HP 3816 Ink
Deskjet 3816 Ink Cartridges

HP 3816 Printer Review

The HP Deskjet 3816 is a very affordable color inkjet for home users who want to print high-quality photos, but also want a compact design that doesn't require too much space. Print speeds are solid, at up to 12 pages per minute for black and 10 pages per minute for color, but high costs for HP 3816 printer ink bring down its value.

The design of the 3816 is not particularly durable. The unit is made from thin plastic, but this is likely a tradeoff for its affordable price, and most home users probably won't mind. The unit measures 7.6x20.8x14.8 inches, which makes it small enough for the average desktop, and its light weight of 11.7 pounds makes it easy to get out of the box and set up. The front-facing input tray can hold up to 100 sheets.

Users can choose from a parallel or USB connection, but HP includes neither cable in the box. Text and graphics quality are disappointing, according to professional reviews, but photo quality is quite impressive, making it a good choice for photo enthusiasts who don't print a lot of standard documents. The unit supports a maximum resolution of 1200 dpi using color Deskjet 3816 printer ink.

For such an affordable color inkjet, the price of HP 3816 ink cartridges is particularly disappointing, as the cost of replacing the HP 3816 ink can sometimes be around half the cost of the machine itself. Using compatible Deskjet 3816 ink cartridges will help to bring the costs to a manageable level, however.

The Deskjet 3816 won't be a great choice for users who do a wide variety of printing, but the fact that it can provide high-quality photo prints for such an affordable upfront price is very impressive. Users who plan to do a lot of printing will need to use compatible supplies to keep costs under control, however.