HP Deskjet 6540

The HP Deskjet 6540 is a budget photo printer aimed at those wanting high-quality text and photo prints for a low price.

The unit itself is quite compact, with a relatively small 150-sheet paper tray. This can be increased to 250 with an optional tray but, unless you plan on producing a large number of prints, the standard capacity should be sufficient.

HP claims that the Deskjet 6540 can print at 30 pages-per-minute (ppm), but this is only true in low-quality mode. If you've got important or photo-based documents, you'll probably use the normal or best-quality setting, which can see speeds drop to as low as 2ppm.

To its credit, this is a multi-purpose printer that produces solid results in both text and image-based documents. If you're using photo-quality paper, you can produce very realistic results thanks to the 6540's six-ink colour system.

As with most inkjets, the price of replacing cartridges is an issue, but the 6540's running costs aren't prohibitive. HP claims that its high-capacity tri-colour cartridge, which costs £25, will produce 240 10 x 15cm photo prints.

If you're looking for a low-cost, effective photo printer and don't expect to produce a large volume of work, this is a solid investment.

Contact: HP 0800 038 8889
www.hp.com/uk