HP 3810 Ink
Deskjet 3810 Ink Cartridges

HP 3810 Printer Review

As a compact personal inkjet printer, the HP Deskjet 3810 provides decent speeds, at up to 12 pages per minute for black and 10 pages per minute for color. Its straightforward design doesn't have some of the bells and whistles of more expensive models, but the benefits of its low price tag and fairly affordable HP 3810 printer ink make it a good value for a home user with basic needs.

The compact design of the 3810 is likely to be one of its most appealing features, especially for home users with limited desktop space. It measures 7.6x20.8x14.8 inches and weighs just 11.7 pounds. Its input and output tray are both oriented toward the front, which helps to save space, but also causes the paper to bend quite a bit, which could mean more frequent paper jams. Input paper capacity is 100 sheets.

Professional reviews rate its text and graphics quality as somewhat disappointing, but adequate for most home users. Where the 3810 really shines, however, is in its sharp and accurate photo prints, which are output at a resolution of up to 1200 dpi using Deskjet 3810 printer ink. Users can connect the device via USB or parallel port, but neither cable is included in the box.

Prices for OEM versions of HP 3810 ink tend to be a bit high, so this is a factor to consider before buying. Using compatible Deskjet 3810 ink cartridges, however, can reduce to the cost to a fraction of OEM prices, and make the unit very affordable. The model uses a single black HP 3810 ink cartridge and a combined tricolor supply as well, which are both easy to replace.

The HP 3810 is not the most durable inkjet, and its text quality is a little sub-par, but for buyers who want excellent photo quality at a low price, it's hard to beat. Using compatible supplies will keep costs down, making it an excellent home photo printer.