Hewlett Packard OfficeJet J6480 All-In-One InkJet Printer
- Black Print Speed: 31 ppm
- Color Print Speed: 25 ppm
- Output Type: Color Printer
- Technology (Detailed): Inkjet
- Printer Type: All-In-One Printer
- All-in-One Functions: Copier Fax Machine Scanner
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Nice multi-functional wireless printer, but has issues
Pros
Does everything, scans, copies, prints, faxes
Cons
Installation is weird, not sure if issues with Vista or what
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Set up is difficult, but works wirelessly
Times change and so do your printing needs. In the last few years I went from a printer that was 'good enough', to one that printed and scanned, to one that printed, scanned, copied and faxed. How long did that one do? Not long...we moved to a two story house, aquired a laptop for downstairs and quickly saw the need for WIRELESS printing. Hoo boy, here we go again.
Unpacking the box finds what you would expect, a well packed printer, cables, software CD and print cartridges. Seems odd that HP no longer installs the cartridges for you, perhaps that's just to save time.
The first thing that strikes you is the complexity of the device control panel and lights. There are TWENTY-EIGHT on the front:
Scan To
Start Scan
Print Photos
Start copy black/white
Start copy color
Set up menu
Back, left arrow, ok, right arrove, cancel
Speed dial
Start fax black
Start fax color
One-touch speed dial buttons
Power
auto answer light
auto answer
resolution or junk fax blocker
redial/pause
fax menu
keypad
attention light
display
print cartrige indicators
quality
copy menu
photo menu
Whew! You might be thinking at this point as I did, "I think I overbought...I don't need all this stuff."
Set up is simple, as you might expect, printer, cartridges go where they're supposed to, power cable, USB cable to printer and desktop PC. Easy enough, we've been through this before and there's only one place each of those can go. Check. Also included is a duplexer, which enables printing on both sides of a sheet automatically.
Installation is straightforward for the PC that is connected via the USB cable. What is odd is each wireless device must be TEMPORARILY connected directly to the printer during set up, then disconnected afterwards. So each wireless device must be brought to where the printer is, the printer disconnected from the main PC, connected to the wireless device, then you can proceed and complete set up. I'm not sure how I feel about that, not only does it seem awfully inconvenient (what if you have five laptops?), but why did HP feel that was necessary? Wireless printing is pretty amazing if you think about it, a document is sent to the printer WITHOUT a cable and it prints. But still, can't set up be completed without cables as well? Anyway...to continue with the features of this printer:
Menus on the Control Panel include:
Scan menu: Presents a list of destinations. Some destinations require the HP Photosmart Software to be loaded.
Copy menu: Menu options include:
Selecting copy quantities
Reducing/enlarging
Selecting media type and size
Fax menu: Allows you to enter a fax or speed-dial number, or display the Fax menu. Menu options include:
Modifying resolution
Lightening/darkening
Sending delayed faxes
Setting up new defaults
Photo menu: Menu options include:
Selecting print options
Using special features
Editing
Transferring to a computer
Selecting a proof sheet
HP Solution Center (Windows only)
The control panel is where you change various settings and respond to messages, for instance there are Warning messages for the ink level. My experience with this is that the warning message is well before the ink is out, so typically I'll go get cartridges once the "ink low" message appears, but I'll wait to install them once the printing quality has dropped.
The software CD includes printer drivers and the HP Solution Center, which is where you'll access the HP Photoshop application to change print settings, order supplies and access help functions. Also included is the HP Photo and Imaging software, which contains the rest of the options not available from the control panel.
There are several different supported media sizes that can be used with this printer. However, avoiding multi-part forms, cut-outs or perforations, heavily textured, embossed, lightweight or stretches easily should be avoided. This printer can handle printing on borderless media, envelopes, photo media, index cards, transparencies and supported custom sized media. There is a long and very extensive list of supported media sizes in the printer documentation.
There are also several connection types that can be utilized with this printer:
USB: One computer connected via USB cable
Ethernet (wired): Up to 5 computers connected using a hub or router
Printer sharing: Up to 5 computers, but the "host" computer must be turned on at all times
802.11 wireless: Up to 5 computers connected using a hub or router
Scanning can be performed using the control panel options or from the HP software installed on your machine. However, I have had problems with this feature. Several times I've went to scan a picture only to find the "feature is not installed" message on the control panel, then I've had to open the software and do a 're-installation' from there. I've been scanning hundreds of old photographs for archiving on CD and it's much easier to use the control panel to do so, only confirming the next scan on my desktop. Doing this mainly from the installed software is much more difficult. When scanning from the printer you only use your PC to confirm the next scan, but all previous scans are not saved until you select "No". I found out the hard way that there is a limit to the number of scans you can do and if you exceed that limit and click "No", your scans will not be saved and you'll have to re-do them.
Another odd issue is for some reason, every once in awhile the entire face of the printer (meaning ALL lights) will be flashing at you. The display says to turn the printer off and back on again. I guess maybe there's some internal error?
The printer will serve as a fax machine, including speed dialing and sending documents over the internet. I haven't set that up, as I don't really have a need for it. However, the setup and options appears to be rather complicated as there are over 30 pages in the manual dedicated to faxes.
Other features include the ability to print on both sides of the paper, if the duplexer is installed and copying documents in either black/white or color (however this seems to use ink at a higher rate than simply printing, but that might be due to a setting for higher quality copies). Different types of memory cards can be inserted directly into the printer (xD, Memory Sticks, Secure Digital and similarly sized cards and Compact Flash) to print, save or just view your photos using the HP software.
The printer works with XP and Vista, however I've experienced a few issues with the Vista set up. From time to time I've had my Vista laptop boot up and ask for the HP installation disk. You can click out of this, but it will ask again at the next restart. After getting sick of seeing this and wondering what it was for, I decided to put the install disk in and see what it wanted to do. After doing so, I was instructed that the installation could not be completed. Printing worked fine, so that was strange. Also, here's a tip: Don't go into your router and wonder what this new third wireless IP address is for and block it thinking it's someone tapping into your internet connection. It could be your new printer, which would cause lots of printing problems.
Unpacking the box finds what you would expect, a well packed printer, cables, software CD and print cartridges. Seems odd that HP no longer installs the cartridges for you, perhaps that's just to save time.
The first thing that strikes you is the complexity of the device control panel and lights. There are TWENTY-EIGHT on the front:
Scan To
Start Scan
Print Photos
Start copy black/white
Start copy color
Set up menu
Back, left arrow, ok, right arrove, cancel
Speed dial
Start fax black
Start fax color
One-touch speed dial buttons
Power
auto answer light
auto answer
resolution or junk fax blocker
redial/pause
fax menu
keypad
attention light
display
print cartrige indicators
quality
copy menu
photo menu
Whew! You might be thinking at this point as I did, "I think I overbought...I don't need all this stuff."
Set up is simple, as you might expect, printer, cartridges go where they're supposed to, power cable, USB cable to printer and desktop PC. Easy enough, we've been through this before and there's only one place each of those can go. Check. Also included is a duplexer, which enables printing on both sides of a sheet automatically.
Installation is straightforward for the PC that is connected via the USB cable. What is odd is each wireless device must be TEMPORARILY connected directly to the printer during set up, then disconnected afterwards. So each wireless device must be brought to where the printer is, the printer disconnected from the main PC, connected to the wireless device, then you can proceed and complete set up. I'm not sure how I feel about that, not only does it seem awfully inconvenient (what if you have five laptops?), but why did HP feel that was necessary? Wireless printing is pretty amazing if you think about it, a document is sent to the printer WITHOUT a cable and it prints. But still, can't set up be completed without cables as well? Anyway...to continue with the features of this printer:
Menus on the Control Panel include:
Scan menu: Presents a list of destinations. Some destinations require the HP Photosmart Software to be loaded.
Copy menu: Menu options include:
Selecting copy quantities
Reducing/enlarging
Selecting media type and size
Fax menu: Allows you to enter a fax or speed-dial number, or display the Fax menu. Menu options include:
Modifying resolution
Lightening/darkening
Sending delayed faxes
Setting up new defaults
Photo menu: Menu options include:
Selecting print options
Using special features
Editing
Transferring to a computer
Selecting a proof sheet
HP Solution Center (Windows only)
The control panel is where you change various settings and respond to messages, for instance there are Warning messages for the ink level. My experience with this is that the warning message is well before the ink is out, so typically I'll go get cartridges once the "ink low" message appears, but I'll wait to install them once the printing quality has dropped.
The software CD includes printer drivers and the HP Solution Center, which is where you'll access the HP Photoshop application to change print settings, order supplies and access help functions. Also included is the HP Photo and Imaging software, which contains the rest of the options not available from the control panel.
There are several different supported media sizes that can be used with this printer. However, avoiding multi-part forms, cut-outs or perforations, heavily textured, embossed, lightweight or stretches easily should be avoided. This printer can handle printing on borderless media, envelopes, photo media, index cards, transparencies and supported custom sized media. There is a long and very extensive list of supported media sizes in the printer documentation.
There are also several connection types that can be utilized with this printer:
USB: One computer connected via USB cable
Ethernet (wired): Up to 5 computers connected using a hub or router
Printer sharing: Up to 5 computers, but the "host" computer must be turned on at all times
802.11 wireless: Up to 5 computers connected using a hub or router
Scanning can be performed using the control panel options or from the HP software installed on your machine. However, I have had problems with this feature. Several times I've went to scan a picture only to find the "feature is not installed" message on the control panel, then I've had to open the software and do a 're-installation' from there. I've been scanning hundreds of old photographs for archiving on CD and it's much easier to use the control panel to do so, only confirming the next scan on my desktop. Doing this mainly from the installed software is much more difficult. When scanning from the printer you only use your PC to confirm the next scan, but all previous scans are not saved until you select "No". I found out the hard way that there is a limit to the number of scans you can do and if you exceed that limit and click "No", your scans will not be saved and you'll have to re-do them.
Another odd issue is for some reason, every once in awhile the entire face of the printer (meaning ALL lights) will be flashing at you. The display says to turn the printer off and back on again. I guess maybe there's some internal error?
The printer will serve as a fax machine, including speed dialing and sending documents over the internet. I haven't set that up, as I don't really have a need for it. However, the setup and options appears to be rather complicated as there are over 30 pages in the manual dedicated to faxes.
Other features include the ability to print on both sides of the paper, if the duplexer is installed and copying documents in either black/white or color (however this seems to use ink at a higher rate than simply printing, but that might be due to a setting for higher quality copies). Different types of memory cards can be inserted directly into the printer (xD, Memory Sticks, Secure Digital and similarly sized cards and Compact Flash) to print, save or just view your photos using the HP software.
The printer works with XP and Vista, however I've experienced a few issues with the Vista set up. From time to time I've had my Vista laptop boot up and ask for the HP installation disk. You can click out of this, but it will ask again at the next restart. After getting sick of seeing this and wondering what it was for, I decided to put the install disk in and see what it wanted to do. After doing so, I was instructed that the installation could not be completed. Printing worked fine, so that was strange. Also, here's a tip: Don't go into your router and wonder what this new third wireless IP address is for and block it thinking it's someone tapping into your internet connection. It could be your new printer, which would cause lots of printing problems.
