HP 720c / Win2000 gives grainy prints

[Bob Headrick]

I use a HP720C running with Windows 2000 (SP4) to print my digital
photographs and I find that they are a bit grainy and more blue and red than
they should be. The HP web site says that the driver in Windows 2000 is the
correct one for the 720C. I get far better results using my son's HP 5550
printer again using Win2000 (SP4). Is it just that my printer is older than
his and I need to change it for a newer model.

The color drop size of the #23 cartridge used in the 720C is a bit more than
twice the volume of the drops of the #57 cartridge used in the DeskJet 5550.
Since the drops are twice as large it will not be possible to get the same
quality as the newer DJ 5550. Sorry, but technology has moved quite a bit in
the last 5 years....

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

 

[Ian]

I use a HP720C running with Windows 2000 (SP4) to print my digital
photographs and I find that they are a bit grainy and more blue and red than
they should be. The HP web site says that the driver in Windows 2000 is the
correct one for the 720C. I get far better results using my son's HP 5550
printer again using Win2000 (SP4). Is it just that my printer is older than
his and I need to change it for a newer model. If so, that sucks! as I feel
that the 720C is a good printer, and that I jst need a better driver.
Before you ask, networking it to my PC is not possible.

Any advice ?

Wolfy

 

[Bob Gibson]

The 720 is a good text printer, but it's not a photo printer and wasn't
meant to be. Look in your manual "Specifications" pages and you'll
probably find the maximum DPI (dots per inch) is 600x600. That's too
low for good photo printing. If good photo printing is important to
you, you can add a better printer, such as the Canon i560, using the USB
port and keep the HP for text.

A different driver won't help your color problem, but can give you more
features. Take a look at FinePrint at www.fineprint.com . A good
driver but not free.

You didn't say what camera you're using, but unless it's a high
resolution (read expensive) digital, 4MP or more, that could be causing
your color problems. My 2.2MP Kodak DX3600 sometimes shows a purplish
tint, and is good for prints up to 5x7. My sons Canon G5 5MP, has
excellent color and detail in letter size prints. I have an HP 722c,
and a Canon i860. Both are very good for their intended purpose.

BG


| I use a HP720C running with Windows 2000 (SP4) to print my digital
| photographs and I find that they are a bit grainy and more blue and
red than
| they should be. The HP web site says that the driver in Windows 2000
is the
| correct one for the 720C. I get far better results using my son's HP
5550
| printer again using Win2000 (SP4). Is it just that my printer is
older than
| his and I need to change it for a newer model. If so, that sucks! as
I feel
| that the 720C is a good printer, and that I jst need a better driver.
| Before you ask, networking it to my PC is not possible.
|
| Any advice ?
|
| Wolfy
|
|

 

[Charlie+]

On Sun, 8 Feb 2004 22:34:42 -0000, "Ian"

The 720c will print perfectly reasonable photographs under W9x.
but will suffer the following under W2k or Wxp: From experience:
Dont buy HP if anytime in the future you might move to an upgraded
operating system - you will find HP may not provide new fully
functioning drivers for your older HP printer - so you will have to
rely on the crippled drivers that come with the new OS and therefor
lose some of the HP features and efficiency; using up colour ink much
faster by laying colour with solid black and losing the higher
resolution of the black cartridge and ColourSmart options restricted.
I dont know if any other manufacturers follow this type of trick to
make customers think their printer is getting worn out!
You went looking for new drivers from HP - absolutely the right thing
to do - HP just dont produce them!!
Charlie+

 

[Ian]

The color drop size of the #23 cartridge used in the 720C is a bit more than
twice the volume of the drops of the #57 cartridge used in the DeskJet 5550.
Since the drops are twice as large it will not be possible to get the same
quality as the newer DJ 5550. Sorry, but technology has moved quite a bit in
the last 5 years....

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

Bob:

Thanks for the info. If I want good quality photo prints from my 3.2M Pixel
camera (Canon Powershot A70) but don't want to spend more than £80 or so,
which you recommend. I usually go for HP printers as the paper is always
protected from dust etc. The results from my son's HP5550 are good enough,
but there may be better. I saw some HP photo printers in PC World that took
the camea media card, what HP printers have that facility (probably ones
more than £80 ??)

TIA

Ian

 

[Bob Headrick]

Thanks for the info. If I want good quality photo prints from my 3.2M Pixel
camera (Canon Powershot A70) but don't want to spend more than £80 or so,
which you recommend. I usually go for HP printers as the paper is always
protected from dust etc. The results from my son's HP5550 are good enough,
but there may be better. I saw some HP photo printers in PC World that took
the camea media card, what HP printers have that facility (probably ones
more than £80 ??)

I think the Photosmart 7260 is the lowest cost HP photo printer with card
slots. See the following for spec's:
http://www.hp-expo.com/uk/eng/consumer/photodirectprinters/q3005a.html

If you do not need the photo slots the DeskJet 5650, £79, at
http://www.hp-expo.com/uk/eng/consumer/inkjet/c6490a.html is an improved model
of the DeskJet 5550. The main addition is the ability to print full borderless
photo prints in various paper sizes. It is also a bit faster than the 5550.

The Photosmart 7660,
http://www.hp-expo.com/uk/eng/consumer/photodirectprinters/q3010a.html is like
a DeskJet 5650 with card slots.

All these printers use the same cartridges as the DeskJet 5550, which may be an
advantage for you.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

 

[Ian]

I think the Photosmart 7260 is the lowest cost HP photo printer with card
slots. See the following for spec's:
http://www.hp-expo.com/uk/eng/consumer/photodirectprinters/q3005a.html

If you do not need the photo slots the DeskJet 5650, £79, at
http://www.hp-expo.com/uk/eng/consumer/inkjet/c6490a.html is an improved model
of the DeskJet 5550. The main addition is the ability to print full borderless
photo prints in various paper sizes. It is also a bit faster than the 5550.

The Photosmart 7660,
http://www.hp-expo.com/uk/eng/consumer/photodirectprinters/q3010a.html is like
a DeskJet 5650 with card slots.

All these printers use the same cartridges as the DeskJet 5550, which may be an
advantage for you.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

Bob:

Having looked at your list and PC Pro reviews I might go for the HP 5150
(£79 @ Comet), seems a little better as it takes 6x4 cards in the tray ?
Any comments on my choice ?

Ian

 

[Bob Headrick]

[snip]

Having looked at your list and PC Pro reviews I might go for the HP 5150
(£79 @ Comet), seems a little better as it takes 6x4 cards in the tray ?
Any comments on my choice ?

I believe the 5150 has the same 150 sheet input tray as the 5650. You can put
4x6 media in this tray, but you have to remove the regular paper and adjust the
sliders to accommodate the smaller paper.

From a feature and quality standpoint the DeskJet 5150 is similar to the 5650.
The 5650 has an automatic paper type sensor, which also provides automatic
alignment. The 5150 does not have this sensor, so alignment is manual. (The
alignment is only required once each time a new cartridge is installed.) The
automatic paper sensor can be helpful for folks that print a mix of different
types, and can prevent poor photos resulting from printing on photo paper
without setting the proper paper type. For folks comfortable with navigating
the paper settings in the driver this is not a big deal. The 5650 is somewhat
faster than the 5150 as well.

The DeskJet 5650 has both parallel and USB connections, the 5150 has only USB.

Hmm... yesterday the 5150 was listed on HP's website at £69 vs. £79 for the
5650 but today I do not find that link.

At any rate, the DeskJet 5150 would be a fine printer for your needs,
comparable in print quality and features to your son's 5550.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP