Comments on: HP B8350 PHOTOSMART PRO PHOTO PRINTER

By: W. Ramsey

W. Ramsey — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:54:43 +0000

Inability to print most documents. It will print most text documents, but the moment that I try to send a picture or anything of any file size, it blinks at me for a while and then just goes back to normal. Never spits out my job. I have spent countless hours on the phone with HP over in some other country that does not speak English too well. I have reinstalled the drivers I don’t know how many times. Everytime I would call back, a different person would make me reinstall the drivers. Then one of their guys told me that it was a problem with MS Excel. That was the last straw. I knew it was hopeless to go any farther. So I have learned my lesson. Please Beware! Until better drivers are released, this printer is not suitable for what it is built to do.

By: Alan Richrod

Alan Richrod — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:45:16 +0000

This is a good printer and prints very well and on large formats, well ok, medium formats 13 x 19. Others have mentioned some problems with it and I can verify most of them. Some large print files take a long time to load. It seems to print fast once loaded. And the prints are really good quiality prints, especially on good photo paper.

The cartridges are not as expensive as some HP printers but they're pretty small and a "brass-bound [...]" to replace! If you are good at Chinese puzzles or escaping handcuffs, you should be fine. There is a stiff plastic flap in front of the cartridge bay that makes removal and installation quite a challenge. It seems to be the only purpose of that piece of plastic. Back in the day we used to call it "bad design".

I have experienced lots of paper pickup and jamming problems and though easy to fix they are annoying.

And it's true; HP does not actually support their products at all, they only claim to. You sort of wonder around the web and hope to find what you want.

So this is a good printer but very far from perfect.

By: J. Rupp

J. Rupp — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:15:10 +0000

This printer is hands-down the absolute worst experience I have ever had with any purchase!! It absolutely, positively does not work with Adobe Photoshop (any version). What is the use of having a pro photo printer if it is not compatible with Photoshop!! I actually returned this printer, because HP said I got a bad unit, only to have the exact same problem with the replacement unit!! After hours on the phone with “tech” specialists from India, they finally admitted that none of thier Pro printers work with Photoshop. They have a new one out…the B9180 which comes with the Photoshop plug-in so you can use with Photoshop, but at a $700 price tag…give me a break. HP actually had the nerve to tell me that this was Adobe’s fault not theirs. How ridiculous….considering that every other photo printer on the planet works fine with Adobe’s line of software. I actually have a $99 Epson photo printer…which could run circles around this expensive piece of junk!!! Do yourself a favor…buy an Epson.

By: Gene R. Nathans

Gene R. Nathans — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:11:24 +0000

I have read all the reviews of this printer. Wanted a large format printer for 13 x 19 paper. Not sure WHY this size is set for both HP and Epson?? Someone at HP might explain. No negatives for printer cost. Be aware that if you swap or put a new cartridge in this printer–and other HP printers–a Test Page is AUTOMATICALLY printed. Not a big deal–UNLESS you happen to have very expensive 13 x 19 paper IN the printer tray–and the Printer starts to spit out a “Check” page after changing a cartridge. Also, test print uses ink! Also, make sure you have all setting in, e.g., PSE and MS Printer settings, the same to avoid an incorrect print. Excellent large print images, using Adobe RGB(1998) setting.

By: C. Crawford

C. Crawford — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 12:40:40 +0000

Whenever I think of any printer, from the biggest poster printer on down to the lowly dot matrix dinosaur fax machine I think of that one scene from office space where they put the smack down on the fax machine for betraying them so dearly. As far as any printer goes I feel that the minute you connect it to a computer or a network it is just a matter of time before it quits working correctly and you're soon forced to that old mechanics logic of "wiggle this and rattle that and it'll fire right up."

Discounting all of that and completely ignoring my personal war against electronics to make them work properly I'd have to say the photos that this thing spits out are quite impressive. Honestly I am not a pro photographer and the thing is so big that it takes up half of my computer desk. So what if it makes somewhat scary and horrific noises that send the dog running when it spits out a finished product? Oh yeah and when I say spits out, I mean it can knock over a glass of water or an already haphazardly set cup of old pens with ease. Simply said the thing is a beast and it does good work.

As far as I'm concerned all of these large formats are the same and what really matters is what brand you want stamped on it pure and simple. Just buy one with cheap inks that's the only important thing.