HP V30 Ink
OfficeJet V30 Ink Cartridges

HP V30 Printer Review

The HP OfficeJet V30 is an all-in-one color inkjet printer, but its design is more like that of a dedicated fax machine. It can handle scanning, copying, and faxing, but its print speeds are a bit slow, at up to 8 pages per minute for black and 7 pages per minute for color. Prices for HP V30 printer ink can be a little expensive, and lack of a flatbed scanner is a limiting factor.

The design of the V30 is quite compact, especially considering its many features and functions, but it has some limitations. There is an automatic document feeder located at the top of the device for scanning, copying, or faxing multiple pages at once, but it only holds 20 sheets at a time. The lack of a flatbed scanner also greatly limits the types and sizes of materials that can be scanned. A high resolution of 600x1200 optical dpi for scanning does produce sharp results, however.

The machine itself measures only 9.5x17.8x12.9 inches, so it is easy to see why the sacrifices in features were made. At this size, it is only a bit larger than many dedicated photo printers, yet it adds three additional functions. Optical character recognition (OCR) software is included for those who wish to convert their paper documents to searchable, editable text.

One of the main drawbacks of this inkjet is the high price for HP V30 ink cartridges. The OfficeJet V30 ink cartridges have fairly good yields of 450 pages for the tricolor supply and 500 pages for black, but the cost of replacing both can be about a third of the price of the machine itself. Thankfully, compatible OfficeJet V30 printer ink is available at a fraction of the cost of the OEM versions.

The V30 is likely to appeal to home or small office users who are very limited by space and budget but still need it's many functions. Buyers should be aware that OEM HP V30 ink is pricey, however.