WHILE MOST PEOPLE who use digital cameras appreciate the ability to view the photographs instantly when hooked to a pc, holding a printout in your hand or pasting it on to your wall has a fully different feel to it. given a choice, we would want hard copies of all our best snaps!
HP'S PHOTOSMART A626 takes the fun in photo printing to a higher level by offering several (usable) photo editing options in the printer. You can even add your own captions or make a sketch onto the image, thus lending a personal touch to it. The clincher here is that none of these operations need a computer and is possible through a touch screen and a stylus present in the printer. The rather large 4.8 inch bright display helps you get a good preview of images from your memory card or those stored in your camera using PictBridge.
The A626 can read all standard memory card formats - so / MMC, CF, XO and Sony's Memory Stick / Duo. Pictbridge is also available to access images from compatible cameras. Bluetooth is not available by default but is optional. Using this printer is extremely useful and takes only a little effort for anyone to get the hang of the interface. You can use it like any other printer when connected to the Pc.
In standalone mode, when you insert your memory card, the A626 shows you a thumbnail view - here you can scroll to see more pictures or zoom in on a thumbnail. Printing is just one tap away, unless you want to edit the photo or, in HP's words, 'Get Creative'.
Editing options include cropping, adjusting bright¬ness and removing red eye. The fun begins when you try the 'Get Creative' option. You can choose from an array of frames, album covers, clip arts and color effects (like Sepia, Black and White, Antique, etc). Merely browsing through the combination of these options will take a good ten minutes.
And, if that's not enough, you can add captions using the stylus and on screen keyboard, select a font and color (though the choice is limited). If you think your sketch¬es can liven up your photos, you can sketch on them as well using the stylus. At any moment, printing is just a touch away.
UNLIKE MANY OTHER printers in this segment, the A626 is not a dye-sublimation printer, but an inkjet. Photos show graininess in print, that would not appear in dye-sub models. Otherwise, there is little to complain of in print quality - colors are reproduced well, with a slight saturation added. This does not mar the photos in any way, but can actually make a dull picture look better. Unless you view the printouts very closely, they appear as good as a photo lab print.
A plus point for this compact device is its ability to print 5 x 7 inch borderless photos. Most other compact printers can manage only 4 x 6 inch paper. In our tests, printing speed was a high of two minutes for a 5 x 7 inch borderless print, and about one and a half minutes for 4 x 6 inch paper. In draft mode, prints with borders can be out in as less as 40 seconds.
LIKE MOST HOME photo printers, this one is also demanding on your wallet. The cartridge costs Rs 800, and with HP's claimed 55 prints of 4 x 6 inch size, you end up spending about Rs 15 per print on ink alone. HP also says that with a 15 percent coverage area, the cartridge can last for 100 sheets, but we find that to be a tall claim.
Now add to that the cost of photo paper, and you are looking at Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 per photo. This is certainly more expensive than the Rs 5 that photo labs charge you, but then, you get the convenience of printing at home instantly. And yes, the fun associated in adding your own text and sketches.
