HP Envy Inspire 7255e All-in-One Review

HP has discontinued the Envy Photo 6255 and replaced it with the full-featured inkjet printer Envy Inspire 7255e ($229.99, $179.99 when it gets public). Although it loses Ethernet and the automatic document feeder (ADF), this new all-in-one is otherwise indistinguishable from its predecessor, the Envy Inspire 7955e, which is now a year old. The Inspire 7255e a great all-in-one printer for homes, small businesses, and families. Its print quality may not always measure up to that of consumer-grade picture printers from companies like Canon and Epson.

HP Envy Inspire 7255e Specs

Testing

HP rates it at 10 ppm for colour and 15 ppm for black and white, which is sluggish for an entry-level all-in-one. The testbed was linked to an Envy Inspire 7255e via USB, an Intel Core i5 PC running Windows 10 Pro, and the HP Smart app. We printed numerous 12-page single-sided and 12-page double-sided (24-sided) papers and timed HP to average them. Single-sided and double-sided papers met the stated 15 ppm and 6.7 ipm, respectively. This matched the HP 7955e’s speed.

A PowerPoint handout and an Excel file with charts and graphs. Averaging these data and adding them to the Word score gave the test papers a 7.1 ppm total grade. This may seem low, but entry-level consumer picture printers are better. The Epson and Canon inkjets were close, but the HP 7955e was 0.1 ppm faster. Finally, HP printed a vivid, detailed 4-by-6-inch photo on time. Both Epsons were speedier, averaging 49 seconds per shot, which is normal for their class.

Connectivity and Software

Unlike the new Envy Inspire, the model 7955e supports Ethernet and 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi networking. Only wireless networking is available with the 7255e. Both devices enable Bluetooth Low Energy for printer setup from a phone or tablet and may be linked to a PC through a USB connection (sold separately). Mopria Print Service (Android), Apple AirPrint, ChromeOS, and HP Smart App are drivers and connection software. Most significant is Smart App, which is more than a printer driver and interface for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The software helps you build and alter workflow profiles or shortcuts for scanning to email, PDF, OCR, or your preferred cloud services by scanning or printing. It also enables you to scan pages with your smartphone’s camera and transmit them to the Smart App as scanned documents.

Print Quality

The Envy Inspire 7255e provided adequate text and business graphics for home companies and student schoolwork, like other entry-level HP All-in-Ones. The text was legible, most handouts and business graphics looked terrific without unattractive banding or other ink placement errors, and fills and gradients flowed seamlessly from shade to shade. rice field. Most of the Inspire photographs turned out okay, but my experienced eye noted color changes in some photos and handouts across the page. It wasn’t subtle or unsightly that dual-cartridge designs like HP’s didn’t match the color accuracy and detail of competitor printers that utilize five or six inks. To be fair, such devices cost more.

Some HP printers stand out because their HP+ and Instant Ink subscription programs offer low consumable costs for the life of the printer. Ink is free for the first 6 months after signing up and creating an account, with no need to continue beyond 180 days.

After that, your running expenses depend on which of the five monthly subscriptions you pick. Monthly prices range from 99 cents for 15 pages to 24.99 cents for 700 pages. Flat page fees apply to Instant Ink. If you pay $4.99 every month for 100 pages, it costs 1 nickel, or a little under 3.6 cents for 700 pages. Its pricing is fixed, independent of page ink content. A double-spaced black text page costs as much as a borderless 8.5 x 11-inch picture and 100% ink. If you print lots of graphics-heavy pages or borderless photographs, HP Instant Ink can save you money.

Quality and running costs

Like other entry-level HP all-in-ones, the Envy Inspire 7255e generated text and business graphics suitable for home businesses and assignments. Most handouts and business graphics were readable, with solid fills and gradients that flowed properly from shade to shade without banding or other ink-placement issues.

The Inspire’s images were mostly nice, but my experienced eye noted minor color changes in a few photos and full-page handouts. These weren’t noticeable, but they showed that dual-cartridge printers like HP’s can’t match the color accuracy and detail of five- or six-ink printers.

HP Instant Ink might save you money if you print many borderless photographs and graphics-heavy pages. The Canon Pixma G620 Wireless MegaTank All-in-One and Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank are bulk-ink printers that use refillable tanks instead of cartridges to save operating expenses. If you print a lot (at least a few hundred pages each month), these machines can cut your expenses to less than a cent per page for black and color pages, but they cost hundreds of dollars more.

Setting Up

1. Unlike the new Envy Inspire, the model 7955e supports Ethernet and 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi networking.
2. Only wireless networking is available with the 7255e. Both devices enable Bluetooth Low Energy for printer setup from a phone or tablet and may be linked to a PC through a USB connection (sold separately).
3. Mopria Print Service (Android), Apple AirPrint, ChromeOS, and HP Smart App are drivers and connection software. Most significant is Smart App, which is more than a printer driver and interface for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
4. The software helps you build and alter workflow profiles or shortcuts for scanning to email, PDF, OCR, or your preferred cloud services by scanning or printing.
5. It also enables you scan pages with your smartphone’s camera and transmit them to Smart App as scanned documents.