Product Reviews

The DeskJet family of inkjet printers by HP has always been quite distinctive in construction. The rectangular, robustly built main body with input and output trays that always extend out in the same directions is instantly recognisable. This enduring design can also be seen in the new DeskJet 970Cxi Professional Series. The styling has been smoothed out, with contoured curves replacing the angular straight lines of the existing models, while the two-tone charcoal grey casing sets it apart from the more common beige blocks. While the design is aesthetically pleasing, it's also functionally practical. This highlights one of the pleasing paradoxes of the DeskJet 970Cxi - it seems basic and foolproof, yet it's crammed with technology features.

The initial setup of the unit is brief and uneventful, whether you're using a parallel or USB cable connection. Forget about manual print head alignment tests as this process has now been automated using an optical sensor that calibrates from a printed test sheet, so don't be too alarmed if a blue light emanates from the recesses of the print area.

The 970Cxi has a quoted maximum mono print speed of 12ppm in draft mode. This gives a resolution of 300 « 600dpi, which isn't particularly presentable as text characters are occasionally deformed. A 25-page text test at normal quality settings took five minutes and 52 seconds, which equates to 4.3ppm. On plain paper the text is sharp and very black, and only under close scrutiny can imperfections be noticed. The text quality is good but it doesn't compare to Lexmark's high-end Z51 (reviewed issue 58, p162), which gets as close to laser-quality text as any inkjet can at the moment.

The 970Cxi is exceptionally quiet while printing thanks to its well-controlled servo-mechanism with smooth sweeping print head movements. The large mechanical holding flaps that allow for drying time of the last printed sheet have also been made smaller, less noisy and recessed out of sight. The only time it gets noisy is when paper is fed through rapidly.

The automatic two-side printing module allows for duplex printing. It clips on to the back of the printer, extending the depth by 60mm. The module spools round the sheet on to its opposite side, but a drying time of 15 seconds is imposed. The overall time for printing the same 25-page text in duplex mode increased significantly to 20 minutes and 49 seconds.

A colour performance test on plain paper produced smooth colour blending and steady transitions from light to

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dark. The testing was first performed at factory default settings and then at optimal quality. The black was rich and deep, but a lot of ink was applied, which could smudge if not given sufficient time to dry. The cyan, yellow and magenta colours were vibrant. There wasn't any discernible banding, even on close scrutiny. However, at a resolution of 600 « 600dpi, the dithering was coarse enough to be visible. Finer dithering with smaller ink dots would improve the composition of colour images to give them a bit more substance. Using HP Bright White inkjet paper for the same test gave only marginally better results. The cyan, yellow and magenta came across stronger, but the black looked more faded.

The 970Cxi uses a number of HP printing-enhancement technologies based on software algorithms: its well-established PhotoREt III system helps to improve the realism of a photographic image; ColorSmart III optimises images by automatically adjusting colour settings; SmartFocus enhances image clarity by giving the image resolution a boost and sharpening or softening detail; and ACE (Automatic Contrast Enhancement) provides optimal brightness levels to bring out image detail.

To put it to the test, an 18Mb photo image of the interior of the Sistine Chapel was printed off at the best setting on HP glossy photo paper. The image produced was free from banding with a reasonably good colour consistency. However, the dithering comes across as being too coarse, giving a slightly grainy appearance when output. Because of this, fine detail isn't as sharp as it could be - the straight columns of the building had rough edges when they ought to have been smooth.

On photographic images, the DeskJet 970Cxi pales in comparison to the current A-List favourite, Epson's Stylus Photo 750, which produces stunning photo-realistic prints with its 1,440 « 720dpi resolution.

The HP's ability to lay colours effectively on plain photocopy paper did impress us. The colours are possibly the richest we have ever seen for plain paper printing with a fine detail that defies the bleeding properties of the media. Of course the main advantage of this is the cost savings of printing on plain paper instead of expensive glossy media, which makes a lot of sense in a cost-conscious business environment.

There are only two ink cartridge consumables for the 970Cxi. The black ink cartridge costs £23, yielding 830 pages at five per cent coverage to give an average of 2.8p per page. A tri-colour cartridge costs £26 and is capable of printing 450 pages at 15 per cent coverage, which works out at 5.8p per page. No separate photo cartridge is required. These running costs are average for an inkjet, but at around £237, the 970Cxi costs more than many of its better-performing rivals.

Overall, the DeskJet 970Cxi has the virtues of easy installation, quiet operation and good design. However, despite all its printing-enhancement technologies, the output quality just isn't up to the standard you'd expect. Whether you're a business user or want high-quality photo reproduction, you'd be better off looking elsewhere.