HP PSC 1216 Ink Cartridges

HP PSC 1216 Printer Review

The most appealing aspect of the HP PSC 1216 is likely to be its low price. With the capability for printing, scanning, and copying and speeds of up to 12 pages per minute, it seems to be a great value. Buyers drawn in by the low upfront cost may find themselves spending a lot on HP PSC 1216 printer ink if they don't seek third-party options, however.

This all-in-one inkjet is lacking a few features, but not any that most home users will miss. With no faxing capabilities and no automatic document feeder, users will have to make do with the flatbed scanning platen, but this shouldn't be a problem for light-duty use. One strange design quirk is that the control panel is located under the scanning lid, which protects it from dust, but may make using it a bit awkward.

Because of the simplicity of the control panel, users might find themselves using the included software even for tasks like copying, as it provides a lot more control. Only 10 copies can be made from the panel, for example, while up to 50 can be made using the software. Reviewers also note that copy quality is somewhat lackluster, and that scanning and then printing produces better results.

Text quality was rated highly by reviewers, and graphics and photos showed smooth gradients and good color quality. Scan quality also rated highly, but scanning was fairly slow.

The system uses one tricolor and one black HP PSC 1216 ink cartridge, which keeps supplies simple to replace. The tricolor HP PSC 1216 ink cartridge has a yield of up to 400 pages, while the black supply can provide up to 520 pages before expiring, but both are expensive to replace.

Despite a few design issues that mildly affect usability, the PSC 1216 is quite a capable all-in-one inkjet printer. It is neither particularly fast or robust, but it can handle home office tasks quite well, though buyers who do a lot of printing may find the HP PSC 1216 printer ink costs are too high.