HP Photosmart A826
Manufacturer: HP Part number: Q8550A
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The HP Photosmart A826 snapshot printer offers an attractive design, is easy and fun to use, and works better without a PC than any other snapshot printer we've reviewed thanks to its huge touch screen, but we wonder who will spend $250 for a dedicated photo printer.
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CNET editors' review
HP Photosmart A826 price range: $149.95 - $149.96
- Reviewed by: Felisa Yang
- Edited by: Matthew Elliott
- Reviewed on: 09/18/2007
- Released on: 08/27/2007
The good: Fast, high-quality prints; lots of fun features such as clip art and captions; per-print costs are in line with other snapshot printers' costs; touch screen is easy to use and great for displaying slide shows; menus are logically organized.
The bad: Expensive; album options are a bit limited.
The bottom line: The HP Photosmart A826 snapshot printer offers an attractive design, is easy and fun to use, and works better without a PC than any other snapshot printer we've reviewed thanks to its huge touch screen, but we wonder who will spend $250 for a dedicated photo printer.
The HP Photosmart A826 is the first standalone snapshot printer we've seen that truly attempts to bring the in-store photo kiosk experience into the home. The printer's large size and extra large touch screen make using it a pleasure. And the fast print speed and wealth of features make it easy to produce a variety of prints. Only its hefty $250 price gives us pause. Given the tendency we have to take lots of pictures, but only print a select few, we wonder who the audience for this product will be. Given its size, it's not easily portable, so it would be a hassle to drag it around to family events. We think this printer could find a home among professional party organizers and professional photographers, who could set it up as a photo kiosk for attendees to print images straight off their digital cameras or memory cards, or to display a slide show of the proceedings as they happen.
HP's Digital Mindset blog lists the "busy mom" as the target audience for the Photosmart A826, but our feeling is that most families are sharing photos online these days using various sites. This would be a fun device for kids to use for making prints, but again, at $250, it's not the most economical choice. Less expensive alternatives for snapshot printing include the Canon Selphy CP740 and the Epson PictureMate Pal, though admittedly, neither is nearly as fun to use as the Photosmart A826. Despite the high price, HP has broken new ground with this design and we liked it enough to award it an Editors' Choice designation.
Design
The HP Photosmart A826 is all smooth plastic and rounded edges. Its design is pod-like, resembling the 1950s take on futuristic, space-age design (it would be right at home in Disney's House of the Future exhibit from the late '50s). It sits 10.4 inches wide at the base (the top is narrower), 9.6 inches deep, and 10.8 inches tall and weighs a light 5.8 pounds. The printer's top panel flips up for paper loading. Unlike most snapshot printers, the paper is fully contained within the body of the printer. You can load up to 100 sheets of 4x6 or 5x7 paper and close the lid, thereby protecting stored paper from dust.
The control panel on the Photosmart A826 couldn't be simpler--basically, there isn't one. When you flip down the front cover/paper output tray, you're faced with four memory card slots and a PictBridge USB port, as well as a plastic stylus in its own holder. All of the functionality is accessed through the 7-inch touch-screen display. The large screen makes it a pleasure to peruse images, and the screen is nicely responsive to touch, though we found it prefers the stylus to a finger. (Also, the stylus doesn't leave unsightly fingerprints.)
A small panel on the printer's front hides the single print cartridge. Replacing the print cartridge alone costs about $20, and HP estimates that it will print about 55 4x6 photos. HP also sells an ink and paper value pack that costs $35 for 120 sheets of paper and enough ink for approximately that many photos. This works out to a per-print cost of 29 cents for a 4x6, in line with per-print costs from other standalone snapshot printers such as the Epson PictureMate series (Pal, Snap, and Flash). The PictureMate line offers both glossy and matte paper: The glossy 4x6 prints cost about 25 cents per print, while the matte prints cost about 33 cents each.
Features
The Photosmart A826 is geared toward standalone, PC-free use, so most of its features are packed right into the touch screen. While you can set up the A826 to print from a PC, the four memory card slots and PictBridge port make it easy to print from a memory card or PictBridge device like a camera or camera phone. (For wireless printing, HP offers an optional USB Bluetooth adapter.) Setup is simple: Plug in the power, select your language and location, and then the printer prompts you to insert a card. When you do, the printer calls up the files in a nine-image thumbnail view. To select a photo for printing and/or editing, simply touch the check box; to zoom in on a single image, touch the center of the thumbnail. At this point, you can select all of the images or step through them (in groups of nine or one by one).
Alternatively, you can view your photos as a slide show, with the option of including all the photos on the card, or only the ones you choose. You can tweak settings such as continuous loop, duration of each image, or you can randomize the order.
When it comes to editing and printing photos, the A826 offers a wealth of options. When you zoom in on a particular picture, your top-level options are Edit and Get Creative. Edit lets you crop, reduce red-eye, and adjust the brightness. The crop feature lets you zoom in and out, rotate the cropped area between portrait and landscape modes, and use the stylus to drag the crop box around the image, so you get just the part you want. The edits that you make to the image aren't saved to the original file on the memory card, which is good in that you can't accidentally change the file, but having the option to would be nice.
Get Creative offers a lot of fun options, such as adding frames, captions, making album pages, drawing on the images, color effects, and clip art. The frames span a range of themes and colors, but you can't customize them. The captions are more flexible: Choosing captions calls up a virtual keyboard. Using the stylus, you can tap out a caption, choose among five fonts and six colors, and resize, rotate, and change the placement of the text on the image. Draw lets you add your own creative touch to the image by drawing directly on the screen with the stylus. As it turns out, adding mustaches never gets old! The clip art option lets you drop in one of HP's preset images. You can resize them and even drop in more than one piece of clip art.
The album option is perhaps the most frustrating. It sounds good in theory, but your options are limited. You can start by selecting an album theme and layout and then populating the open spaces on the layouts, or you can select all the photos you want to use and then designate how many pages you want produced. At this point, the software limits the number of shots on a single page and the layout. You can reshuffle the images, though not manually--the software simply rotates the images through the available spaces; you can't drag and drop, which would make the process a bit easier and quicker.
Finally, you can make index prints with 24 images per 4x6 sheet (and file names) as a reference or you can create specialty printing projects such as panoramic prints, photo stickers, passport photos, and CD/DVD tattoos (assuming you have the proper paper, of course).
Performance
Though the Photosmart A826 is meant to be used in standalone mode, we tested it over a USB connection to a PC so we could make comparisons to other printers tested in CNET Labs. Most snapshot printers fall into a lower price point than this printer, however, so it's difficult to compare. The closest we found was a pair of Epsons, the PictureMate Snap and the PictureMate Flash. Both use the same print engine, so they gave the same performance. The HP beat both of them with a score of 2.37 pages per minute for 4x6 prints. The Epson PM Snap scored 1.24ppm for the same prints. For the sake of comparison, we also looked at print speeds for comparably priced non-snapshot printers (i.e., PC-connected general purpose printers with a photo emphasis), and the Photosmart A826 still came out on top. The HP Photosmart D7360 produced 4x6 prints at a rate of 0.54ppm, while the Epson Stylus R380 managed a rate of 1.83ppm.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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4x6 photo speed |
We really liked the photos produced by the Photosmart A826. The colors were lifelike, particularly the skin tones. The details were sharp and we could even make out the fuzzy texture of a peach. If you're an avid snapshooter and like to have prints of everything you produce, the Photosmart A826 should keep you happy.
Service and support
HP backs the Photosmart A826 with a standard one-year warranty. Toll-free phone support is available 24-7, or you can chat live online with tech support, also 24-7. HP's site has drivers, software downloads, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides, as well.
User reviews
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Stand-alone, portable, accepts all media cards. Can be connect to a PC.
by gregst7 on January 2, 2008
Pros: Very good picture quality. Lots of built-in photo creativity.
Cons: Requires HP ink and paper.
Summary: Limited photo editing, not for the photo hobbiest. A good choice for the ocassional photographer. The HP ink and photo paper bundle from HP is a good bargain with free ...
Summary: Limited photo editing, not for the photo hobbiest. A good choice for the ocassional photographer. The HP ink and photo paper bundle from HP is a good bargain with free shipping and quick delivery. I returned my first printer because it would smudge the picture surface; later to find out that Kodak paper was the cause.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Print a picture on it in the store before you buy it.
by mishalei on October 3, 2007
Pros: Awesome feature set. Lots of clip art and frames. Large touch screen is great and fun to use with stylus. Funky design.
Cons: What's up with the prints it makes?
Summary: IMHO as a scrapbooker...
I sooooo would have bought this printer. It was fun using the touch screen and playing arround with all the frames and clip art. It even ...Summary: IMHO as a scrapbooker...
I sooooo would have bought this printer. It was fun using the touch screen and playing arround with all the frames and clip art. It even lets you add captions, had lots of fonts to chose from and the drawing mode was neat too. The ability to do 4x6 or 5x7 was great.
What I couldn't get over tho were the prints. The first thing I didn't like is the look of the printed photo it just looked strange. It wasn't glossy or matte. I also didn't like the preferation that is on one edge of the photo. The back of the print is fuzzy and I knew was the correct paper bc of the HP logo on it. Well I left the print untouched for about 5 min and it still was very smugeable. Then after 30m in the store. I left Best Buy and outside of the store there was a light drizzle of rain. This left tiny white spots all over the photo. It's now 5 days later and it is still smudging. Same for the print I made on the HP A626 which I also thought was awesome, just not the prints.
So I'll just stick to my Epson Dash. Too bad, like I said I really wanted to take this home.5 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Photo Printer w/o bluetooth
by love122482 on December 27, 2007
Pros: Fast, great photo quality
Cons: Slow w/ bluetooth adapter
Summary: I received this photo printer for Christmas. The photos have turned out great. I didn't see any smudging or anything like that. It prints quickly and the creative options ...
Summary: I received this photo printer for Christmas. The photos have turned out great. I didn't see any smudging or anything like that. It prints quickly and the creative options make it a lot of fun to use. I'm a scrapbooking and picking up pictures from Target or having them mailed to me was becoming a hassle, so that's why I asked for this for Christmas. I also received the bluetooth adapter to go with it. I would NOT recommend it as a great accessory. The adapter made the printing very slow. During the transfer of photos to the printer it paused the printing and somewhat slowed down other processes on my computer (I'm a Mac user). I've opted to stick with the memory card use, but I wish the bluetooth feature was better.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I think it is a great printer
by Sanbornshores on January 24, 2008
Pros: Great picture quality and the screen is great.
Cons: This is my second HP A826 in two weeks. The paper always gets jammed and it says it is out of paper.
Summary: I would love to keep this but it is frustrating pulling out the paper all the time. Anyone have this issue.
Summary: I would love to keep this but it is frustrating pulling out the paper all the time. Anyone have this issue.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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It's a great printer...until it quits feeding paper!
by Eve5512 on October 4, 2009
Pros: Love 5x7 printing, card readers & touchscreen
Cons: Paper feeder MUST be fixed on future models!!! I have had 2 stop working & my best friend's quit working also. Too expensive for this frustration!
Summary: If HP would change the paper feed, I would recommend this printer to anyone. For now, look elsewhere.
Summary: If HP would change the paper feed, I would recommend this printer to anyone. For now, look elsewhere.
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Great to give instant 4x6 prints inserted into a Tap
by deetooexcess on September 7, 2009
Pros: Excellent photo paper capacity. Cartridge is affordable, easy to replace. Fun, Fun, Fun!!! At event, party hosts love giving guests a memento that is affordable and lasts a long time.
Cons: I researched this product before buying it. I found nothing wrong with this printer. The A826 does what it says and met my expectations.
Summary: I have printed past event projects involving up to 150 guest shots put into Tap 4x6 Presentation Cards. Being realistic: understanding basic ink and print theory. I extended curing time,(...
Summary: I have printed past event projects involving up to 150 guest shots put into Tap 4x6 Presentation Cards. Being realistic: understanding basic ink and print theory. I extended curing time,(old school) allowing a reasonable amount of dry time. With respect to the art of an editing photographer: I did not run the prints under any waterfalls or rain. Allowed more than sufficient dry time. Ther was no childish fingerprint tests performed on the prints. When I felt the print was ready, my guest's enjoyed a beautiful, mounted 4x6. My dry and cure time was set to a respectable 20 minutes. HP's bragging rights could be more modest, but again, this is the 21st century: A dog eat dog world, and we are all wearing milkbone underwear!!
RL 'Bob' Burdick -
Love it, Love it, Love it!
by niklar on March 29, 2009
Pros: Prints on both 4X6 and 5X7 paper as well as a variety of smaller sizes, great pictures, color, detail, etc.
Cons: haven't really had any cons--- of course the price of HP ink, but with the value bundle (ink and paper) it's not that bad...
Summary: I Love the printer, I reviewed alot before deciding on this one. I ordered it directly from HP and paid $150 -- I received it in 2 days, opened the ...
Summary: I Love the printer, I reviewed alot before deciding on this one. I ordered it directly from HP and paid $150 -- I received it in 2 days, opened the box, plugged it in, put the ink, paper and SD card in and printed my first picture -- it was that easy! The colors are great -- i like that it has the option to print different sizes, not only the 4X6 and 5X7 but you can chose to do an 'album' -- it will ask you for the number of pictures you want, you enter/choose the pictures and it will lay them out for you on the photo paper-- i use it for scrapbooking so I don't have to cut down the picture myself, I can choose the ones I want and have a few smaller sizes around the bigger 5X7....
I did have some trouble loading the paper the first time, I just didn't know it. After the first print, it said ;load paper' and there was some already in there, after taking it out, I realized the top must go all the way back to put your paper in,,,you push it hard and it actually sounds like you pushed it too far, but you didn't... then you put the paper in - I never had the 'load paper' message again...
I also like that it comes with a stylus, and a place to store it... i lose a lot of tools on my scrapbook table!
The colors are vibrant and just as good (if not better) as i've gotten from the drugstores... the per print cost is a few pennies higher, but the ability to do it HOME is well worth it as it's difficult to take the babies out and keep them occupied while I wait at the store.. especially when I'm getting the same quality! Two thumbs up from me! -
Prints great quality pictures;it is fast and easy!
by ilovemyprinter on December 31, 2008
Pros: The gorgeous and large touchscreen. I was making prints two minutes after i opened up the box at home. It guides you through setup and it is SO easy and simple. Even my grandmother can use it. That says ALOT.
Cons: I haven't had any.
Summary: This printer is one of a kind. There are so many more frames and features than I could have imagined. Even if you don't want to use all of ...
Summary: This printer is one of a kind. There are so many more frames and features than I could have imagined. Even if you don't want to use all of the special effects, this product is amazing. Just pop in your memory card, choose your photo and print! In under two minutes you'll have a great quality picture. On the hp website I got mine for $180.00 much less than the $250.00 that it initially was. I also got a combo ink and paper set for a discounted price. It is good for all ages, from six or so on up! My little cousins love adding clipart, and captions to make the pictures more personal and my grandmother adds frames and just prints the pictures as they are too! This printer has everything you'll need. I recommend this to anyone and everyone. Also it does not matter what brand your camera is, I have a cannon and it makes no difference because you're just using the memory card.
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Store quality in comfort of your home!
by ekgage on December 28, 2008
Pros: Quality pictures, easy to operate....it is a wonderful gadet to have!!!
Also, you can find a combo pack (hp ink 110 & 4x6 paper) for a pretty good price.Cons: none so far
Summary: I would tell anyone to buy this product, and feel good about it.
Treat yourself to an awesome product!!!Summary: I would tell anyone to buy this product, and feel good about it.
Treat yourself to an awesome product!!! -
Great Family Printer
by dbenadon on August 9, 2008
Pros: Kids Love It, Easy to Use, Great Out put
Cons: Little Slow
Summary: Each member of our family has a camera but no one was taking the time to print any of their shots because of hassle the kids faced with the computer. ...
Summary: Each member of our family has a camera but no one was taking the time to print any of their shots because of hassle the kids faced with the computer. With this printer, it is in our kitchen, the kids love printing their photos, and creating captions for each.
Our kids are 8 and 10 and both find the printer easy and fun to use. This is a great, break through product.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: HP
- Part number: Q8550A
- Description: HP PhotoSmart photo printer is designed to bring low-cost, photographic-quality image printing to the home environment. The HP PhotoSmart photo printer enables importing personal photographs for manipulation and inclusion in various forms of documents and can output them economically without sacrificing the quality of the original image. The most frequent uses of the HP PhotoSmart photo printer include photo enlargement, cropping, red-eye elimination, scratch removal, replication of snapshots, and the creation of greeting cards and other novelties.
General
- Printer Type Compact photo printer - Ink-jet - Color
- Width 10.4 in
- Depth 9.6 in
- Height 10.8 in
- Weight 5.7 lbs
Printer
- Print Speed up to 0.6 min/page - Photo draft - 3.95 in x 5.9 in, up to 0.6 min/page - Photo fast normal - 3.95 in x 5.9 in, up to 0.9 min/page - Photo normal - 3.95 in x 5.9 in, up to 1.3 min/page - Photo best - 3.95 in x 5.9 in
- Built-in Devices Touch screen, Preview screen
- Connectivity Technology Wired
- Max Resolution ( Color ) 4800 dpi x 1200 dpi
- Direct Printing Specifications PictBridge
- Language Simulation PCL 3
- Printer Features Borderless printing
RAM
- RAM Installed ( Max ) 64 MB / 64 MB (max)
Card Reader
- Supported Flash Memory Cards Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card, SmartMedia Card, xD-Picture Card, Memory Stick Pro, CompactFlash Card type I, CompactFlash Card type II
Media Handling
- Media Type Photo paper
- Media Sizes 3.95 in x 5.9 in, 5.12 in x 7.1 in
- Borderless Photo Sizes 5.12 in x 7.1 in
- Media Weight 280 g/m2
- Total Media Capacity 100 sheets
- Max Media Capacity 100 sheets
- Output Trays Capacity 100 sheets
Telecom
- Modem None
Networking
- Networking None
Scanner
- Type None
Copier
- Copier Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Slots Total (Free) 1 ( 1 ) x CompactFlash Card - Type I/II, 1 ( 1 ) x SD Memory Card, 1 ( 1 ) x Memory Stick, 1 ( 1 ) x SmartMedia Card, 1 ( 1 ) x xD-Picture Card
- Connections 1 x USB
Miscellaneous
- Microsoft Certifications Certified for Windows Vista
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
- Voltage Required AC 120/230 V
Software / System Requirements
- Software Included Drivers & Utilities
- OS Required Apple MacOS X 10.4, Apple MacOS X 10.3.9, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 41 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
- Humidity Range Operating 5 - 95%
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- HP
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse HP products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.hp.com
- Address:
3000 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1185
