HP 5508 Ink
OfficeJet 5508 Ink Cartridges

HP 5508 Printer Review

The HP OfficeJet 5508 offers printing, scanning, copying, and faxing in a single inkjet device compact enough to fit on a desktop. It does an impressive job of handling each function, and can reach speeds of up to 15 pages per minute for monochrome and 11 pages per minute for color printing. High prices for HP 5508 printer ink are the main drawback, but choosing remanufactured alternatives could save money.

The 5508 is only 9.1 inches high and has a footprint of 17.8x11.2 inches with the paper trays closed. Having them open adds around 6 inches in the front, however. The unit is also lightweight and easy to move, weighing just 12 pounds without the OfficeJet 5508 printer ink installed. An automatic document feeder is available for continuous scanning of up to 20 pages at a time, and the flatbed scanner adds a bit more flexibility.

Copying and faxing can both be handled from the control panel, and don't require a computer connection. Scanning supports a maximum resolution of 600x2400 ppi, and both an image editor and OCR (optical character recognition) software are included, the latter of which can turn scanned documents into editable text. A single USB port is the only connection method, and HP recommends a maximum monthly duty cycle of 1,600 pages.

Both the black and tricolor HP 5508 ink cartridges have fairly large capacities for an inkjet model, at 520 and 400 pages respectively. Prices for OfficeJet 5508 ink cartridge replacements are a bit expensive, however, which keeps the cost per page quite high. Using remanufactured HP 5508 ink can help reduce the cost by about half.

The HP 5508 aims to add serious office features to a home or small office, and mainly succeeds. Its fast speeds, reasonable price, and extras like its ADF make it a good value, if users can keep operating costs down.