Conclusions


Conclusions and ratings
dpnow review ratings explained
We know that you, the reader, will value certain aspects of a product more than some other individuals. This is why we instead of numbers or percentages, which can be interpreted very differently by different reviewers and readers, our rating system presents values on or above a median. It's a bit like ABC exam scores, where A or A+ is the best, C is the minimum pass and F is, well, failure.

Design

Style is a matter of personal taste, but I haven't yet come across anyone that drools over the 7960's styling. But it's not hard on the eye either. Internally, HP is unique in employing a 180 degree turn in the paper path, something it has stuck with since the late 1980s. This is fine with thin plain paper, but unless you're using particularly flexible heavier weight papers or card, you can run into paper transport problems. I've noticed several third party photo papers emerging scratched, though HP's super-slinky photo papers work without any problems.

Features

At the time of writing, true grey scale printing for grain-free continuous tone monochrome photo printing, thanks to the new No.59 photo grey ink cartridge, is unique to the 7960, as is support for direct printing from xD memory cards. Add to that features like a standard colour LCD preview and status screen, front and rear USB ports, optional duplex printing capability and it's clear that the 7960's feature set is a strong one. But there are some gaps. For example, direct printing from a camera is only possible with selected HP Photosmart cameras. HP has signed up to the PictBridge camera to printer standard but has been happy to let rivals introduce PictBridge printers first. There is also no sign yet that HP is interested in less wasteful single colour ink tanks. But one good bit of news is that HP has, at last, introduced borderless photo printing with the 7960.

Build quality

While Print quality has improved markedly in the last two years, HP's ink-jet printers seem to have paid a price in terms of build quality. The 7960 is no exception. It’s a big and heavy printer, but the plastics used seem relatively flimsy. This might explain why printing noise is higher than usual for normally ultra-quiet HP ink-jets.

Ease of use

There are no complaints here. HP has traditionally worked hard to make its printer drivers easy to use, some might say over-simplifying them in the process. PC-less printing is also very straightforward using the front panel controls and on-screen menu system. There is no fiddly manual head alignment either as the 7960 continues in the family tradition of providing an automatic self-alignment system.

Photo print quality

Colours, dot grain and print sharpness are all excellent. The only imperfection that has been noted is a tendency towards over-sharpening and this can make some prints look over-contrasty. Black and white prints from the 7960, when printed using the No.59 ink cartridge, set a new standard for monochrome ink-jet photos. Blacks and greys are slightly warm but prints look great, free from distracting colour casts and metamerism issues when viewed under different light sources. If you like ultra-shiny glossy prints, the 7960 may disappoint. The shine delivered by HP Premium Plus glossy photo paper is adequate but not in the same league as Canon's PR101 or Epson Premium Glossy, for example.

Plain paper printing quality

Continuing HP's strong tradition in this category, plain paper black text prints are not easy to distinguish from laser printer output. The 7960's fast draft mode looks coarse when magnified but its good black density masks much of the detail deficiencies when viewed with the naked eye.

Printing speed

HP's chosen combination of relatively heavy ink deposition and 'swellable' surface coating on HP photo paper results in photo printing speeds that are generally below those of Canon photo printers and many Epson photo printers.

Third party photo paper compatibility

HP's ink-jet system deposits relatively large amounts of ink onto photo media. This is because HP favours photo media that features a 'swellable' absorption surface. As Epson and Canon ink-jet printers mostly support porous surface photo media, which has a lower absorption capacity, papers developed to support these printers don't work well with HP printers like the 7960. The excess ink pools on the surface of the paper, taking longer to dry and results in less sharp prints and usually poor colour and contrast too. In general, more papers work well with Epson printers, in particular, than HP ink-jets. Results on some matt-finish fine art papers aren't too bad as long as the paper is flexible enough to survive the tight paper path.

The 7960 is not a fine art printer, though its accomplished mono printing performance might make you wish it was. However, we were able to print successfully using the No.59 cartridge in combination with some lighter weight fine art matt papers.

Another issue worth noting is that HP's printer driver does not provide easy access to standard colour management settings. If you wish to create your own custom profiles it will be more complicated to implement them than with an Epson printer, for example.

Print longevity

The two enemies of photo prints are air-borne or gaseous pollutants like ozone and dye-zapping ultra violet light. HP's Premium Plus paper locks the ink dyes inside an air-tight photo paper surface layer, making prints genuinely resistant to normal gas fading. But HP inks are made from soluble chemical dyes rather than particle-based pigments. The latter are much more resistant to UV fading. So 7960 photo prints are no more resistant to light fading than any other dye-based photo prints, but should resist fading well overall as long as they are shielded from direct sunlight and other UV sources.

Incidentally, HP's Premium Plus glossy paper is vulnerable to water damage and it's relatively easy to damage the surface coating of a print.

Value for money

The HP 7960 is a high-specification printer and, as such, does carry a relatively high price tag. But the 7960 does represent a lot of printer for the money. What's more of a concern is the cost of running your 7960. HP ink cartridges, with their integrated print heads, are more expensive than rival ink-only ink cartridges from Canon and Epson. And HP does not offer thriftier single colour ink cartridges either.

Bottom line
For:
Excellent photo print quality when using HP paper
Outstanding black and white photo print quality using No.59 cartridge and HP paper
Prints are genuinely resistant to gas fading
Comprehensive direct print media card support including xD cards
Plain paper text printing quality is very good
Colour LCD preview and status screen is standard
Front and rear USB ports
Optional duplex printing
Automatic self-print head alignment
Easy to use

Against:
Limited ink compatibility with third party papers
Some third party papers damaged by tight paper path
Photo printing relatively slow
Direct from camera print facility exclusive to selected HP cameras (PictBridge not yet supported)
Larger than average dimensions
Disappointing build quality
Separate colour ink tanks not implemented
Ink cartridges relatively expensive
Dye-based photo colour inks are not resistant to UV fading
Photos can be a touch over-sharpened
Difficult to use with custom profiles

Verdict
The HP Photosmart 7960 is not a perfect product, but HP deserves a big slap on the back for having the vision and confidence to introduce this printer. HP's Photosmart flagship can claim a number of firsts, including the most comprehensive memory card compatibility yet, beating rivals to integrated xD card support. But it's that No.59 photo grey ink cartridge that makes the 7960 really special. Not only does it enable the 7960 to produce outstanding black and white prints but it further enhances HP's already much improved colour photo printing quality. For these reasons alone, the 7960 can be heartily recommended. Resistance to fading is also above average. But potential buyers need to weigh up the relatively high cost of inks and limited compatibility with photo papers apart from HP's own.

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