HP Photosmart Plus B210 review

The Photosmart Plus completed all our print tests in competitive times, although at just shy of 10 minutes, it was slow to print six postcard-sized photos. Six direct photo prints were just over two minutes quicker, but we found setting the job up via the touchscreen interface infuriating. The controls are slower to respond to touches than Lexmark’s, and we found that some actions were missed unless we were very deliberate with our prodding. Left unattended with a memory card inserted before we tried to print, the Photosmart Plus begun a slideshow with no indication of how to stop it again.

Sadly, we weren’t overly impressed with the quality of this MFP’s scans, prints or copies. Colour prints on plain paper were among the best here, and colour photocopies were reasonably good, but the graphics in our mono copy test were too dark. Unusually for an HP printer, black text wasn’t perfect either. Low-resolution scans were crisp and our Q-60 test pattern scan revealed good colour accuracy with excellent preservation of shading detail, but high-resolution photo scans had been over processed, leaving them with a curious dappled effect that we’ve seen from other HP scanners.

Ultimately, though, we were most disappointed with photos which, whether printed from a PC or memory card, were weak. While skin tones in portraits were very natural, other shots revealed a variable colour accuracy and very poor detail in darker areas, contributed to by lacklustre black. Our blue sky test, which should reveal a smooth graduation of blue shades, was mottled at one edge.

Given these problems, we can’t recommend the B210. If you can afford the extra money, the Epson PX720WD is an all-round better choice.