HP Photosmart A516

Photo printers have always been small of course, so HP’s Photosmart A516 photo printer isn’t anything that would take you by surprise. But ultimately these are our memories we’re talking about, that we’d like to keep crisp and clear and well preserved. So the A516 is a tool to help accomplish that. Let’s see if it’s worth your while.

Design
For starters the A516 looks like a cute little toaster. That should give you a pretty accurate description of the device itself. And it weighs almost as much, around 1.17kg.

The front panel flips open to reveal the various card slots that the printer is compatible with, a USB port, the paper exit tray and the cartridge loading dock is behind a flap to the right. As with most compact photo printers, the A516 uses a single cartridge.

On top of the printer is a small 3 x 3.5cm TFT screen that allows you to view pictures stored in the cards. The only problem here is that the screen cannot be adjusted in any way. In order to view the images you’re going to have to adjust your position. There’s also the power button, cancel print key and 2 others for other functions. Under the screen are directional keys for when you’re viewing pictures directly on the screen and a select key in the center.
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The A516 has its DC current socket located at the back just under the main USB connector for your PC. The rear flap also pops open about an inch and serves as the paper tray. The papers need to be pushed down a bit so the lever can slide down and hold the paper. Just so they can say they’ve really tried to cover all basis (and it seems they have) HP has installed a compartment on the underbelly of the A516 that can house it’s own battery power source. So you don’t really have to lug the power cable around with you. But all compact printers have this capability. The battery, however, is not included so you’ll have to pick that up as an additional accessory.

So much for the description. But let’s see how this baby handled the prints.
Performance

The printer itself is extremely easy to set up and use. The software’s interface is also simple enough to use. It allows you to create your own personal presets so you don’t have to keep adjusting the settings from time to time.

I have to say I’m more than just satisfied with the prints. The reproduction was great. The colors were vibrant and the level of detail was close to excellent. The images were crisp and clear. I couldn’t find any problems with the prints. Unless I were to scrutinize each one under a microscope. You will of course have to let the prints dry for at least ten seconds or so. So just be careful when picking them up initially or your fingers could smudge them a bit.

With regards to speed, the A516 is capable of knocking out each print in approximately 02.00 minutes, give or take a few seconds. So you’ll have nothing to worry about if you’re in a bit of rush.
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What I found most impressive about the A516 is the fact that I managed to get a total of 23 prints on a single cartridge. Though, I should tell you that the highest settings were used on all 23 prints. The twenty-fourth print did show a few minor signs of the ink giving out, so I’m sure if you were not to go into too much detail you could easily end up with at least 26 prints on those settings. But of course you also need t o know that the last 2 or 3 would not be at optimum quality but good never the less. On the other hand had the settings been toned down a bit you will definitely get plenty more. So keep that in mind.

Another accessory that makes the printer even more appealing is the Bluetooth adapter that can be used with the printer for wireless prints. Again, unfortunately, it’s not included, but I know I’d buy one.

Conclusion
Whats really remarkable about the A516 is the price. At Rs. 5499, I think it’s a real steal. It’s small and compact. Although it may be a wee bit heavy, it’s not at all difficult to manage. Cartridge prices will set you back Rs. 840 per cartridge and that’s not bad either. Not one bit! With the quantity of prints the A516 is capable of dishing out you simply can’t go wrong with this. What can I say, I’m now a fan!