If you can overcome the initial setting up, it has a lot of potential.
This is not something you can know in advance because the software mannerisms are never discussed on the box and documentation
pgn0 16.05.2007 20:55
Thank you for a helpful review that has helped me edge a little closer to a buying decision. Regarding the big margin, you didn't have it set to the "default" 'US Letter' (8.5x11") size instead of the European A4, perchance? I will investigate this range a little more closely next time I am in PC World, I hadn't realized they could print right to the edge of the paper...
The HP Photosmart D5160 Printer series is designed for families looking for a versatile ... more
printer offering the best of all worlds - lab-quality 6-ink photo printing- fast laser-quality document printing plus the ability to print directly onto CD/DVDs. ...
Advantages: Simple and easy to use, comes with full instructions, Works great!, Great quality Disadvantages: Can't think of any disadvantages at the moment!!
monkeybrother 21.03.2008 (21.03.2008)
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Review of HP PhotoSmart D5160
Advantages: Simple and easy to use, comes with full instructions, Works great!, Great quality Disadvantages: Can't think of any disadvantages at the moment!!
monkeybrother 21.03.2008 (21.03.2008)
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Review of HP PhotoSmart D5160
May 16th, 2007
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