Product Reviews

After so many years of inflated specifications failing to live up to expectations, you'd think the public would have learned its lesson. But, with manufacturers still waving 4,800dpi inkjet printers under our noses, it seems we have some way to go. High resolutions may sound impressive, but it's only a very small part of the equation. HP has also recognised that high resolution isn't the be-all and end-all: while the Deskjet 5550 boasts big numbers like 4,800dpi, it also offers HP's first six-colour photo engine.

What's more, HP will readily admit that its new 600dpi PhotoREt IV mode produces identical quality to 4,800dpi in almost a quarter of the speed. Rather than replacing PhotoREt III (which is still used with the standard cartridges installed), the next generation of PhotoREt has been made specifically for HP's new C6658A photo cartridge.

This replaces the pigment-based C6656A black cartridge and offers three new dye-based inks (black, light cyan and light magenta) to accompany the standard dye-based three-colour cartridge. So you get six inks in all, which actually provides a substantial improvement in photo quality. What's more, HP is now claiming print-outs will last for 49 years without significant fading when used with its own Premium Plus photo paper.

While the PhotoREt IV results weren't up there with the superb prints from the Canon S900 (see Labs, issue 92, p76) or the A-Listed Epson Stylus Photo 950 (see Reviews, issue 93, p113), they were still an improvement on any of HP's previous inkjets. The banding has disappeared altogether, the colour blends are a lot smoother and the grain has been minimised.

Comparing the results side by side with those from the 5500 with a black cartridge installed is the easiest way to see the difference, and there's a definite improvement. You also have the option to print borderless photos, although like Epson's original Stylus Photo 870 (see Reviews, issue 68, p159) this can only be done on the smaller 10 x 15cm media.

The print speeds weren't bad either, with an A4 PhotoREt IV test completing in five minutes, 17 seconds, compared to 20 minutes, 31 seconds for an indistinguishable 4,800dpi print. The Deskjet 5550 is also one of the first inkjets we've seen to offer a USB 2 interface, although this made no difference to print speeds,

The 5550's most impressive print speeds, however, were in draft text mode on plain paper. Our 25-page letter test was completed in just one minute, 54 seconds - a stunning 13.2ppm, and the quality isn't bad either, if a bit faded and juddery. This is even faster than the 12.3ppm from the Lexmark Z65 (see Reviews, issue 93, p115), making the Deskjet 5550 ideal for small businesses looking for laser text speed along with the promise of full-colour functionality when it's needed.

With the black cartridge in place, our colour fade and DTP results on HP's Premium Inkjet coated paper were similar to those from the Deskjet 990Cxi (see Labs, issue 77, p92), but this is again an area that's better served by the photo cartridge. With this installed, the DTP test was among the best we've seen, with crisp sharp text and beautifully smooth graphics.

There was a slight amount of grain, however, which was absent on the Epson Stylus Photo 950's prints. This was all the more evident on the colour fade tests, although the fades also showed an even transition with little stepping. In its favour, the colour accuracy was among the best we've seen, and the photo cartridge helps to smooth out the noise generated in greys and browns where the composite make-up was previously visible and speckled.

Likewise, our CorelDRAW image-quality test was all the better for being printed with the photo cartridge, particularly with regards to greyscales. There's really only one downside to the photo cartridge and that's its small black ink capacity. It wouldn't be practical to use constantly in an office, but it provides an option for high-quality colour printing if you need it.

And it's not as if the print quality without the photo cartridge is horrendous. It lacks the smoothness and suffers from some banding, but it's still above average for everyday printing. The black cartridge also has the bonus of speeding things up a little - our four-page DTP test took 17 minutes, 42 seconds with the photo cartridge and 16 minutes, 43 seconds without. An A4 photo using PhotoREt III also took 51 seconds less time to complete.

The Deskjet 5550 isn't laden with advanced features like the Epson Stylus Photo 950, but it has everything you're realistically likely to use and it looks good too. The automatic cartridge alignment and paper detection is still a useful function, and the often overlooked flat paper feed is convenient for saving desk space.

The best bit, however, is the price of just £119 from dabs.com, making this the best-value all-round printer out there. It stays ahead of the competition with its acceptable print quality in every area, fast print speeds and the option for high-quality smooth photo and colour printing if you need it. Whoever you are, if you've got £119 to spend on a printer, this is the one to buy.