HP Deskjet 6122

There are now so many variants of Deskjets and photo inkjets emerging from HP's development labs it's getting difficult to tell them apart.

So with the Deskjet 6122, HP makes a design statement in its case-styling to present a more corporate, grey image.

Despite the stiffer lines, the Deskjet 6122 has a lot in common with HP's popular inkjets for the home.

For example, it features a light sensor on the printhead so it can automatically identify the grade of paper loaded in the tray, and then it calibrates the colour and the printhead alignment without your intervention.

The output tray's single-envelope slot can accommodate photo-printing cards, and you can load just about any size of paper or card in the main tray.

Although HP's classic feeder design makes refilling the trays a bit fiddly, this is not a printer that jams easily, if at all.

The price includes a two-sided printing unit (duplexer) which fits onto the rear. This drags the print speed down to a crawl, but is still valuable for making the process a no-brainer.

Print speed in general is reasonable for a modern inkjet, and we were able to churn out 20 copies of a four-colour Word document in about four and a half minutes.

Office document quality is very good too, thanks to a rich pigmented black ink.

Graphics output is good, but photo prints on glossy paper are simply outstanding. Don't expect them to zip through, though - every photo printout is an opportunity to go and boil the kettle.

To prove how versatile the machine is, HP sells a 250-sheet lower tray option for just £49.

We did have some problems figuring out drivers, but the 6122 is a great printer at a bargain price.

SPECS

• Thermal inkjet
• 150-sheet feeder, duplexer
• 20ppm mono, 13ppm colour
• 600dpi black, 1,200dpi colour, 1,200 x 4,800dpi on glossy paper
• Two cartridges
• Four colours
• USB, parallel interfaces
• 454 x 440.3 x 184.2mm (w x d x h)
• 5.53kg
• 250-sheet lower tray
• Network adaptor

DETAILS

Price: £169 (£143.83 ex VAT)
Contact: HP 08705 474 747
www.hp.co.uk