Roundup: 13 Multifunction Printers : HP Photosmart C4480
5. HP Photosmart C4480
Scanner and Copier
It's often the scanner that lets down HP's all-in-one printers. We wouldn't go as far as saying that the manufacturer now has the sharpest, speediest scans on the market, but there's definitely been some real progress, which we'd like to applaud. The competition still does it better, but HP's scans are by no means embarrassing and perfectly adequate for use at home.
Previewing and then scanning a 4 x 6 photo print both take around 17 seconds and result in great images that match the original well. The scans aren't quite as sharp as on models from Canon or Epson, but the color handling has improved vastly, even if some tones remain a little too bright.
Copying, though, is slow, and shows definite room for improvement. A black and white copy takes 19 seconds, and you'll be waiting 40 seconds for a color copy.
The Photosmart C4280 all-in-one was one of our favorite printers in 2008, and the C4480 has arrived to replace it. The new model is the same size as the old one, prints at the same speed, takes the same cartridges, has the same interface and is as energy-efficient.
So is it just a simple clone? Almost, but not quite.
Two small changes have been made to the C4480 to set it apart from the earlier model: the LCD screen now tilts and can be found at the front, rather than a flat screen on the side, and CompactFlash cards can no longer be read.
The cartridges are still the same, without separate ink tanks (and as a rule are very expensive). However, the XL cartridge versions represent better value for money, containing more ink but without costing too much more. It seems that the crown for best-value-for-money printers no longer belongs to Canon, but to HP and Kodak, if you use the XL cartridges.
Good Quality Printing - But Nothing Stunning
Using the C4480, you will be able to print documents that are perfectly acceptable for everyday letter writing, and photos that look great in your family album. But if you put the results of this printer up against another, like the Canon M620, as we did in our labs, it's very clear that you won't get top quality results from the C4480.
HP's prints are attractive and a lot more reasonably priced - so go for the Canon if you're not prepared to accept any compromises in the quality of your printed output.
Even though they take a long time to print, the C4480's photos are good, with warm, pleasant colors. The ink drops are a lot bigger than on some models we tested and are very visible if you look closely at the images. Fortunately, though, most of the people who you're likely to share your holiday snaps with won't have a magnifying glass out like us, but this is another factor on which HP lags behind the competition.
We love XL!
HP now offers two lines of cartridges for every printer, in standard and XL sizes. Our advice is to always go for XL if you have the choice: although they are initially more expensive to buy, they definitely represent better value for money in the long term, and in our tests even, they halved the total cost per page.
| Cartridge | Lifespan (prints) |
| 350 (black) | 190 |
| 350XL (black) | 950 |
| 351 (color) | 155 |
| 351XL (color) | 54 |
| HP Photosmart C4480 | |
|---|---|
| Pluses | Minuses |
|
|
The C4480 is slower and not quite as sharp as Canon's excellent MP620. Nevertheless, it's a lot cheaper to buy and very economical to run when paired with HP's XL cartridges.
Check prices on HP Photosmart C4480
I've used Epson photo quality printers at home for years and have been very happy with the print quality and costs. My only issue, is that after a few years 3-5 they clog up and print unevenly. The good news is by then, the newer printers have much better quality and cost less.
if you guys at toms still have these machines i would love to find out if they still work after you leave them sitting for a month and a bit.
my biggest issue with all ink jets is they dry up on me.
i have been through both cheap and pricy ones and all die.
i have given up and turned to mono laser and for the rare occasion i need colour i go to the local copy shop.
the only think I can say is I'll NEVER buy an Epson printer. Good quality colors, yes, but SHIT ink design.
I am still using my HP officejet 1170c which must be well over 10 years old now and not a problem yet (touch wood) would never touch a lexmark again last one lasted about a year and went in the bin
here's a tip for dainsane1 - leave the printer on 24/7 to fix drying/clogging print heads
I just bought a MP620 and so far so good, great quality printing, photos are fantastic, but must use Canon paper for this and so much easier to set-up than and Brother MFC machine (what a nightmare!) had Epson before this and it crapped out after 2.5 years. Its so good to have a WIFI machine !!! At least in Auckland its so damp the jets will never dry out!
This is a really poor article,
1/ some list cartrige span, some don't/
2/ prices? where are they?
3/ Is this easy to use as its simply easy on the front panel? or has the reviewer actually used it?
4/ I could go on and on, I can't make much sense out of whihc to go for, no conclusion, limited info, few facts, duplex?
terrible article, read elsewhere....
Stinkyink now offer ink cartridges for the Kodak ESP5 ink. Oh and it's free delivery too!
Stinkyink now offer ink cartridges for the Kodak ESP7 ink. Oh and it's free delivery too!