HP’s Photosmart 130 printer: Small yet superb

Cheaper, more affordable digital cameras and a sustained interest in digital photography have led manufacturers to develop photo printers tailored to this growing market segment.

Hewlett-Packard’s recent release, the Photosmart 130 printer, is a diminutive photo printer that outputs only 4x6 and wallet-sized photos. This printer is geared toward a very specific type of digital photographer who requires quick prints of a small size but who doesn’t require large format prints.

Convenient but limited

Direct-to-print printers allow users to print either directly from their digital cameras (using either a wired connection like a USB cable, infrared ports or in some cases, Bluetooth wireless radios integrated in both units). Other models eliminate the need for a PC by integrating ports into the printer that accepts the popular digital media most favored by camera manufacturers, including Compact Flash, Secure Digital, Multi Media and Memory Stick cards.

By sticking the cards directly into the printer, digital camera owners can save on their camera’s battery since the transfer and printing of digital photographs is known to hog the camera’s battery power. It is possible to deploy the Photosmart 130 without a PC playing the role of intermediary between printer and camera. The process is simple and straightforward, stick in the memory card, navigate through the printer’s options and print directly.

For photographers and enthusiasts who prefer to edit and correct their photos before printing them, HP includes a good set of tools but fails to include the necessary USB cable to connect to a PC. This is unfortunate as it limits the printer’s use until the time a suitable USB cable can be purchased and connected.

Minute photos

Quality of the printouts ranges from acceptable to outstanding although users need to spend some time practicing to get the hang of the Photosmart 130’s features. The downside is that in practicing, a lot of photo paper, which may be expensive, can get wasted.

Initial tests with the unit produced photos in little over a minute and the quality was very good, except that using some of the preset modes caused the images to be cropped in order to fit the 4x6 paper size. This resulted in a lot of chopped heads and feet in the photos. Some time should be taken to ensure the settings are suitable to specific shots.

It is amazing that such a small printer (the Photosmart 130 is eight inches’ wide and five inches’ high) can print so quickly and with such vivid results. Its maximum resolution is a surprising 4800 x 1200 dpi.

One annoying habit the Photosmart 130 has is that each time it is powered on, it prints a test page that is a waste of photo paper. Otherwise, setting it up on a PC or a Mac is easy.

Focus forward

HP’s Photosmart 130 does one thing exceptionally well and exceptionally quick – it prints high-quality images from digital cameras or media storage devices. For users who are allergic to the PC aspect of digital photography and who will not require prints larger than 4x6, this is most welcome.

Essentially, snapshots and small portraits will be ideal for this printer. Large, more detailed or panoramic photos will require a larger, more professional photo printer that can output a larger variety of paper sizes.

The unit’s small size makes it a good traveling companion for digital photographers who may want to shoot and print on the fly. The 130’s borderless printer feature allows for more images on the paper, and the unit’s speed makes it a good option for fledgling digital photographers who want dependable photo printing solutions.