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This printer is designed for the photo enthusiast who wants very, very high print quality, but doesn't want to employ top dollar on higher-end models such as the HP 9180. Thus the B8850 serves, in a method, in the same role as the Bentley extinct to attend for the Rolls-Royce: almost the same, but not quite.
The differences between the two models, HP 9180 and HP 8850 are subtle, but necessary and will be mentioned only in passing here, since this is a review of the HP 8850. The main differences are no network connectivity on the 8850, honest a USB connection. I deem this omission is a mistake. The other two differences are no LCD note on the 8850, which for a hobbiest will probably obtain no disagreement and a less sophisticated color calibration routine. Since I believe the 8850 calibration routine is magic, I have a difficult time imagining something better. In short, the color calibration routine on the 8850 seems to be top-notch enough (and extraordinary if you've been around color printing for a while.)
First, obtain clear you have the room for this printer and perhaps a strong young friend to serve you install it. The printer is huge: 27 x 17 x 10 inches and it weighs 38 pounds. The power brick is also grand, so don't put a question to to leave it dangling in mid-air.
Amazingingly, although the only connection option is USB, HP does not include a USB cable. Also maintain in mind that USB cables can only be a relatively short length, about 12 feet, if I purchase correctly. Over that and you'll need a special USB repeater exstension cable. I suspect that many of these printers will be status up quite a distance away from their host computer because of the size of the printer.
A colossal selling point for the B8850, after its splendid print quality and big range of print sizes, is the archival quality of the HP Vivera inks. HP claims that prints (with fine handling) will last for 200 years on appropriate papers. The salvage? Replacing the eight Vivera ink cartridges at unique prices will station you wait on about $230. Print capacity, of course, is going to depend on what you print. It's going to be on the expensive side for distinct - and you definitely want to expend this unit at least a couple of times a month to earn certain the replacable printheads don't dry out.
The B8850 is very versatile in terms of its paper handling capability. Maximum thickness is 0.7mm, which rules out a lot of thicker materials. The unit will, however, find banner paper up to 13 x 44 inches which is kind of nice for those rare and special occasions you want to print a banner, like birthdays, homecomings and so on. In terms of photo paper, it will handle anything from 3 5 inches through 13 x 19 inches.
Before getting into the subject of print quality, it is best if the potential user understands the concepts of color management. The HP B8850 is not designed for people who unprejudiced want to trail the printer in and print. This is a professional (or very arrive professional) color printer and demands an belief of color management in order to rep the best possible results.
HP provides its Photosmart Pro plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop. Adobe RGB, sRGB, and ICC profiles are supported. A really shipshape feature of the B8850 is its internal color calibration capability. Anyone who has tried to calibrate a monitor with a camouflage meter, printing out calibration sheets, scanning them knows what I mean. It's a hassle - and a very valuable hassle in the quest for quality.
With the B8850, you print the test chart - and the printer reads it automatically with internal sensors! Talk about a "Wow!" factor. This is the first time I've seen this feature and I am definitely impressed. It is said that the equivalent system on bigger-brother B9810 is better, but I suspect only the truly eagle eyed will be able to verbalize the dissimilarity.
Setup is simple. I strongly suggest using the User Guide for at least a checklist. Setup takes about 15 minutes or so. The HP software is glowing satisfactory.
One more word of warning before bewitching into the subject of print quality: garbage in, garbage out. If you commence off with unadjusted images, with burnt-out highlights and detailess shadow and erroneous color, that is what you are going to print, using up some really expensive inks. Fair your photos before you print!
Okay, the enormous test: print quality. The one word answer: excellent.
Now I have only lower-end printers to compare with, but what the B8850 turns out is heads-and-shoulders better. I musty "ordinary" photo paper for my tests. I suspect prints might peep even better on specialty papers. Printing times are acceptable. Maybe 3 minutes or so for a 8 x 10 (sorry, I forget the size designator) and 30 seconds or so for a 4 x 6 print.
Overall, this printer puts the fun attend into photo printing. For those of us who former to exhaust umpteen hours in a darkroom trying to effect the "perfect" print, this printer will befriend you recapture the thrill of that unusual quest.
Can the B8850 obtain a "perfect" print? As anyone who has been a serious photo hobbiest (or professional) knows, the acknowledge is that it is all in the discover of the beholder. Rest assured that if someone else is critiqueing one of your prints, they will almost always acquire something rank with it - that's the nature of envy. But the B8850 will give these jealous folks a lot less latitude to net fault - the prints it turns out are grand, provided you inaugurate with a worthy quality image.
Very nice machine, but expensive to feed with new ink. One thing that might be considered, if your print volume justifies it, is colossal scale ink replenishment systems. I haven't checked into this.
The Photosmart Pro B8850 is a professional-grade printer from HP designed as a cheaper version of the HP Photosmart Pro B9180 Printer. It produces very high quality prints up to 13" x 19" using pigment ink printing, which results in powerful higher quality images than obsolete ink jet or laser. If you have never heard of pigment ink, you probably do not need this printer. At roughly $6 a print, the B8850 isn't designed for printing mapquest directions, but exhibition prints or those worthy for framing.
The first thing I noticed about this printer is that it is Expansive. It weighs around 40 pounds and takes up a broad footprint on your desktop, so produce definite you have the room for it. Secondly, it is a very complete package. The printer looks gigantic, and it comes with all the ink to gain started (8 different inks), plus 25 sheets of HP Photo Paper, and a folder to store your paper in so it doesn't regain damaged (at almost $2 a sheet you will be thankful for it) . Setup was very easy and took around 45 minutes to setup the printer and calibrate the ink cartridges. Unlike most HP software that I am familiar with for their printers and scanners, the software that comes with this printer is not too awful. It is not as bloated as their other software and most of the applications are fairly useful.
As to the quality of the prints, I couldn't be happier. The inks HP uses are very obedient quality. They blend well, and after doing some research, I discovered that they are not likely to move over time. Of course this is useful for digital artists who idea to sustain their pictures displayed for years. My wife does most of her photography of wedding engagements, so this is very essential to her. HP claims their inks to last around 200 years, so I will update this review in 2208 with those results. As far as the ink usage goes, it seems to be fairly acceptable based on other printers I've customary of this type. I mainly print fat 13x9 sheets and I'm at roughly 40% ink left on the colors after 25 prints. The calibration tests also frail up some of the inks, so win that into consideration. If you are printing letter, you will spend considerably less. Ink cartridges speed around $25 per cartridge, or a microscopic over $230 for a elephantine situation.
HP B8850 vs HP Photosmart Pro B9180 Printer:
B8850 can print up to .7mm thick while the B9180 can print up to 1.5mm
B8850 has no LCD Panel and uses station lights instead. I've seen the LCD on the B9180 and, while useful, there's really nothing on there that I need too badly. It is useful having a text message define something to me rather than having to perceive up the place light yarn in the manual, but after a few days I had all of the lights memorized so it is really not a grand deal.
Sleep mode added. This is one of the valid advantages of this model. If you don't employ your printer everyday and sometimes go weeks without using it, this prevents the inks from drying out and conserves the print heads.
These three changes are the only right differences I could regain. Currently, there is only a $50 inequity in effect between the two printers. If you need the attend of printing card stock, I believe you should go for the B9180, but in every other application I would say it is not worth it and this printer is a better option.
Edit: - 8/11/08 - Two months later, I collected admire this printer and have had to replace the inks twice. Although it was very expensive to replace all of the cartridges, we have actually begun selling our prints, which more than effect up for the sign of the ink. We have started selling our prints in a local restaurant and it is incredible how advantageous these spy. Previously, we were using a third party to print our images. If we had actually purchased this printer, I estimate we would have broken even on the note in a few weeks.
Buy the B8850 and build about $125! What does the B9180 have that the B8850 doesn't?
1. And LCD place display
2. Built in Ethernet port
3. A metal paper tray
4. Can't print on quite as deem paper
If you can live without those things (and I can) then put yourself the extra money and earn the B8850. It is essentially the same printer...perhaps even a dinky better as it has benefited from whatever refinements and upgrades came after the B9180 (like the sleep mode) .
I have both and they are colossal printers. The B9180 is at work and I have the B8850 in my home office. It is probably the best hi-end home photo printer I have ever owned, and I've owned some very nice Epsons as well. Quality is on par with them or better, but what I like best is the reliability. I have yet to have a clogged head or similar printing verbalize. It produced worthy photo reproductions moral out of the box and I have yet to be disappointed. Beget quality is phenomenal, almost as suited as the tank-like B9180. Printing is peaceful and hasty. The detail and quality are on allotment with the outsourced photo printing companies. The inks and papers (you can exhaust quite a variety from expressionless to fair art) are expensive, but no more so than with other printers and I have found the Vivera inks last longer before running out. I am using printing under Mac OS X 10.5.3 and have had no problems. I concur with the other pros laid out by the other reviewers.
So, what are the caveats?
The paper jams occasionally, or does not spool into the paper feed until it is reset. That is nothing serious though. On some papers, the prints can recognize a exiguous flat and the colors recede when viewed at an rude angle. Again, nothing too serious -- most people won't peer. The software interface is a limited clunky, but once you score stale to it, it has some very nice options and is easy to utilize. It sometimes intrudes with error messages but not enough to overly bother me.
Otherwise, it is an qualified, advantageous machine. Neat for the photographer or graphic designer that wants to output archival quality prints at home.
