HP 820 Ink
Deskjet 820 Ink Cartridges

HP 820 Printer Review

The HP Deskjet 820 is a color inkjet printer with acceptable print speed and decent quality. This unit is nothing to write home about, but for an affordable price it will provide users with basic features for standard printing needs. This unit is a good fit for home users with low-volume needs, such as school reports or directions. However, small businesses will certainly want to look elsewhere.

Compatible with Windows only, the 820 is outdated and hardly versatile. It can print on a few different media types, such as letter, envelope, postcards, labels and photo or glossy paper. Other than that, this device is pretty limited as far as capabilities. There is a 1,000 page monthly duty cycle, so high-volume printing will not work out. Not only will the lifespan of the printer be cut in half, but replacement HP 820 ink cartridges will need to be purchased often.

This inkjet unit uses drop-on-demand technology, which applies Deskjet 820 ink to the paper in tiny dots. The HP ColorSmart automatically improves the images by layering these tiny dots. The resolution of the HP 820 ink is enhanced by the Color Resolution technology, or HP Ret II.

Only two Deskjet 820 ink cartridges are needed for operation. One consists of black printer ink while the other contains yellow, magenta and cyan. Replacement tanks can be found online from the manufacturer or third party vendors. Using exclusively black HP 820 ink, a maximum of 6.5 pages per minute can be printed. With the color printer ink, only 4 pages per minute can be produced per minute.

Equipped with a 128 KB memory module, this unit has the ability to print on both sides of a page. It also has a ‘sleep mode' to conserve energy. The HP Deskjet 820 is far from the best, but will work out for consumers with minimal needs.